Bichon Yorkie

The true beginning of the Bichon Yorkie is not well documented, but we do know that it is a crossbreed of the Bichon Frise and Yorkshire Terrier. This hybrid breed created in the United States is not recognized by the AKC. The Bichon Yorkie is recognized by other organizations, such as the American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC) and the Designer Breed Registry (DBR). The Bichon Frise descended from a Mediterranean breed called the Barbet. This was a medium sized water dog with woolly fur which was also referred to as a barbichon. At some point, the dogs were taken to one of the Canary Islands, Tenerife, most likely by Spanish or Portuguese traders. In the 14th century, French, Italian, or Spanish sailors brought them to Europe. Other sources say that the Bichon Frise was developed in Italy and was brought to France by soldiers in the 1500s. Either way, they were popular in royal courts in France, England, and Spain, and were counted as favorites by such famous rulers as King Francis I of France and King Henry III of England. By the late 1800s, the Bichon Frise fell out of favor, and began to be used by circus performers and to help lead the blind. After World War I, French breeders worked to preserve the breed, and adopted an official standard in 1933. At this point in time, the breed went by the names Tenerife and Bichon. Bichon Frise is an anglicized version of the French name that translated as ‘Bichon with the curly coat.’ By 1956, the Bichon Frise came to the United States, where it was recognized by the AKC in 1971. In a sharp contrast, the Yorkshire Terrier was a dog of the working class. 19th century Scottish workers brought a dog, then called the Paisley Terrier or the Clydesdale Terrier, with them when they came looking for work in Yorkshire, England. The dog was crossed with other Terriers to create a much smaller dog that was used for catching rats in the mills where their owners worked. By 1870, the new breed was named Yorkshire Terriers for the place where they were developed. The first record of a Yorkshire Terrier in the United States dates from 1872. Yorkshire Terriers were recognized by the AKC in 1885.