Lively, merry, docile and very affectionate, the Bolognese is eager to please his owner and makes a wonderful pey. Never rambunctious, he is less restless than other bichons. He needs gentle training. He needs moderate exercise and does not like to be left alone. He requires daily dematting and colming and does not shed.

The Bolognese’s origins are commingled with those of the Maltese, its close cousin. Their distant ancestors were the small dogs Aristotle called canes meliteness. Throughout Roman times, the Bolognese was a precious gift given among those in power. Italians believe the breed was born in the city of Bologna. A favorite of the Medics family during the Renaissance, he was popular until the late eighteenth century when the Poodle took his place. Today, he is rarely found outside his native land.