Bolonka

Infobox Dogbreed
altname =
country = Russia

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image_caption = Bolonka Franzuska, one of the Bolonka breeds
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Bolonka refers to small breeds of dog of the Bichon type, originally from Russia, developed from the Bichon Frisé and further developed in Germany. They include the Franzuskaya Bolonka (Bolonka Franzuska) and the Bolonka Zwetna (bunte Schoßhündchen, Tsvetnaya Bolonka). "Franzuska" means French and "Zwetna" means multicoloured. "Bolonka" translates as "lapdog" (Schoßhündchen).

Appearance

Bolonka are 24 - 26 cm high at the withers and 2-4 or 5kg in weight. The Franzuskaya Bolonka is white, and the Bolonka Zwetna may be of various colours.

Recognition

Although popular in Germany, Bolonka are not recognized as a separate breed by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. [ [http://rusbolonka.ru/articles_interviews/the-interview-with-petra-lindberg Interview with Petra Lindberg, includes pictures of Bolonka and discusses countries where it is recognised] ] The white version, the "Bolonka Franzuska", was recognised by the VDH (German national kennel club) as a variation of the Bolognese. That Russian Bolonka are not recognised stems from the lack of a national kennel club in Russia. Without a national club, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale will not recognise the Russian dogs; in addition, there have been reports of irregularities in recordkeeping since in Russia "there is no single Kennel Club but a number of smaller clubs who basically do whatever they want." [ [http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/s_tillotson/bhrussia.htm Russian Dog Scene in the 1990s] ]

History

Through the connection between the Russian and French aristocracy in the eighteenth and nineteeth centuries, a type dog similar to the the Bichon Frisé of today was brought to tsarist Russia. These little white dogs were favorites of the fashionable ladies of the period in both countries. After the Russian Revolution, the breed was isolated from the French dogs. The little dogs began to be taken seriously as a native Russian breed in the 1950s, and grew in popularity. Export of the dogs was strictly regulated. In 1978 a breeding pair of Bolonka franzuska was sent as a diplomatic gift from the Soviet Union into the GDR. From these and a few others, the white Franzuskay Bolonka began to be developed as a breed in Germany in the 1980s. Eventually it was recognized by the VDF (Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen) as a variation of the Bolognese. At the same time a coloured version was also being developed, the Bolonka Zwetna (bunte Schoßhündchen, Tsvetnaya Bolonka, Deutscher Bolonka). These are not yet recognised although they have active breed clubs in several countries. [ [http://www.bolonka-info.de/download/Bolly-Buch.pdf Der Bolonka by Thomas Freudenthal (e-Book, in German)] ]

See also

*Bichon
*Lap dog
*Russkiy Toy Portal|Russia|Nuvola Russian flag.svg

References

External links