Bolognese

Features

The Bolognese is a very affectionate dog and needs a lot of love and attention from its owners. This dog breed has a strong protective instinct towards its family members and can therefore be used as a guard dog.

Important to know

As with all dog breeds, it is important that the Bolognese receives regular veterinary checkups to ensure that it remains healthy. You should also make sure he receives all the necessary vaccinations. The Bolognese is prone to certain health problems such as tartar buildup and eye problems.

Calm & balanced

Personality

Body & Appearance

Attributes

Coat care
8
Hair
2
Energy
2
Trainability
8
Suitable for children
8
This is the Bolognese

Features:

The Bolognese belongs to the small dog breeds and has a square build, with which it grows up to 30 cm, about the size of a cat. The small dog weighs between 2.5 and 4 kg.

Bolognese are graceful dogs and move prancingly and elegantly. Are at the same time have a very serene and cheerful appearance and are not very active.

They have short legs, long drooping ears and a high set tail that they carry bent over their back. The noses and beady eyes of the dogs are black.

The coat of the Bolognese resembles a cotton ball. It is fluffy and fluffy, not clinging and long all over the body, including on the paws. The soft fluffs may be curly and consist entirely of top coat, as the dogs have no or very little undercoat. The coat does not form fringes and should be white or ivory.

A change of coat between summer and winter does not take place.

Personality:

The Bolognese is an extremely modest , balanced, cuddly and affectionate guy . The most important thing for him is to spend as much time as possible with his favorite people. It makes relatively no difference to him whether he takes them for a short walk, plays with them, cuddles them or makes himself comfortable on the sofa. This adaptable dog loves his people more than anything and is prone to separation anxiety, so it is best for him if they are home as much as possible. He is also not particularly active, so he has no requirements for much exercise. However, he is always available for games. Due to his intelligence and dexterity , you can also excellently rehearse tricks with him. He is also well suited for outdoor walks as he has virtually no hunting instinct.

The extremely loyal, curious and smart dog gets along very well with children as well as with other pets. Only towards strangers the Bolognese can be a little reserved . Although he very rarely barks per se, it can happen from time to time with strangers. Here he surprises with an unexpectedly deep voice, which you can’t tell from the little guy.

Posture:

The dogs’ willingness to learn and their intelligence are of great benefit to their owners when raising Bolognese. The little bundles of energy learn quickly and remember what they are allowed and what not, so you are easy to train even without dog experience.

The Bolognese also does not demand great athleticism from his people. He is extremely happy with occasional walks and walkies. He is also not a representative of the dogs who have to go outside in all wind and weather, but also likes to stay in the good, warm room. Athletic people should be careful not to overload the little four-legged friends.

Bolognese are suitable for both single people and families, only they do not like to be alone. Therefore, they are also perfect, for example, for older people who are at home a lot.

In addition, since they do not have a strong urge to move, they are happy in city apartments as long as they are allowed to be near their humans. At the same time, they are welcome to be taken everywhere, even on vacation.

Nutrition and care:

The Bolognese is also not very demanding when it comes to food. However, since the dogs can be very greedy, they should also get only small portions due to their low weight, to avoid overweight. It’s best to keep an eye on your Bolognese’s weight and adjust the amount of food as it fluctuates, as even a small difference in weight makes a big difference proportionally for these small dogs. If necessary, you can resort to low-calorie food or special food for small dogs.

The coat of the Bolognese, on the other hand, is somewhat more complex to maintain. It must be brushed thoroughly at least once a week but preferably every two days, during the coat change even daily. It’s best to start at the belly, placing your bologna down your back and then combing it strand by strand. Then devote yourself to the paws and brush from side to side.

Pay special attention to the areas behind the ears, the neck, armpits and buttocks, as the fur tangles there more easily.

Beyond brushing, it is advisable to bathe the Bolognese from time to time so that its white color is preserved. For this purpose, there is specially suitable shampoo.

The coat of the dogs is quite high-maintenance, but they hardly shed at all.

In addition to grooming, you should carefully trim hair around the eyes and ears on a regular basis.

After walks, you should carefully remove small branches, leaves or other debris that likes to get caught in the fluffy fur. Also remember that dogs have virtually no undercoat, which means they can easily get cold in low temperatures. Here, for example, you can resort to protective dog clothing.

Also, make sure to take care of your dog’s eyes thoroughly by removing tear tracks daily with a damp cloth so that they don’t get gummed up, otherwise eye infections can easily occur. The ears should also be cleaned at least once a week.

Also, check his paws regularly for foreign objects or inflammation and trim his claws as well.

The Bolognese are a very robust breed. However, like many small dogs, they are more prone to knee problems. In addition, conjunctival diseases, damaged tear ducts, which can be recognized by a red coloration around the eyes, ear infections and tartar occur. In the health of Bolognese, the choice of a good breeding is of paramount importance.

History:

The Bolognese originates from Italy, from where it has spread steadily. Its history can be traced back unusually far, namely to antiquity. In fact, in the ancient Roman Empire, the small dogs were valued as companions of high ladies, and thus as luxury dogs, and were also considered valuable gifts. Already Aristotle wrote 2400 years ago about a dog whose description fits very exactly to the Bolognese.

Other famous historical figures also took a liking to the elegant dogs. For example, King Philip II of Spain, Madame de Pompadour, the Dukes of Medici, Catherine the Great and Maria Theresa all had Bolognese at their side and were not the only ones who considered the lapdogs as faithful companions, good for the soul.

The Bolognese has a close relationship with the Maltese and belongs to the so-called “Bichons”, the lap dogs.

Today, fortunately, the Bolognese no longer serves only as a prestige object, but then as now, he was and is an excellent social dog.

Conclusion:

The Bolognese is a very frugal, smart, bright and affectionate dog that loves to spend every second with his beloved humans. He is very willing to learn and easy to train even without dog experience. Since the little dog does not need much exercise and also likes to be comfortable at home, it is suitable for one or more people, old and young, sporty and unsporty and everything in between and always brings cheerfulness and happiness.