The Bichon Frisé has its origins in the Water Spaniel or Barbet, hence the generic term "Barbichon". This group of Bichons today includes the following 5 Bichon Frisé breeds: the Bichon Maltais (Maltese), the Bichon Bolognais (Bolognese), the Bichon Havanais (Havanese), the Bichon Ténériffe (Bichon Frisé) and the Petit chien lion (little lion).

The name Tenerife can still be found in some breed books today instead of the name Bichon Frisé. It dates back to the earliest times around 1500, when Spanish sailors brought some of these dogs with them to the Canary Islands. There they were bred and sold to high-ranking Spanish and Italian personalities. From there, French invaders brought home many dogs of this "new" breed as spoils of war.

In 1515, the Bichon Frisé entered the royal households under Francis I (1515-1547). It reached its peak in popularity in 1574 under the reign of Henry III (1574-1589). The Bichon Frisé, which had so much grace and loveliness, took the hearts of French ladies of the Renaissance by storm. They surrounded it with so much attention that it was the centre of attention in every salon. It was perfumed, decorated with ribbons and bows. Its hair was curled, in short, it was pampered from all sides. As a result, the old name Ténériffe was abandoned and it was called Bichon (French for pamper: bichonner). The additional name frisé simply means "curly".

It was not until March 1933 that a standard was written for this breed, and 1 1/2 years later, in October 1934, it was listed for the first time in the stud book of the French canine association. The Bichon Frisé is a Franco-Belgian breed.

It was first brought to America in 1956, from where the first breeding pair was introduced to England by American immigrants in 1973. This breeding pair then produced the first litter of English Bichon Frisé puppies in 1974. Today, breeding of this breed is very common in England.

Source: https://www.vdh.de/welpen/mein-welpe/bichon-poil-fris