Woodlife

Billy is 4 today. You know who Billy is don’t you? He’s made a guest appearance in a couple of posts.

To celebrate his birthday, here’s a couple of facts about him.

1. Billy is a Bichon Frise (pronounced Bee-shon free-zay) which means “curly lap dog.” They are descended from the water spaniel or Barbet.

2. Billy has visited often. He came to stay with us for a long weekend in January and hasn’t left.

3. Billy sleeps on our bed.

4. Billy doesn’t go bushcrafting. He’s not a bushcrafting dog. He’s not keen on the rain, he’s got a white coat and he chases rabbits; but he does go out with Pablo for long walks in the fields. Note his crusader cup and a container of cocktail sausages.

5. Their place of origin is the Mediterranean where they went to sea as sailors’ companions. The sailors often sold them to Spanish and Italian aristocratic families where they became lap dogs. They still remain good swimmers.

6. They also made good street performing and circus dogs because of their uncanny sense of balance and agility. They are very robust little dogs.

7. Billy taught himself to pirouette dance on his back feet (a throw-back to one of his ancestors no doubt) thinking he will get a cocktail sausage when he does it.

8.  Billy gets a sausage when he pirouette dances.

9. Billy’s toy box contains 9 bones, 4 old shoes, 3 empty lemonade bottles, a tennis ball, a red nose, a pink hippo and a number of soft toys. The empty lemonade bottles are particularly annoying when Billy plays with them. Bichons don’t normally retrieve, but Billy does.

10. Bichons are known to run around the house at top speed now and again, barking and growling at everything . This is known as a “Bichon Buzz” or “Bichon Blitz” and is very entertaining to watch although you should protect breakable objects!

11. Billy has a pedigree. That’s why we know it’s his birthday. He gets offended when people call him a poodle.

12. Pablo said after Ben the Labrador passed away that he wouldn’t have any more dogs.

13. Billy likes going to the pub now and again where he has his own chair. People give him crisps and pork scratchings.

14. Billy doesn’t molt. He goes to the hairdresser every 6 months for a hair cut.

15. Mrs P get annoyed when Billy rolls in fox crap.

16. Pablo is the alpha male, but Billy is devoted to Mrs P. He will watch out the window when she’s due home.

17. Bichons get upset when the person to whom the dog is devoted doesn’t pay them enough attention. Billy steals stuff from Mrs P’s handbag and leaves it around the house to gain attention.

18. Pablo is still wondering how he came to be the owner of a white Bichon Frise. He suspects it was a family conspiracy.

19. Pablo doesn’t really like small dogs as you can tell.

20. Billy is now asleep. He is tired after his birthday party.

(Please note: Some of these photos were taken without permission with a mobile phone camera)