Skip to main content
snıff

Bichon Frise

Lifespan
12.5 years
95% CI 12.3 to 12.7 · McMillan 2024, n=5,902
Most carried variant
Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk
21% of 1,059 tested · Donner 2023
Behind this page
32 dogs
in the atlas · an early sketch · 1,069 tested for variants
Also carried:Bald Thigh Syndrome · 3.8%Bleeding disorder · 3.6%

Bichon Frises have a cited life expectancy of 12.5 years (McMillan 2024 / VetCompass, n=5,902, 95% CI 12.3 to 12.7). The most carried tested variant is Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk, in 21% of 1,059 Bichon Frises tested (Donner 2023), then Bald Thigh Syndrome (3.8%) and Bleeding disorder (3.6%). 32 dogs stand behind the atlas figures here, so treat this page as an early sketch.

Bichon Frise
Photo: Heike Andres · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia

Also known as Bichon A Poil Frise, Bichon Frisé, and Bichón Tenerife.

See in the atlas → From CanVAS
Mendelian-disease genetics

What genetic diseases do Bichon Frises carry?

From a panel of 250 Mendelian-disease variants screened in 1,054,293 dogs (Donner et al. 2023), Bichon Frises carry 9 of them at observable frequency. Carrier frequency is not clinical risk. Most recessive variants require two copies for disease expression; many dominant variants show incomplete penetrance. Read this as a population fingerprint of what's in the gene pool, not a per-dog prediction.

Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk (CDDY)
Autosomal dominant
high 20.8%
n = 1,059 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000157-9615 · omia.org →
FGF4what this gene does

FGF4 influences leg length by affecting bone growth, leading to shorter legs in certain breeds.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry this gene, it's worth discussing spinal health with your vet, but being a carrier doesn’t guarantee problems.

Bald Thigh Syndrome (Discovered in Sighthounds)
Autosomal recessive
low 3.8%
n = 52 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:002168-9615 · omia.org →
IGFBP5what this gene does

IGFBP5 is a gene that helps regulate growth factors involved in tissue development and repair.

For your dog: If you have a sighthound, it’s worth mentioning IGFBP5-related risks to your vet, but being a carrier doesn’t mean your dog will develop the syndrome.

Bleeding disorder (Discovered in the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog; P2RY12-related)
Autosomal recessive
low 3.6%
n = 1,069 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001564-9615 · omia.org →
P2RY12what this gene does

P2RY12 is a gene that helps control how platelets stick together to form blood clots, which is essential for stopping bleeding.

For your dog: If your dog is from one of these breeds, it’s worth asking your vet about P2RY12 to understand any potential bleeding risks, especially before surgery or injury.

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Autosomal recessive (Incomplete penetrance)
low 2.6%
n = 1,069 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000263-9615 · omia.org →
SOD1what this gene does

SOD1 is a gene that helps protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

For your dog: If your dog is a carrier of SOD1 variants, it's worth discussing with your vet, but remember carrier status doesn't mean your dog will get the disease.

Osteochondrodysplasia (Discovered in the Miniature Poodle)
Autosomal recessive
low 2.4%
n = 1,069 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001400-9615 · omia.org →
SLC13A1what this gene does

SLC13A1 is a gene that helps transport important molecules involved in bone and cartilage health. It plays a role in maintaining the structure and function of these tissues.

For your dog: If your dog is one of the breeds known to carry this gene variant, it’s worth discussing with your vet to understand what it means for their bone health and care.

Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (prcd-PRA)
Autosomal recessive
low 1.1%
n = 1,066 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001298-9615 · omia.org →
PRCDwhat this gene does

PRCD is a gene involved in the health of a dog's retina, the part of the eye that detects light and helps with vision.

For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry PRCD changes, it's worth discussing eye health and potential genetic testing with your vet.

Polyneuropathy with Ocular Abnormalities and Neuronal Vacuolation (Discovered in the Black Russian Terrier and Rottweiler; POANV)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 1,055 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001970-9615 · omia.org →
RAB3GAP1what this gene does

RAB3GAP1 is a gene involved in nerve cell function, particularly in how cells communicate and maintain their structure.

For your dog: If your dog is one of the breeds known to carry this gene variant, it's worth discussing genetic testing with your vet to understand any potential risks.

Early-Onset Progressive Polyneuropathy (Discovered in the Greyhound)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 1,069 dogs · 2 variants tested · OMIA:002120-9615 · omia.org →
NDRG1what this gene does

NDRG1 is a gene involved in nerve cell function and maintenance, helping keep the nervous system working properly.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry NDRG1 variants, it’s worth discussing with your vet, especially if you notice any mobility issues.

Hereditary Footpad Hyperkeratosis (Discovered in the Irish Terrier and Kromfohrländer)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 1,069 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001327-9615 · omia.org →
Source: Donner J et al. 2023. Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLOS Genetics 19(2):e1010651 · Evidence: Limited (DTC ascertainment, tag-SNP proxy) · Confounding MEDIUM · License CC-BY-4.0 · Phene IDs from OMIA (Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney; DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70).
Sample size in this breed: 1,069 dogs from the Donner 2023 cohort.
In plain terms

What these results mean for a Bichon Frise

Chondrodystrophy and disc disease risk (CDDY)

20.8% of Bichon Frises in the Donner 2023 cohort carried it (n=1,059).

  • Two extra copies of a growth gene, FGF4, shape dog legs and spines. The one on chromosome 12 is the one tied to disc disease; the one on chromosome 18 shortens legs.
    OMIA 000157-9615

    “Two FGF4 retrogenes (FGF4L1 on chromosome 18 and FGF4L2 on chromosome 12) have been identified to cause dwarfism across many dog breeds.” OMIA 000157-9615

    “Brown et al. (2017) reported that an FGF4 retrogene insertion in chromosome CFA12” OMIA 000157-9615

  • Carrying it raises risk. It does not say which dog will have a disc problem. In Dachshunds researchers found the test is not a valid risk indicator on its own.
    OMIA 000157-9615

    “the FGF4 retrogene insertion on CFA12 is not a valid risk indicator on its own” OMIA 000157-9615

What to do
Ask your veterinarian what a carrier result changes for your dog. What lowers risk in a carrier is not established in the sources this page draws on.

No test, or a mix
Without a test nobody can say whether a dog carries it. Leg length alone does not tell you: the disc-disease copy and the short-leg copy are different insertions.

Degenerative myelopathy (DM)

2.6% of Bichon Frises in the Donner 2023 cohort carried it (n=1,069).

  • DM is a loss of function in the spinal cord that begins in adulthood and progresses to paralysis of the back legs. There is no treatment that stops it.
    OMIA 000263-9615

    “This is an adult onset degeneration of the spinal cord that progresses to paraplegia and tetraparesis. There is no successful treatment. A genetic test is available.” OMIA 000263-9615

  • Two copies of the SOD1 variant mean at risk, not affected. Some dogs with two copies never show signs.
    OMIA 000263-9615

    “some homozygous mutant dogs had no signs of degenerative myelopathy, which suggests incomplete penetrance or other causative loci” OMIA 000263-9615

  • One copy makes a dog a carrier. In the study that found the variant, every affected dog tested had two copies.
    OMIA 000263-9615

    “All affected dogs tested were homozygous mutant.” OMIA 000263-9615

What to do
A DNA result is not a diagnosis. Take the result, and any change in how the dog walks, to a veterinarian.

No test, or a mix
Without a test nobody can say how many copies a dog has. A breed's carrier frequency describes the breed, not this dog.

Which Mendelian variants matter most for Bichon Frises?

The Mendelian-disease table above lists 9 variants at observable carrier frequency, from 194 total screened in 1,069 Bichon Frises (Donner 2023). Three stand out by frequency and clinical impact.

Bald Thigh Syndrome (Discovered in Sighthounds)

Bald Thigh Syndrome is a recessive condition causing hair loss on the lateral thigh, first described in the Sighthounds. In Bichon Frises the figure below is a carrier frequency from Donner 2023, not a case series in the breed. The syndrome primarily affects coat appearance rather than systemic health, based on current characterisation. 3.8% of Bichons in the Donner cohort carry the variant (n=52). Testing is available.

This autosomal-recessive bleeding disorder in Bichon Frises is caused by a variant in P2RY12 and affects platelet function. Affected dogs have prolonged bleeding after injury or surgery. 3.6% of Bichons carry the variant (Donner 2023, n=1,069). The carrier frequency is low, but testing before elective surgery may be warranted if the dog has a family history of bleeding.

How should I test my Bichon Frise?

A targeted panel covering CDDY (chondrodystrophy/IVDD risk), prcd-PRA (progressive rod-cone degeneration), and the P2RY12 bleeding disorder variant is a reasonable starting point for breeding stock. The Bichon Frise Club of America can advise on current health priorities.

What should I feed a Bichon Frise?

Feeding a Bichon Frise well means accounting for the breed’s small size and the 20.8% carrier frequency of the CDDY variant that predisposes to intervertebral disc disease. Weight management and joint support are the two pillars of Bichon nutrition.

Weight management is critical because IVDD risk compounds with excess body weight. A Bichon in the ideal weight range (12 to 18 pounds per the AKC breed standard) has less mechanical stress on an already-vulnerable spine than one above that range. The breed’s small frame means portion control is unforgiving; a 2-pound weight gain on a 15-pound dog is proportionally significant. A calorie-controlled adult formula with measured portions is the foundation.

Joint support through balanced minerals matters because the CDDY variant is common. The NRC 2006 guidelines recommend a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 for adult dogs. Bichons benefit from formulations at the lower end of that range, paired with glucosamine and chondroitin where feasible. The breed is prone to dental disease as well, so kibble size and texture that support chewing are a secondary consideration.

Protein adequacy is underrated in toy breeds. Bichons often receive grain-free or novel-protein diets based on allergies or skin concerns rather than breed-wide vulnerability. There is no evidence of breed-specific food sensitivities. A standard, complete adult formula from a manufacturer with feeding trials is appropriate unless your veterinarian identifies a specific dietary need. The breed’s small size makes it easy to underfeed on premium, calorie-dense formulations; follow the label guidelines for weight range rather than age.

Dental calculus and gingivitis are frequently reported in small-breed dogs including Bichons, with risk increasing with age. Annual dental screening by your veterinarian is standard. Diet alone does not prevent it, but mechanically-textured kibble provides some support.

What we don’t know

The atlas contains only 32 Bichon Frises, which limits what we can resolve about lifespan outliers and sub-population structure within the breed. The breed-club health survey, if one exists, has not been published in a form accessible to this analysis. We do not know the true prevalence of IVDD symptomatic disease in Bichon carriers of the CDDY variant, only that the variant is present at 20.8%.

Progressive rod-cone degeneration (prcd-PRA) is rare in Bichons (1.1% carrier frequency), but the disease itself when it occurs is progressive and leads to blindness, typically in mid-life in affected dogs (OMIA:001298-9615). The limited data we have do not yet tell us the age of onset in Bichons specifically, only that the variant is present.

Frequently asked questions about Bichon Frises

How long do Bichon Frises live? Cited life expectancy is 12.5 years (McMillan 2024 / VetCompass, n=5,902, 95% CI 12.3 to 12.7). Breed-club anecdotal reports are consistent with this figure, though no peer-reviewed breed-club survey has been published in a form accessible to this analysis. Individuals vary widely; some live into their mid-teens.

What is the most common genetic disease in Bichon Frises? The CDDY variant, which predisposes to intervertebral disc disease, is present in 20.8% of the breed (Donner 2023, n=1,059). IVDD is not inevitable in carriers, but the risk is real and compounds with age and weight.

Should I do a DNA test on my Bichon Frise? For breeding stock, yes. A panel covering CDDY, prcd-PRA, and the P2RY12 bleeding disorder is a reasonable minimum. For pet Bichons, testing is optional unless there is a family history of neurological or bleeding problems.

Are Bichon Frises prone to back problems? Bichons carry the CDDY variant at 20.8%, which increases intervertebral disc disease risk. Not all carriers develop symptoms, but weight management and avoiding jumping from high surfaces help reduce mechanical stress on the spine.

What is the best diet for a Bichon Frise? A calorie-controlled, complete adult formula with a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio at the lower end of the NRC 2006 guidelines (1:1 to 1.5:1) supports joint health. Weight management is the single most important dietary decision for the breed.

Are Bichon Frises good with kids? Bichon Frises are social, tolerant dogs that typically do well with children. Their small size (12 to 18 pounds per the AKC breed standard) means they can be injured by rough handling from very young children. Supervision is important.

Do Bichon Frises have any skin or coat issues? Bichons are not predisposed to genetic skin disease by the variants in the current screening panel. The breed’s curly coat requires regular grooming to prevent matting. Ear infections are frequently reported in Bichons because the drop-ear conformation traps moisture. Weekly ear cleaning is a standard preventive measure.

What health testing should I ask a breeder for? Ask for CDDY and prcd-PRA results on both parents. Ask whether the parents have been screened for the P2RY12 bleeding disorder. Request health history on the grandparents if available. The Bichon Frise Club of America maintains health recommendations that may evolve.

Names & origins

Other names

The Bichon Frise is also recorded as Bichon A Poil Frise, Bichon Frisé, and Bichón Tenerife.

Identified as Bichon Frise (VBO:0200163) in the Vertebrate Breed Ontology (Mullen et al. 2025, CC-BY 4.0) · registry IDs FCI 215 · iDog 35 · VeNom 13714.

For researchers Population genetics, disease models and every recorded condition Open the research detail for the Bichon Frise
What the atlas says about Bichon Frise

In the atlas, the Bichon Frise clusters consistently as Bichon Frise (100% of the 32 dogs here). Genetic diversity is high (mean heterozygosity 0.3299), reflecting either a mixed-breed cluster or breeds with broad genetic backgrounds.

Mean heterozygosity is 0.330, notably high, indicates broad genetic background. Low breed predictability score (0.21), individual dogs of this breed vary widely in genetics, suggesting active substructure or sub-population diversity.

Genetic dimensions · CanVAS atlas

What the atlas genotypes say about Bichon Frise

Computed from the 14,478 CanVAS dogs in the Atlas, on an imputed genotype backbone: 77,215 directly typed sites per dog, imputed to 9.67 million variants.

The confidence below counts dogs, not reads: it is the size of the sample, and it is separate from how the genotypes were measured.

Dogs in the Atlas
32Founders
21 from Hayward2016, 10 from Spatola, 1 from Shannon
Genetic diversity
0.33Moderate
Mean heterozygosity across the breed. 32nd most diverse of 107 ranked populations.
What does genetic diversity mean?

How varied a breed's gene pool is — the share of gene spots where a typical dog of the breed carries two different versions rather than two identical ones.

How to read it: Higher = more diverse. Among well-sampled breeds it ranges roughly 0.22 (least diverse) to 0.33 (most diverse).

Diversity is a strength, not a verdict on any individual dog. Lower diversity means it's worth paying attention to recessive-risk testing — not that a dog is doomed.

Cluster structure
Splits into two genetic sub-populations
Intra-breed RMS distance: 39.55 · likely working/show-line, regional, or kennel lineage split.
What does within-breed variation mean?

How much individual dogs within the breed differ from each other genetically.

How to read it: Higher = more internal variety among individuals of the breed.

Sensitive to how many dogs of the breed we've sampled.

Related breeds
In the Toy group
Explore the full lineage map →
VBO foundation stock (breeding records) · AKC breed group
Relatedness is documented lineage + kennel family. Genetic-ancestry distance measures diversity, not kinship, so it isn't used here.
How long they live
12.5years (life expectancy)
95% CI 12.3–12.7 · VetCompass, McMillan 2024, n=5,902. source
What does typical lifespan mean?

The median age dogs of the breed tend to reach.

How to read it: Higher = longer-lived. Compare to longevity-for-size to see whether it's just a size effect.

Drawn from population lifespan records; individual dogs vary widely with care, genetics, and luck.

n = 32 dogs · moderate sample · CanVAS (Brundage 2026) · Sniff Atlas
A gift to human medicine

Bichon Frises are a natural model for human disease

Because the same genes cause the same conditions across species, the inherited conditions documented in Bichon Frises help researchers understand, and work toward treating, the human diseases they model. This is the dog advancing human medicine. The breed models the human disease; it does not have it, and this is not a prediction for your dog.

Human equivalents via OMIA → Mondo / OMIM. Model-of, not identity. The named gene is the canine locus, not a claim that a pet has the human disease.
Documented in OMIA

Every condition recorded in the Bichon Frise

Beyond the testable carriers above, OMIA's literature catalogue records 9 genetic conditions in the Bichon Frise, 7 of which have a known human equivalent. This is the documented landscape across all Bichon Frises ever studied, not a prediction for any one dog.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA); Nicholas, Tammen & Sydney Informatics Hub, DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70
Documented in the breed's literature is not carrier status and not a forecast for an individual dog. Human equivalents are mapped via Mondo/OMIM. Carrier frequencies (above) are the separately-measured testable subset (Donner 2023).
The data behind this page

Where every number on this page came from.

This page draws on three primary data sources. Carrier frequencies for the Mendelian section come from Donner et al. 2023 (CC-BY-4.0). We grade these data at evidence Limited because the cohort is a direct-to-consumer ascertainment, which biases toward owners who chose to test their dogs. The panel also uses tag-SNP proxies for some variants rather than direct causal-variant assays. Limited is a study-design grade, not a quality grade: the Donner cohort is the largest open canine-genotype dataset in existence and we are grateful for it. We rate the confounding MEDIUM.

Population-genetic dimensions (heterozygosity, intra-breed PCA distance, nearest neighbors, trait-locus frequencies) come from CanVAS (Brundage 2026), harmonized through the Sniff Atlas. The exact release date and verification commit are pinned at the bottom of the page so a researcher can trace a number back to a specific snapshot. The disease-gene-variant graph comes from OMIA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals; Nicholas, Tammen, and the Sydney Informatics Hub at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney; retrieved April 2026, DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70).

What this page does not yet have. Inheritance modes and per-disease penetrance evidence from Donner 2023 are in the structured data for every variant the panel covers. Mondo, OMIM, Ensembl, and HGNC cross-references live on the gene and disease pages this page links to, rather than being repeated here. What is still absent from this breed page is anything not in the cited panel, and each such gap carries its cause where it appears.

How to cite this page. The computed dimensions on this page are derived from the open Sniff Atlas v1.0.1 (Gehring 2026, doi:10.5281/zenodo.20566358, CC-BY 4.0). Full citation formats including BibTeX, RIS, and CITATION.cff at sniff.world/cite.

Some things about living with a bichon frise never make it into a database. Add what you know as a Keeper, in your words →

Lived experience, kept beside the science.
Add your bichon frise to the atlas

We have 32 bichon frises. We do not have yours.

Every bichon frise added sharpens the breed's genetic neighborhood. Enrollment is free. The data stays open. The star is permanent.

Add your bichon frise now as a Charted star
Want to wait for DNA uploads?

Leave your email and we'll let you know the moment DNA uploads open for Bichon Frises.

References
  1. Donner J, Freyer J, Davison S, Anderson H, Blades M, Honkanen L, et al. (2023). Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLOS Genetics 19(2):e1010651. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651
  2. Brundage DM (2026). CanVAS: A Harmonized and Imputed Canine Variant Atlas. bioRxiv. doi:10.64898/2026.04.13.718238
  3. Nicholas, F.W., Tammen, I., & Sydney Informatics Hub. (2026). Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA) [dataset]. The University of Sydney. https://omia.org. doi:10.25910/2AMR-PV70 (retrieved April 2026).
Last updated
Sources: CanVAS (Brundage 2026) · Donner 2023 · OMIA