The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka (), also known as the Bolonka Zwetna in Germany, or known simply as a Bolonka is a rare

toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and p ...

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

of the

Bichon A bichon is a distinct type of toy dog; it is typically kept as a companion dog. Believed to be descended from the Barbet, it is believed the bichon-type dates to at least the 11th century; it was relatively common in 14th-century France, wh ...

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

, developed in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, from the ancestors of smaller dogs such as the

Bichon Frise A bichon is a distinct Dog type, type of toy dog; it is typically kept as a companion dog. Believed to be descended from the Barbet (dog), Barbet, it is believed the bichon-type dates to at least the 11th century; it was relatively common in 14t ...

Toy Poodle The Poodle, called the in German () and the in French, is a Dog breed, breed of water dog. The breed is divided into four varieties based on size, the Standard Poodle, Medium Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle, although the Medium Po ...

, Shih Tzu,

Pekingese The Pekingese (also spelled Pekinese) is a dog breed, breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese sovereign, Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Beijing (Peki ...

and French Bolognese. They include the white variety, the Franzuskaya Bolonka. The name of the breed means French lap dog (franzuskaja = French, Bolonka = lap dog, French Bichon).

Etymology

"Tsvetnaya Bolonka" is translated as "Russian Colored Lapdog". The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka has several different nicknames. In Germany, the dogs have been known as Bolonka Zwetna or Deutscher Bolonka since the 1980s. The Tsvetnaya and the Zwetna have the same bloodlines; however, the Nordic Kennel Union officially recognizes the ''Russkaya Tsvetnaya'' and not the ''Zwetna''. In the Czech Republic, the breed is called the Barevny Bolonsky Psik (Bolognais color). Sometimes they are mistakenly called Bolognese. The common name of the breed in all countries is Bolonka (plural: Bolonki). The Franzuskaya (French) Bolonka is the white variety.

History

The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka had its beginnings as far back as the early 18th century.

Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

presented Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki as gifts to the

Russian nobility The Russian nobility or ''dvoryanstvo'' () arose in the Middle Ages. In 1914, it consisted of approximately 1,900,000 members, out of a total population of 138,200,000. Up until the February Revolution of 1917, the Russian noble estates staffed ...

. Later, the ancestors of the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka migrated to Russia with

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

’s army and they were known as the French Bolonka. Russia was never known for its toy breeds, partly because of its

environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...

and its economic need for

working dog A working dog is a dog used to perform practical tasks, as opposed to pet or companion dogs. Definitions vary on what a working dog is, they are sometimes described as any dog trained for and employed in meaningful work; other times as any ...

s. Smaller breeds were considered superfluous and unnecessary, even more so during the

Soviet Regime The political system of the Soviet Union took place in a federal single-party soviet socialist republic framework which was characterized by the superior role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the only party permitted by the C ...

. During this time, dogs were not imported to Russia, so breeds were developed by selections from existing breeds. Being unable to import dogs from outside of Russia, the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka was developed by localized breeding through dog lovers in

and

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, who looked to the ancestors of smaller dogs such as the

, Shih Tzu,

and French Bolognese, with a view to creating a toy-sized

lap dog A lap dog or lapdog is a dog that is both small enough to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on a person's lap and temperamentally predisposed to doing so. ''Lapdog'' is not a specific breed, but a generic term for a type of dog that is sm ...

that would have the right

temperament In psychology, temperament broadly refers to consistent individual differences in behavior that are biologically based and are relatively independent of learning, system of values and attitudes. Some researchers point to association of tempera ...

for

apartment An apartment (American English, Canadian English), flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), tenement (Scots English), or unit (Australian English) is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that ...

living. Since 1966, they have been called the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka. Interest in the specific breed of Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka revived after the fall of the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

. Similarly, through the connection between the Russian and French aristocracy in the 18th and 19th centuries, a dog similar to the Bichon Frise or Bolognese 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 Russian dogs were 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 Franzuskaya Bolonka was sent as a diplomatic gift from the Soviet Union into the GDR. From these and a few others, the white Franzuskaya 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 (VDH) is a kennel club that represents Germany in the international federation . Founded on 11 June 1949, it is headquartered in Dortmund. As the country-wide controlling body, VDH represents 176 member organizations, such as the :de:Deutscher ...

) as a variation of the Italian Bolognese. This was at the same time as the coloured variety was being developed, the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka (bunte Schoßhündchen, Bolonka Zwetnaya, Deutscher Bolonka). These dogs are not yet recognized, although they have active breed clubs in several countries.

Appearance

Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki are 18 – 27 cm high at the

withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

and 2-4 or 5 kg in weight. The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka body formation resembles a square, with a long coat that has big wavy curls. The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka is moderately boned and should never appear fine-boned. The Franzuskaya Bolonka is white, while the Tsvetnaya Bolonka and Zwetna Bolonka are black, brown, gray, red or wolf-gray. The breed is known for its soft, wavy to curly coat in a variety of colors. They have ears that are neither too long nor too short. Male Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki have a distinct beard and moustache that sets them apart from their female counterparts. Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki tails are supposed to have the tip touching the back. Similar to other Bichon breeds, Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki do not

shed A shed is typically a simple, single-storey (though some sheds may have two or more stories and or a loft) roofed structure, often used for storage, for hobby, hobbies, or as a workshop, and typically serving as outbuilding, such as in a bac ...

. Daily brushing of the coat helps to prevent matting. If a Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka's coat gets severely matted, it may develop a

hematoma A hematoma, also spelled haematoma, or blood suffusion is a localized bleeding outside of blood vessels, due to either disease or trauma including injury or surgery and may involve blood continuing to seep from broken capillaries. A hematoma is ...

. Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki are considered suitable for people with allergies, as they are bred to be

hypoallergenic Hypoallergenic, meaning "below average" or "slightly" allergenic, is a term meaning that something (usually cosmetics, pets, textiles, food, etc.) causes fewer allergic reactions. The term was first used in 1953 in an advertising campaign for co ...

. Breeds that do not shed are more likely to be hypoallergenic, since the dog's dander and saliva stick to the hair and are not released into the environment. The frequent trimming, brushing, and bathing required to keep the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka looking its best removes hair and dander and controls saliva. It is important to note that how hypoallergenic a particular dog is for a particular person may vary with the individual dog and the individual person.

Temperament

The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka is even-tempered, very intelligent, friendly to all, and should never be shy or show aggression in any way. The Russian Tszvetnaya Bolonka was specifically developed as a companion dog and is prized for its sociable, easy-going and affectionate temperament. Its specimens will avoid exuberant games and will not appreciate any extent of physical abuse during playing. The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka usually perceives all unfamiliar people as potential playmates and without timely socialization, it can grow into an inappropriate greeter. However, this breed was bred with strong tendency to defend its territory and its favorite humans, so it can become a fairly good watchdog. The Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka will not be able to apply to necessary aggression when the situation calls for it, and should not be tasked with the responsibilities of a guardian.

Recognition

Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki are popular in Germany. The white version, the ''Bolonka Franzuska'', was recognised by the VDH (German national kennel club) as a variation of the Bolognese. The fact that Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki are not recognized stems from the lack of a national kennel club in Russia, after the fall of Communism. Without an active national club, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale will not recognize the Russian dogs; in addition, there have been reports of irregularities in record keeping since in present-day Russia. In January 2013, the Nordic Kennel Union officially accepted the ''Russkaya Twvetnaya Bolonka'' and not the Bolonka Zwetna, and since then it has been allowed to participate in dog shows in the NKU member countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. The

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...

added the Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka to the

Foundation Stock Service Program The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including ...

in 2015 and assigned the breed to the

Toy Group Toy dog traditionally refers to a very small dog or a grouping of small and very small breeds of dog. A toy dog may be of any of various dog types. Types of dogs referred to as toy dogs may include spaniels, pinschers and terriers that have been ...

. Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonki are considered the rarest of the Bichon type.

Gallery

File:Bolonka-Hund_verbessert.jpg, A wolf-gray Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka File:Bolonka Zwetna.jpg File:Tsvetnaya Bolonka 2.JPG, A red Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka female File:Grupp 9, RUSSKAYA TSVETNAYA BOLONKA, Cocoa Love Canis Bohemia (24284066416).jpg File:2008-10-20BolonkaZwetna006.jpg, A 14-week old Bolonka File:Bolonka Zwetna2.jpg, Bolonka Zwetna

References

External links

{{Toy dogs Companion dogs Dog breeds originating in Russia Dog breeds originating in the Soviet Union Rare dog breeds Toy dogs