The Bolognese is a small, white, compact dog with a distinctive white single coat. It is of small size, stocky and compact. It is of square build and well-muscled. The head is of medium length. The skull is slightly ovoid. The muzzle is large, black and almost square. It has a developed jaw and the upper lips don’t cover the bottom lips. Its lips are black. It has white, strong and evenly aligned teeth. Its eyes are well developed, open and round. The rims of the eyelids are black and the iris is a dark ochre color. The ears are set high and are long and hanging but rigid at the base. The tail is carried curved over the back. The Bolognese’s height varies 10.5 to 12 inches for a male and 10-11 inches for a female. The weight varies between 4.5 and 9 lbs.

Very serious, generally not very high energy. Enterprising, docile, enjoying his masters, the Bolognese is slightly more reserved and shy than its cousin, the Bichon Frise. Bolognese enjoy companionship of people and form a close relationship with their owners. Vivacious, playful and happy, Bolognese get along very well with other animals. This willing little dog is quite responsive to obedience training. Outdoors he’s rough-and-tumble; indoors he is quiet and happy. They are friendly with strangers. Get them accustomed to people and noises at an early age. Because of this breed’s size, they are prone to Small Dog Syndrome, human induced behaviors where the dog believes he is pack leader to humans. This causes many behavior problems, including separation anxiety and being timid.