H ow do you describe a Bolognese? What's it like to live with a Bolognese?  In trying to capture the nature of this breed I reflected on my own experience.  When I began looking for our next dog I had simple criteria, I wanted a lap dog and one who was soft to pet.

I ended up doing a lot of research and narrowed my search down to Havanese or Bologonese.  I was lucky enough to visit a breeder who had both, and I hoped to be able to choose between them once I saw them.  I discovered that I was drawn to the white Bolognese, most likely a reflection of my prior dog who was a little Maltese -- and I would have gone for a Maltese again, but at this time we had a child and the Maltese was just too small of a dog, I needed something a little more sturdy, and the Bolognese fit the bill.

Now that I knew I wanted a Bolognese I had to find one!  I talked to about 3 breeders and found one I felt most closely aligned to philosophically and pursued one of their pups.  Once the final preparations were made our new pup flew in.  After a few days recovery period from that huge adventure, we began to learn her personality.

She was the right size for my lap, but her idea of a lap dog was to pounce on your lap, lick your face furiously and fly off to run around the house.  She was completely enjoying being a puppy and exploring her new territory.  Other times when we would visit family she would sit dutifully on my lap and suddenly became that lap dog I longed for.

Speaking of family, I had read that the Bolognese loved their family and entourage, and as our Bolo girl bonded with my mother and sister I learned what entourage meant!  When we go for a visit and drive into either one of their neighborhoods she almost wiggles out of her skin with excitement and when she sees them and will 'cry' with complete joy.

Did I get my lap dog?  Today she is most content to lay on her back at anytime and have someone rub her belly, preferring to lay next to you, not necessarily on your lap.

With our first Bolognese I noticed that she was ALL my dog.  She believed the pecking order was Adults, Dog, Children.  I had my oldest take the dog to training to try and revise that order and discovered that I had to hide during the training session as the dog would strain to see and watch me practically the entire class.  This bolo girl is one who adores other people, but loves one the most, me!

O ur second Bolognese was a boy.  He has been an adventure.  He's fine with having the humans in charge, but he definitely wants to be in charge of our bolo girl.  He will playfully grab her ear and pull her along in his adventures.  When you call her name he gets there first, "Whatever she's getting I want!" he seems to be saying.

He doesn't seem to have a sense of where he ends and someone else begins.  For example, if you were in this situation and moved to sit down on the couch but misjudged and accidently sat on the person next to you, you would probably be embarrassed, say excuse me and move over.  In his case, he's fine wherever he lands, just land where he lands and doesn't give it a second thought.  And when he does notice where he is landing it is as close to you as possible.

The Bolognese love to be noticed, petted, and enjoyed.  They are problem solvers.  They are beautiful animals.  And they are also a bit of a curiosity.  Inquisitive strangers may ask you, "What kind of dog is that?"  So, be prepared to meet new people and chat about your Bolognese dog.

If you are interested in applying for one of our puppies please contact us as soon as possible and ask for information about our waiting list.  We are happy to answer any and all of your questions, and we'll have some questions for you, too.

For information on puppies

Located in the beautiful
Pacific Northwest in Washington State.
Minutes from the International Airport
at Portland, Oregon (PDX).

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