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For
several years, we have asked about Bichons that lived 19 years or
longer and we find that this is an age than some Bichons can
achieve. On average, Bichons live 14-16 years but many reach 17 and
beyond. Your responses have shown that it is not unusual for them to
reach 18 and some even do reach 19 years. Those that make it to 20
and beyond are few and we would still like to hear about these rare
old timers. Even more important, we would like to be able to see
pedigrees or at least registration papers giving the names of their
parents. These papers enable us to trace the background beyond the
first two or three generations.
It is interesting to all Bichon owners to know that a long life is
credible in our breed. However our interest in these unusually long
lived Bichons is their ancestry. When we have been able to trace
their pedigrees, we have found a common ancestor many generations
back. We hope you will continue to notify us of those reaching age
20 and beyond so that we can celebrate with you their longevity. In
order to add them to the count, we want a date of birth (memories do
fade, you know) and the date of death when it occurs. A copy of the
pedigree or registration papers will also allow us to find out if
your long lived Bichon is another "cousin" to those who are already
on our list.
You might like to know that research has been done at several
universities to determine if there is a gene or a combination of
genes that add to longer life. So far there has been no proven
result but families of dogs that live longer lives than usual are
present in many breeds. In the meantime, a good diet, a clean
environment and an understanding of what makes our dogs healthy can
benefit all living beings, whatever their genetic structure.
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