Bichon Frise Dog Breed Guide
They’re gay, happy, lively little dogs. They
are comical, they are affectionate. They are
very cute. They have a fabulous coat to cuddle,
What else could anybody want in a dog. Bichon
Frise is a breed that was largely developed
in France, and it has Poodle ancesrty and
some poodle characteristics, particularly
in the coat. Many people start off with a
Bichon Frise before they go on to other breeds
because they do make an ideal family pet.
Usually excellent with children, very biddable
and are highly trainable. The Bichon Frise
is a lovely, happy, really nice little companion
dog. And they look fabulous when you train
them to do tricks. They pick up on your moods,
so they’re able to cheer you up. And if you
feel a bit fed up, a Bichon, they’ll make
you smile. Bichon Frise – lovely little dog
– tehy don’t have excessive exercise levels,
but they do enjoy a lot of walking and playing.
They really enjoy the company of humans and
they make good companions for people. What
I love about Bicons more than anything is
they are so incredily animated. They actually
talk to you with their expression, with their
faces. They’re very happy little dogs. Because
they don’t moult, they can make very good
dogs for people with allergies or asthma.
We would often look to re-home or recommend
them to people with such conditions. I’ve
got seven Bichons. They have a lot of energy,
they’re not dogs that are going to lie down
and sleep all day. They like to be entertained
a little and they like the one to one companionship
that you have. They thrive on that. Therefore
absolutely not suited to being left alone
for long periods. They’re not for people who
are away at work. That would make them stressed.
They would become unhappy, and it’s quite
the opposite of what a Bichon needs. They
do need a lot of company and a certain amount
of entertainment. If you have a garden, and
the dog has free run into that garden, that’s
fine they should still have a structured half
hour walk a day. Becuase they’re a small dog,
people in flats may wish to take on a Bichon
– but then they would need to commit to at
least an hour’s walking a day. For pet owner,
they have to be prepared to brush a Bichon
three to four times a week. Bichon’s don’t
shed hair. So you will not get hair all over
your sofa. You will not get them all over
your carpet. That dead hair ends up in their
coat and they only way it can be removed is
to brush it. It’s going to be a dog that needs
a lot of grooming throughout its life. And
you want that grooming to be a pleasant experience.
So you want to get it used to lots and lots
of early handling, picking its paws up, having
a look at its face, putting your hands very
gently all over its body. And finding a nice
groomer who will let you take your puppy in
to get used to the (grooming) environment
early on. You need to go to a professional
groomer every six to eight weeks. If you leave
it much longer than that, you have so much
coat it becomes unmanageable. And if you neglect
that ocat you don’t have to leave it for very
long to have matts – and that’s uncomforatble
for the dog and highly undesirable. So if
you’re not prepared to commit to that kind
of grooming, they are a high maintenance dog
and there’s no way round that. You must make
that commitment. You have to be very careful
when you by a Bichon. They’re cute, they’re
white, they’re highly saleable. And because
of that we’ve found there’s been a huge amount
of over breeding of Bichons. And the kind
of people that breed them just to make money
don’t pay any attention to their health. And
just as importantly, to their temperament.
Temperament is what makes a Bichon. Anyone
buying a Bichon should first of all go to
an Assured Breeder, or to a breeder recommended
by one of our breed clubs. And we do have
three very very good breed clubs. They’re
bright little dogs. They know how to run circles
round an owner. So they do actually need a
fairly firm hand. You cannot spolil them like
cuddling a little baby. That doesn’t work
with a Bichon. They’ll rule the roost if they
can. Though you should never underestimate
through their brightness that they’re not
intelligenct – they very much are.par
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