The Bichon Frise

A SIMPLY WONDERFUL DOG !

The bichon frise, a little cotton ball of a pooch, was bred specifically to be a companion canine. As a result, the dog is a super-cute, super-cuddly, super-affectionate little furball. Despite being sharp, active and eager to please, bichon frises require daily exercising, training and patience, especially during housebreaking.
The fluffy white doggies known today as bichon frise are Mediterranean in origin. Many centuries ago, dogs called barbets, or water spaniels, were crossed with little white lap dogs, creating four types of "barbichons," a name later cut to bichons. They were Bolognese, Havanese, Maltaise and Teneriffe bichons. The latter, eventually became known as the bichon frise, were developed on the Canary Island of Teneriffe. They probably were first brought there by Spanish sailors. At some point in the 1200s or 1300s, Italian sailors encountered the dogs and brought them to

Italy, reintroducing them to the European continent. In the early 1900s, French breeders created a breed standard, which was officially adopted by the Societe Centrale Canine of France on March 5, 1933. The doggies were given one name, bichon frise, which translates to "curly coat." About a year and a half later, these small furballs were accepted into the French Kennel Club's stud book. In 1956, a French family brought their bichon frises with them when they moved to Michigan, and by 1960, two breeders were working to develop the breed in the US. In 1964, The Bichon Frise Club of America was founded. These pooches were allowed to compete with The American Kennel Club in the Miscellaneous class in 1971, and the organization admitted the breed to its roster in 1973

The Bichon Frise (BEE-shon free-ZAY) is also known as Bichon. The plural is Bichons Frises.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION/BREED STANDARD

COAT - The Bichon Frise's white double coat is coarse, curly, and non-shedding. Frequent grooming is necessary to remove buildup of fur and dander.

12 – 18 POUNDS

AKC BREED CATEGORY / NON-SPORTING GROUP

PERSONALITY / GENERAL TEMPERAMENT

Bichon Frise have been well-loved for centuries for their playful, friendly nature. The jaunty breed is well-mannered and often loves to show off to anyone who will watch. The curious, cheerful Bichon is easily won over with treats and praise. While uncommon, some Bichon bloodlines exhibit shyness. Early socialization will help raise an outgoing Bichon Frise.

FAMILY LIFE

Are Bichons Frises Good with Kids? The Bichon Frise often does well with children—as long as the children treat the dog with care and the dog is properly socialized. The breed is sturdier than many small breed dogs and their personality makes them a good choice for families, but rough play should not be allowed to prevent injury to both the dog and child.

Are Bichons Frises Good with Other Pets? Bichons Frises are often a good match for households with dogs, cats, and other pets.

PROTECTIVE

While the Bichon Frise isn't a guard dog, they will offer an alert bark if someone approaches the home.

ENERGY LEVELS

Bichons Frises have a moderate energy level, but because they are small they tire easily. The 'Bichon Blitz' is a burst of high-energy antics that many Bichons Frises display, sometimes more than once per day—often running around rooms and leaping over furniture with impressive speed and agility.

Specific Concerns

Can suffer from separation anxiety
May be difficult to housebreak
Excessive grooming needs
Can become territorial

REQUIREMENTS

Indoor the merry little Bichon Frise is a wonderful indoor companion. They adapt well to apartment living. They are well-behaved when trained, but may be difficult to housebreak.

Outdoor Walks and outdoor play are both favorite activities of the Bichon Frise. Bichons are not meant to live outdoors. Not only do they dislike being left alone, their long, high-maintenance coat may get tangled or matted.

Exercise While the Bichon Frise has a moderate energy level, they don't require hours of activity to tire. Two walks outdoors—about 30 minutes per day—and indoor play may be all the Bichon needs to be happy.

Endurance While energetic, Bichons do not tend to have the stamina for strenuous activity.

Activity distance rating

Running Miles: While the Bichon Frise is a small breed, if well-conditioned they may have the energy for an easy jog. A healthy adult Bichon Frise may be able to jog a couple of miles.
Hiking Miles: Adult Bichons Frises may be able to work up to five-mile hike, if in good health and given plenty of breaks along the way. They are hearty, but they are small—climbing may be difficult for their small legs.

Food Bichons Frises are food motivated and respond well to treats during training. Our general recommendation for how much high-quality homemade dog food (based on average weight and activity level) to feed is ¾ to 1 cup per day. This amount should be split between two meals.

The Bichon Frise is not more likely to guard food more than other breeds, but children should never be allowed to touch or remove food while any dog is eating.

Alone Time Bichons are—and always have been—companion dogs. They desire time with their family, and may suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for long periods of time. They can stay home alone for three to four hours at a time, but they may need to be crate trained to prevent destructive behaviors.

HEALTH AND GROOMING

LIFE EXPECTANCY

14 - 15 years

GROOMING

While Bichons Frises do not shed, their double coat grows continually and needs frequent brushing, trimming, grooming, and bathing to remove old hair and prevent matting. Bichons need to visit the groomer every four to eight weeks, and should be brushed weekly at the minimum, daily is better. Trimming nails regularly will help prevent painful splitting, cracking, or a broken nail. Bichons may be prone to ear infections; regular ear cleaning can help prevent them.

COMMON HEALTH ISSUES

Bichon Frise can be prone to breed-specific health concerns, including:

Dental concerns
Patellar luxation
Heart disease
Cataracts and eye disease
Skin allergies

You can minimize serious health concerns in a Bichon Frise by purchasing him from a reputable breeder who engages in responsible breeding practices, and through screening for common diseases and conditions.

TRAINABILITY

BASICS

The smart Bichon Frise learns basic obedience with ease. Positive reinforcement, treats, and praise will earn plenty of clever tricks. Teaching a recall early is beneficial as the small, fast Bichon is difficult to catch if it gets loose. Early socialization is important to prevent fearful behaviors as some bloodlines are more timid. As with most small breed dogs, the Bichon may be difficult to housetrain.

ADVANCED TRAINING

These former circus dogs still have plenty of tricks up their sleeves. Bichons love to show off at every opportunity, and they learn advanced tricks with ease. Keep training sessions fun and interesting, with plenty of praise—and no harsh punishments. The small, yet athletic breed loves agility because it's an activity that involves spending time with people.

Bichons have been trained as service dogs and can provide valuable support in this capacity, though it isn't a common choice for the job.

SPORTING DOG TRAINING

While the type of water spaniel from which the Bichon Frise developed was a hunting and retrieving dog, the Bichon Frise isn't a sporting dog. The friendly Bichon's purpose was a companion to nobility and royalty. Many Bichons Frises still possess a strong prey drive that may be harnessed for use as a flushing dog, but it is an unconventional breed for hunting. If used afield, the Bichon's long coat would need excessive care to prevent mats and to remove twigs, burrs, and debris after a hunting excursion.

Managing your adolescent puppy

Your puppies are now approaching their first birthdays, as well as adolescence - the equivalent of their troublesome teenage years. This can be a difficult stage in your puppy's life. Know how best to handle them as they transition from puppy to adult dog.

When puppies become adults

Adolescence marks the change from being a puppy to becoming an adult. In dogs, it can start any time between six and 12 months and can end between 18 and 24 months. During this time, there are dramatic hormonal changes and a reorganization of the brain.

Do dogs go through a rebellious stage?

These hormonal changes can make adolescent dogs appear less obedient. However, what's really happening is that they're increasingly motivated to explore, interact and run. They also have a greater need to interact with their environment and the people in it.

Just like human teenagers, adolescent dogs have the energy and motivation to do more. More exploration, more play, more interaction with their friends (humans and non-humans!), but they lack the necessary knowledge and experience to think about and manage their actions and reactions.

Teenage dogs are a lot more energetic and interactive. They can easily find themselves in conflict when they're asked to stop doing something, or simply to calm down. It even happens in situations when they used to be 'obedient' and responded instantly.

This kind of change is often interpreted by owners as the dog being stubborn or trying to assert their dominance. Instead, it's their dog finding it difficult to control their impulses.

Dog adolescence can cause frustration

Some dogs, depending on their temperament (or personality), may become frustrated when they can't get what they want. Because this is a negative emotion, it can trigger negatively motivated behaviours. This includes excessive barking and annoying behaviours like jumping up, scratching, nipping, biting the lead and even aggression.

It's unsurprising that many owners report big changes in their dogs' behaviour. Sadly, adolescence is a time when some puppies may find themselves being rehomed. The good news is that this period of problematic behaviour does pass. We've pulled together some top tips to help you through this difficult 'teenage' phase.

Dealing with adolescent behaviour in dogs

Rather than focusing on how to control an adolescent dog, we need to think about how we can satisfy their physical and behaviour needs.

Learning the ability of teenage dogs is better than that of adult dogs or puppies. The best thing to do is to focus some of their energy towards structured play and exercise sessions. You can play searching games, scent puzzles and take long walks in quiet areas.

We also need to think about how we can prevent situations in which our dog may be more excitable or frustrated. We can do this by giving them some activities before the event or by giving them something to do that can help them to cope with frustration.

Avoid frustration at dinner time

Dogs in general, and young dogs in particular, get frustrated when people eat. Because they also want the food and cannot participate, they may jump, bark and scratch. Minimize their frustration by feeding your pet before you eat, then giving them something to chew or perhaps a dog puzzle while you eat.

Keep your pup stimulated

Not being able to get people's attention can also be frustrating, but predictability is the best way to avoid frustration. Try increasing the variety of interactive games in your dog's routine. Play with a ball or a frisbee, or hiding something that your dog has to find

Remember to give cues about when the play session starts and when it finishes. For example, you can tell the dog 'playtime' or show a toy. When you want to finish, just say 'finish' and throw the toy in the opposite direction, or remove it and give your dog something to occupy themselves with. This is useful to minimise the frustration at the end of a pleasant activity. You can also scatter some treats or give your dog something nice to chew.

Don't tell your dog off

If your dog was used to playing with other dogs, but started to become too boisterous or even aggressive, telling them off is only making the problem worse. Instead, try to distract your dog and remove them from the situation using a happy voice rather than a reprimand.

If your dog has dog friends, you can continue to socialise with the dogs they know. Minimise their exposure to other dogs for a while though. Avoiding repeated negative experiences in the presence of other dogs will help stop the problem from getting worse.

Keep your dog active

Adolescent dogs are energetic! Longer walks in quiet areas, lots of exploration and simply using their nose are a few of the most rewarding activities for dogs. Some adolescent dogs seem to become more fearful and anxious. This can be the reason why they don't follow their owners' requests or even start to show behaviors such as destructiveness, house soiling or excessive barking.

It's really important that they're not punished for their 'bad manners'. Telling dogs off, shouting or using more physical methods can make dogs even more scared and worried and their behaviour can get worse. In these types of situations, ask a professional for help.

What if nothing is helping?

If nothing you're doing seems to help, it's important to get some help and advice. Sometimes bad behaviour can be caused by an underlying medical or health issue. It's important to get your pet checked by a vet first to rule this out. They can then refer you to a behaviour expert if necessary.

To sum up, if your adolescent dog seems to have lost his 'manners', think about how to provide more positive activities. Avoid exposing them to situations that may excite or frustrate them, avoid any kind of punishment and be patient. This phase will pass!

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