Bichon Frise Puppy.

traceystacey

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum! I want to buy a bichon frise puppy but i dont know how to go about it,i had my last dog since I was 2 so im clueless about buying a dog. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

wopper10

Please Pleas don't but off internet sites!! Although there are some good breeders there are a lot of bad ones!

Go through the IKC get the Bichon frise kennel clubs secretaries name and contact details, he/she will tell you exactly what to ask, look for, stay clear of and what sort of questions to ask. She will also have a list of reputable breeders who have litters or are due to.
Good luck hope that helps!

By internet sites I mean 'buy and sell sites' not breeders personal websites.

andreac

Try this kennel.
http://www.ashmairbichonfrise.com/

traceystacey

thanks a million for the information. Im going to collect my puppy on saturday, the breeder was recommened to me by a friend,he's a male and is 9 weeks old.
Im not sure if crate training is a good idea or not,any advice would be great.
Im really looking forward to getting him,not long now.

wopper10

Congrats, hope it works out so!:) I know your friend recommended this breeder but please please do contact the club and ask them for a list of questions you should ask.

Crate training is a very good idea if you have no where to put the dog at night or while your out so that he cant chew or ruin anything. Or if you have a kitchen come, dining room, come sitting room which a lot of people do now days, where your planing to keep him. In our house we have 2 dogs and we have a small conservatory attached to our sitting room, which we use as a giant crate. We use the same crate training principles we put them in at night and when we are out of the house. They have some toys in there and a water bowl. NEVER USE THE CRATE AS A FORM OF PUNISHMENT. This will be a sanctuary for your dog where he can go and sleep and feel safe in.


When introducing him to it. Leave the door open. Play with him in the crate and when he falls asleep gently place him in it so that when he wakes up he wakes up there, but leave the door open, don't close it. After about a few days to a week he will start to go into it himself to sleep. Also introduce him slowly to longer periods of time in the crate but not too much too soon. Hope that helps!;)

baldymac

they are cool dogs we have one an so much fun

trevorku

I know this thread is a year old but just wanted to ask about it again:

I want to get a dog and have decided on a Bichon Frise based on their characteristics and so on. We have a toddler in the house so this breed seemed childfriendly and its almost non shed so seemed like the best match.

I have so many people saying choose a cross breed, as they say the Bichons are interbred and have so many health problems and are yappers and so on and can become vicious however I think they are just basing this on a stereotype of small dogs really.

I want to know from yourselves who actually own the dogs:

What are the dogs temperment like?
Are they hard to train?
Would the Bichons be good around young children?
Have you found they had alot of health problems so far?

Thanks for any help guys

Cherry Blossom

I don't own one but have a close friend with an autistic child (aged 10) who does.

trevorku wrote: »

What are the dogs temperment like? Typical lapdog, very clingy, gets very upset and destructive if left alone for any period of time, not a problem if someone is at home 24 hours a day, otherwise I wouldn't go there.

Are they hard to train? Bichons are notoriously hard to train, they are very stubborn and most people seem to have serious problems with house training.

Would the Bichons be good around young children?
Toy breeds tend to be extremely delicate and can't cope with rough play as they can get injured quite easily, or may loose their patience and snap. However no dog should ever be left with kids without supervision so it's more down to you and the kids personality and knowledge/attitude towards dogs than the pup itself as to suitability.

Have you found they had alot of health problems so far?
This is completely down to where you source the dog from, so called 'designer cross breeds' are churned out by and backyard breeders and are very likely to inherit all the problems of both breeds. A puppy bred by an ethical show/hobby breeder will have come from lines free of any genetic health issues.

In saying this, I'm a firm believer in the saying - they are what you make them but it depends how much you are willing to put up with in the process of making them!

summer_ina_bowl

Just a small thing, Bischons don't shed heavily because their coat is ever-growing. Some people hear "non-shed" and think "maintenance free", when a Bischons coat is actually very time consuming to maintain properly. Their coats require clipping every 6-8 weeks at least and daily brushing to keep them in top condition. Let your Bischons coat go out of control and it will matt down to the skin becoming irritating and painful for the dog.

Of all the toy breeds, bischons are one of the most tolerant of handling and playing with children - but as adrenalinjunkie said, they are what you make them.

Bischons tend to be one of the healthier pedigrees - you're not gonna see the same euro signs flashing in your vets eyes that you'd get if you presented him with a Westie or King Charles pup lol