Bichon Frise Breeders

BlondePrincess

Hi, I have wanted a Bichon Frise for the past 2 years. The reason is mainly because A) I have allergies and asthma and they're hypoallergenic and because I am looking for a house dog. Otherwise, I would adopt a rescue dog! I would like to know if anyone can recommend a good breeder, like someone who is legit. I am afraid of getting conned by someone claiming to sell a purebred one, because I've read stories online of people getting ripped off. What do I need to look out for and how can I tell the honest sellers from the cowboys? :P

Sigma Force

Even a recommendation isn't a guarantee think the best thing is to narrow down to a short list of breeders and visit each one, a good breeder shouldn't mind you viewing the pups before you make a choice.
IKC have a list of breeders might be a good place to start IKC reg. doesn't guarantee anything either but it's a starting point.

Have you been around Bichons before, if not might be an idea to spend some time around some before hand to make sure you have no reaction, they are non-shed type but all dogs will still shed somewhat and the allergins can come from their skin dander. They are certainly less likely to cause a reaction but might be a good idea to test it out first to make sure.

A responsible breeder won't always have pups straight away you might need to wait, they will also not breed too many dogs at once and won't be breeding on a regular basis.
The pups and mum must be housed in the family home, not in a shed or outhouse. Even if an outhouse area is spotless this is no use because you really want the pups to be in a house and socialised from the start.

The home must obviousy be clean and safe for the pups and the mum and pups should look very healthy. Would be an idea once you pick a pup to go with the breeder to the vet visit when the pups get their first or second vaccination or microchipping or health check. Ideally with a small dog like this wait until the pup is 12 weeks so the breeder has time to get the papers ready and have the second vaccination done. They are very small dogs so even at 12 wks you'll still have that cute puppy small puppy stage.

Above all else get a receipt as proof of purchase.

HTH

suziwalsh

Quite a few bichons come into rescue keep an eye on www.irishanimals.ie and www.dogstrust.ie