Bichon Frise

BeepBeep67

Hi Folks,

Looking to pick up a Bichon Frise for my daughter (8), ready to purchase now.
Haven't been a dog owner for a long time, anything I should be looking out for in particular when choosing one?

Thanks in advance

BB

jkwxez12yrdgbq

I would never suggest buying a dog over adopting one from a shelter, however if your heart is set on it keep in mind the following...

Make sure you get all the papers with the dog and if they tell you that it has been vaccinated ask for evidence. They should be able to give you a certificate of vaccination signed by a vet.

You should make an appointment to see a vet on your way back from the breeder. They will advise you on correct worming and flea treatments, vaccination and give the dog a once over.


This type of dog can have heart problems such as a murmur which will mean that treatment for cardiac issues will be excluded from any insurance policy if your vet picks up on this before you take out the policy. This can become pricey later in the dog's life as you will end up paying for xrays for diagnosis and lots of medication.

Worth bearing in mind also that males are cheaper to neuter than female and if you're not going to breed yourself there is no reason not to do this.


Hope you have a great time with your new doggie

BeepBeep67

Thanks for that, good feedback on the neutering.
Typically how much would this cost Male v Female?

Re the dog selection my choice would be a shelter also, but my daughter has allergies and we've been told the BF is less of a concern in that regard.

Knine

I would advise you to contact the Breed Club and avoid the various websites unless you are very experienced with buying dogs.

Unfortunately it is not as simple as being ready to purchase one now. Decent reputable breeders who health test their dogs generally have a waiting list so you might have to wait for a suitable puppy.

I don't know where you are based but there is an IKC show on tomorrow in The National Show Centre in Cloghran where you will see lots of breeds including Bichon's.

Even if a breed is non shed, a person could still be allergic to them. Allergies can also be caused by saliva & dander. It would be much better to find out if your child is ok around this breed before you purchase one and then discover you can't keep it.

tk123

Knine wrote: »

Even if a breed is non shed, a person could still be allergic to them. Allergies can also be caused by saliva & dander.

+1 the dander is what gets me!

penana

Perhaps the people at <snip: please PM the OP with the names of rescues or charities that may be helpful.>


Hope this helps ... and God bless from a fellow animal lover!:)

Irishchick

Please also remember that the bichon's coat requires a lot of work. It will need to be line groomed over it's entire body every other day and it will need to be professionally groomed every 6-8 weeks.

Aye Bosun

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Thanks for that, good feedback on the neutering.
Typically how much would this cost Male v Female?

Re the dog selection my choice would be a shelter also, but my daughter has allergies and we've been told the BF is less of a concern in that regard.

I picked up a bichon in<snip> July last year. I visited them and spoke to the staff who then kept me in mind when one came in. Same deal as you I've terrible allergies and but don't have any reaction to a bichon at all :-)

FlowerGarden

I have two four year old Bichons and can give you a few pointers....

Grooming - this breed needs a lot of grooming as they don't shed. It costs approx €40 and needs to be done every 4-6 weeks. In between they have to be brushed regularly or they get very matted.

Tear stains - some bichons have very bad tear stains that can spoil their faces.

Allergies - They have a tendency to get atopic dermatitis. Very uncomfortable for the dog and the medication is expensive.

Luxating patella - They also have a tendency to have problems with their knee joints. It does not always show itself until the dog is over a year old.

(One of my dogs has all three of the the above even though I got her from a reputable breeder and she was vet checked).

Separation anxiety - Hate to be left by themselves for any length of time, not really suited to a house where there is no one at home for a large part of the day.

Excercise - One of my needs a lot of excercise to keep him balanced and well behaved.

Buying from websites - Be very, very careful. These dogs are known to be puppy farmed and can have serious problems all their lives because of it.

After saying all that...... they are great fun, very loyal, love cuddles and being the centre of attention.

Lord TSC

Hey,

I'm posting in this topic cause I'm also looking into the possibility of getting one of these dogs, for pretty much the same reasons as listed above. I hope you don't mind if I ask some questions as well, in hopes they'll be helpful to you as well as myself.

On the subject of food, if one was budgeting monthly for the dog, how much do you reckon it would cost to feed it? I'm trying to work out, for instance, how long a weighted (for example 1kg) bag of food will last me.

andreac

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Hey,

I'm posting in this topic cause I'm also looking into the possibility of getting one of these dogs, for pretty much the same reasons as listed above. I hope you don't mind if I ask some questions as well, in hopes they'll be helpful to you as well as myself.

On the subject of food, if one was budgeting monthly for the dog, how much do you reckon it would cost to feed it? I'm trying to work out, for instance, how long a weighted (for example 1kg) bag of food will last me.

It really does depend on the quality of the food you get. It could cost you 10euro or 30 depending on the food you get. My two rottweilers cost around 50euro a month to feed and thats feeding a 15kg bag thats 33 euro.I get around 2-3 weeks from one bag.

Aye Bosun

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

Hey,


On the subject of food, if one was budgeting monthly for the dog, how much do you reckon it would cost to feed it? I'm trying to work out, for instance, how long a weighted (for example 1kg) bag of food will last me.

I use the Eco Pet food, 2.5kg bag lasts a month, I've been using it for a year now and it's great for his coat and skin. This is supplemented with fresh fruit and veg, he loves carrots, does a little dance on his back paws around the kitchen when I am chopping them up and can hear the veg peeler come out of drawer for the other end of the garden :rolleyes:.

All in I reckon his food costs me about €25/month.

elen88

I got a bichon frise 9 months ago and it is the best thing I have ever done.

They are a total joy to have and great with kids....

My reccomendations:
Ensure that the pup has been vaccinated, microchipped and IKC registered and all the papers are ready to go with it. All good breeders will have these basics.

Ensure that the pup is happy, well socialised and friendly. Once it is socialised and is not left alone for long periods of time they should not develop separation anxiety.

See the parents! When I went to pick up mine I was so delighted with the puppy I did not bother to see the parents. There are no issues but I now wish I had.

Bichons can be very fussy with their food, I bought many dry foods before I gave up on them so I would reccomend trying to get samples first to see what suits better. Food and treats should not cost more than €30 a month.

BeepBeep67

Update:
We picked up a little Bichon a few weeks ago, 11 weeks old now.
She has brought great joy to the household, like having another child and my daughter adores her.
She's a very friendly, playful and placid pup and is already fetching and walking short distances on the lead.
Thanks for the great advice everyone.

sketchpad

Hi there,
I have a 4 month old Bichon and he's brilliant, such a character.
Question: I jog regularly and was wondering if he will be able to come with me. If so how far is too far?
I dont want to wear him out with a trial and error method.
Sorry for jumping this thread.

Newport81

sketchpad wrote: »

Hi there,
I have a 4 month old Bichon and he's brilliant, such a character.
Question: I jog regularly and was wondering if he will be able to come with me. If so how far is too far?
I dont want to wear him out with a trial and error method.
Sorry for jumping this thread.

They can only do 5 mins exercise for every month so it would be 20 mins only for your fella. Otherwise can damage them

andreac

Def no jogging at 4 months. You would have to wait until the dog is at least 12 months before jogging with your pup as you risk damaging growing joints and bones. As Smyths said only 5 mins per month of age so that's only around 20 mind per day.
Also don't be walking your dog during this heat unless its first thing in morning or last thing at night.

sketchpad

Great, thanks for the tips.

Newport81

Has anyone an tips on removing tear stains. He eats barking heads so no beet pulp I give him a spoon of natural yogurt every day and I put some apple cider vinegar in his drinking water. None of this has worked so far?

JustAThought

smyths wrote: »

Has anyone an tips on removing tear stains. He eats barking heads so no beet pulp I give him a spoon of natural yogurt every day and I put some apple cider vinegar in his drinking water. None of this has worked so far?

I've seen products for sale for this at the shows up at the Irish Kennel Club, as well as in pet shops . Worth checking out.

Newport81

JustAThought wrote: »

I've seen products for sale for this at the shows up at the Irish Kennel Club, as well as in pet shops . Worth checking out.

Any idea what the products are called and if they actually work?

mymo

The guide for walking a puppy is 5 mins walking per month of age, so at 4 months that's 20 mins in total. That can be divided up into two or three short walks.
But do remember in this heat to keep it to early mornings or evenings when it's a bit cooler.
Once the dog is older there shouldn't be a problem with it going jogging, just bring water and stop if the dog needs to drink or rest.

acermaple

I was recommended a product called 'Angel Eyes' which seems to be a food supplement, you can see it on Amazon,they also sell something called http://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnsons-Diamond-Stain-Remover-250ml/dp/B002ALKCCS/ref=pd_bxgy_petsupplies_text_y. Havent tried either, maybe some 'older' bichon owners would have some feedback.

sketchpad

acermaple wrote: »

I was recommended a product called 'Angel Eyes' which seems to be a food supplement.

I wouldnt be happy giving my dog a dangerous antibiotic like Angel Eyes for superficial cosmetic reasons.
Try cleaning around the eyes with warm water and cotton pads every other day.

acermaple

sketchpad wrote: »

I wouldnt be happy giving my dog a dangerous antibiotic like Angel Eyes for superficial cosmetic reasons.
Try cleaning around the eyes with warm water and cotton pads every other day.

That's what I have been doing every day and so far so good, he is 11 months old. As I said I haven't tried anything else so thanks for the feedback.

Newport81

sketchpad wrote: »

I wouldnt be happy giving my dog a dangerous antibiotic like Angel Eyes for superficial cosmetic reasons.
Try cleaning around the eyes with warm water and cotton pads every other day.

I know I wouldn't give anti biotic product either I clean around the eyes every day still no use

JustAThought

smyths wrote: »

I know I wouldn't give anti biotic product either I clean around the eyes every day still no use

Sorry - don't have a bitching so never took Note beyond inquiring what it was for. They're the dog " experts" & it's show standard products - worth looking to see when the next big event is on their IKC . Ie website & having a Look.