The Bichon Frise is a small breed of Bichon-type dog. They are usually white in coat, fluffy, and have adorable eyes that you’ll melt for. They are often seen as a child’s toy given the way they look and how frisky they are. Bichon Frise is cheerful and the most enthusiastic companion you could ever have. They’re also characterized as playful and intelligent breeds making them a perfect pet for beginner fur parents to have. They also have an amazing personality that’s not hard to love as well. As much as they’re fun to be with, they require a ton of playtime to keep their spirits up.
Different dog breeds require different ways of how you can care for them. Some dog breeds require high maintenance and some are low maintenance which is ideal for new pet parents. Fortunately, a Bichon Frise pet is easy to maintain. All you need to exert effort for is bonding with them as they require a ton of playtime during the day. If you have another playful pet or a careful child, a Bichon Frise would be a great addition to the family because they’ll never get bored and have a fantastic time with you.
Here are some more tips on how you can take care of your Bichon Frise mentally and physically–
Grooming
Caring for Bichon Frise puppies can seem simple at first. They are small dogs and easy to handle, though there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. The first thing to know about how to take care of these dogs is that this breed has a natural coat that requires a different type of brushing than a regular dog does. For example, most normal dogs will have their ears brushed once a week and most normal dogs will have their coat brushed at least once every two weeks.
Bichon Frise dogs are sometimes compared to miniature walking cotton balls since they possess a short, dense double coat that is usually white with small amounts of apricot or shaded areas around the ears or their body. The best time to groom is after a bath, especially if you’ve recently taken your dog out for a long walk.
To groom Bichon Frise dogs, you should brush the coat regularly and gently using a brush that’s designed for their breed. Suggests these brushes for a Bichon, so you can check her suggestions to know which to get for your furry friend. Never use a hard bristle brush, as it can cause a dog’s skin to get irritated and can result in scratches. This is also an excellent time to use a flea/tick treatment for your dog.
Grooming time shouldn’t be scheduled too far apart. If a Bichon Frise is going outside to play in the yard, you should bathe them while they’re outside. This helps to remove all the dirt and grime that they picked up during playtime. You should never take your dog outside the house if it’s raining or snowing. This will allow your pet to be completely dry and cozy while also keeping them healthy since they might not be able to handle the change of weather well. To dry a dog properly, you should dry them with a towel and blow dry at a cool temperature. You should make sure that all the fur is completely dry before brushing their hair.
Diet
As fancy as it sounds, your Bichon Frise should only eat premium dog foods and should stay away from any generic brands as much as possible. When feeding your pup, you must feed them with dry food making it great for their dental health as well. If they’re not eating dry food, moisten the dog food and gradually lessen the water until they’re comfortable with eating dry food. Along with this, you shouldn’t add other food which includes canned dog food as it’ll alter the original health benefits, you’re getting from your premium dog food. With imbalanced food nutrition, it might result in your pet gaining weight over time which is unhealthy for them.
When choosing dog food, you must choose premium food so that they could get the most nutrition they need to keep them healthy and strong. Some kinds of dog food are only full of added carbohydrates and sugar, making your dog fatter. While it might look cute, it’s not healthy for your dogs to get fat, especially with bichons who are extremely playful.
If you want to add meat and vegetable to their diet, make sure that you provide them moderately and in proportion to their size. You wouldn’t want to overfeed or underfeed them as it will affect their health greatly.
If your dog is not ill and completely healthy, adding vitamins to its diet is not essential as it may cause nutritional imbalance to its health. Just continue to provide quality and balanced meals to keep them healthy and strong.
Bond
Bichon Frise is a very playful breed and will get sad if you don’t play with them as much as you can. They love to play around and go crazy with other humans and dogs. It’s recommended that you allow a specific time in your day when you could just have a full hour of fun with your pet.
If you don’t have much time to play with them constantly, you should consider having an additional pet so they’ll have someone to play with. You could also allow your child to play with your dog as Bichon Frise is great with kids. They’re less likely to be aggressive and like to focus their day on fun and play.
You could walk your dog every day in the afternoons if you work from home or during the weekends when you’re free. You could also hire a dog walker so they can walk your dog around the area. Just be careful with hiring one and make sure that they’re a certified dog walker.
Along with walking your dog, you could also bring them along for a run. Bichon Frise dogs are very active and love to keep their body moving. They’ll be a great companion to your outdoor run. Just make sure that you help them have their much-needed rest and not overwork them as it might not be healthy for them.
Housing
When they need to rest, they prefer sleeping in a comfortable and quiet place that’s off the ground. You should purchase a doggie bed so that they’ll be having a comfortable sleep experience.
You should always clean your doggie bed at least once a week to remove any dirt especially when they just love to run free in your backyard.
Health
Just like with any other dog breed, you should visit the vet for a proper check-up when they’re feeling ill. You shouldn’t administer medications without the advice of a professional because it could make the situation worse.
Along with this, you should be consistent with their shots schedule and have them completed. They’ll be needing a vaccine every year and for your pet to stay protected from harmful diseases, this should be on top of your priority list.
Training
You must train your Bichon Frise so that you’ll be having a more harmonious life. It’ll be terrible to have them pee everywhere they want in your home especially if you have carpeted floors. It’ll be a nightmare to clean and maintain.
You should do regular and proper training, and be consistent with how it works. You should teach them the proper places to pee and poop, not to bite stuff in the household, stay, sit, wait, come, off, drop it, leave it, and no. These commands are essential so that you wouldn’t have to be stressed out when they are behaving inappropriately especially when they’re outside. If your training method is not working well, you should check if you’re doing some dog training mistakes and reverse them.
Along with this, training your dog makes your home to be a safer environment especially when you have kids around. You’ll also have a stronger relationship with your dog given that you trained them and did not hire a dog trainer. On top of that, you can also have an easier experience when you take them out in public and with your vet visits.
Conclusion
Bichon Frise is a great breed of dog especially if it’s your first time having a dog. They’re completely easy to care for and do not require an extensive grooming session. What’s amazing about them is that they’re playful and active so you’ll completely enjoy having them in your homes. While they’re active dogs, they’re also gentle with children so that you wouldn’t have to worry about them becoming aggressive. They’ll be able to enjoy the company of your kids and be able to get the much-needed playtime that they demand almost every day.
But if you’re not an active person and cannot guarantee that you could play with them always, reconsider getting a different breed as Bichon Frise requires a lot of playtimes and they’ll get sad if they didn’t get to have enough throughout the day.
Bichon Frise dogs are lovable and active pets that you’ll surely enjoy having. Other than their great personality, they’re completely adorable, too! Great for dressing up as they’ll look amazing in any dog costumes you can find!
