Bichon Frise characteristics

Bichon Frises, one of the more popular companion dogs, are small and compact fur balls of joy. A typical representative of this breed weighs between 10 and 20 pounds and is 9 to 12 inches tall. They have a somewhat round skull and a flat, black muzzle. Their tails are not decked and they can be quite long, the dogs usually keep the tails over their backs. Bichons have charming round, usually black or brown eyes framed with dark skin. Their teeth form a scissor bite. They usually live up to the age of 12 to 13 years. The oldest recorded Bichon died when it was 19 years old.

Bichon’s coat is usually gray, white or cream in color, and nuances of grey or orange can sometimes be noticed, usually around snout, paws or ears. If these shades amount to more than 10% of the entire coat surface the dog will be penalized if entered into a show. The texture of their double coat is very pleasing to the touch. Its soft undercoat is 3 or 4 times shorter than its rougher, curly outer coat. As is often the case with small companion dogs, Bichon’s coat is considered to be hypoallergenic, meaning that the dog doesn’t shed much. This is not strictly true, their hair does fall off but it gets entangled in the dog’s curly outer coat and is only removed when the dog receives grooming. This characteristic makes them even more suitable for the role of companion dogs, as people who usually have allergic reactions to dog hair are often able to tolerate their presence without it inducing a reaction, but it necessitates more frequent grooming. If they didn’t receive grooming often enough their fur might get tangled, and soon enough skin irritations would follow.

Bichons Frise are very cheerful and energetic dogs. They are very sociable and interact well with people as well as with other dogs. They can sometimes be difficult to housebreak, which is common with smaller companion dogs, but if you invest enough time and patience into training them you will soon realize that they are intelligent and obedient dogs. You just need to assert your dominance early on, or else they might start considering themselves to be dominant and develop some irritating habits and behavioral patterns.

They respond better to positive reinforcement than to harsh criticism and scolding. Start training them while they are still very young and don’t be sparring with praise and rewards and you’ll have a well behaved puppy in no time. Bichons are fairly intelligent and well responsive to training so everything is really up to you, your patience and training skills.

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