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Bichon Pup Care

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  • 14-08-2009 10:11am
    #1
    firebug_guy
    Registered Users Posts: 119 ✭✭


    I just got a Bichon pup (9 weeks) and have a few questions:

    1) How often should he be fed? The lady who sold him to us always had a bowl of water and food out and he just ate when he wanted

    2) How often should be be bathed? I know I have to groom him daily but what about in the bath?

    3) Ear Hair? The lady who sold him again said when in the bath, check his ears and remove any long ear hair. Do you cut this or pull it?

    Thanks in Advance


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    #2
    cmf86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 87 ✭✭cmf86


    1) Feed the pup 4 times a day until it is a few months old, and then 3 times a day until it is 6/7 months and change to 2 times a day after that.

    2) Only bathe the pup at the most once a month, as bathing too often will strip the oils from their coat

    3) I am not 100% on this but I think they pluck the hair from the ears

    HTH


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    #3
    toadfly
    Registered Users Posts: 3,412 ✭✭✭toadfly


    yes you pluck the hairs, my mam has maltese and this has to be done for them as well. they hate it but has to be done!


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    #4
    Cutie18Ireland
    Registered Users Posts: 1,600 ✭✭✭Cutie18Ireland


    We feed our Bichon pup twice a day about 10.30 and 5.30pm his food is left down until he finishes it. Will go back and forth to it throughout the day. The breeder we got pup from had 6 pups and 4 adult dogs so the food was left out all the time. He wolfed down the food for the first few days must have thought someone was going to steal it...

    You shouldnt bath anymore than every 3-4weeks. With a month being the ideal, easier to keep clean when they cant go outside ;)
    Also if you are going for a walk and think the dog may get wet, brush them before you go. If you dont the hair gets matted and very hard to get out. If our fella gets wet from grass etc we just brush him and let him air dry.
    He was at the groomers last week and she gave him more of a show cut and really fluffed up his head, not my cup of tea so cant wait to wash him :)

    Our pup got earmites in his right at about 11/12 weeks old combination of the heat and the hair. We got his ears plucked by the groomers once it was cleared up but he still got it in the other ear afterwards so unless its really hairy. I think i would leave for when you are havng the pup groomed.
    The groomer puts some stuff looks like talcum powder in the ear and pulls with fingers. Not pleasant as you can imagine. Pup tends to sit easier with the groomers. With us he trys everything to get out of it.


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    #5
    MacBaldy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 62 ✭✭MacBaldy


    best of luck with ur bichon frise me an my gf are gettin one soon
    cant wait, what did you call him? good thread as i will be looking for these answers aswell, hope you enjoy the bichon frise blitz if you dont no what it is type it in on youtube, enjoy. :)


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    #6
    Little Miss Cutie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,194 ✭✭✭Little Miss Cutie


    The ear hair has to be monitored closely or you can look forward to ear infections!
    As for washing him - I don't. He gets groomed every 6 weeks which according to the groomer is as frequent as is healthy for him. If he is looking a bit messy I brush some talc through his coat.
    They are great little dogs, full of there own personality. Our little fella has his food all day and picks away it it.
    Oh and I recommend using a crate to toilet train them. Our little fella loves his, so much so that when we took it away he cried for it so it is now a permanent feature :)

    EDIT: Just looked up bichon blitz, didn't realise that crazzy running had a name. I reckon our little fella could win a medal for it :)


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    #7
    firebug_guy
    Registered Users Posts: 119 ✭✭firebug_guy


    Hey Guys,

    Everything is going so well with him!!! (so far)

    We started Crate Training him immediately. Three days in, he is now in his crate at the base of my feet while I type this. He is such a cutie.

    1. I have been feeding him about a cup of dry dog food a day (in four 1/4s) and giving him small treats (individual food pieces) during crate training.

    2. He absolutely HATES the grooming brush. I can do his back but he wont let me near his legs/tummy/face. Any tips? And I wont wash him until a month.

    3. I'll bring him to the groomers around the month mark. Will watch how she handles him.

    Anyone have any tips for general Bichon happiess/care?


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    #8
    Cutie18Ireland
    Registered Users Posts: 1,600 ✭✭✭Cutie18Ireland


    You could try some chicken when grooming our pup loves chicken and only give chicken when you brush. You can hold it and let him lick it, great distraction while you brush and then when finished or finished a part he hates like ours hates his face being brushed so we give more after that part :)

    Our pup was 16 weeks old before he got groomed. We went to equipet they do a puppy package for €30 basically and introduction to grooming a bath, clip around eyes bum paws and a good blowdry. We had brought before this for a nail clipping (€5) and she clipped the fur around his eyes for free that day. I wasn't going to bother with the puppy package and just bath him ourselves but it gets them used to the groomers and they tend to sit better with someone they dont know. He knows he can get away with murder with us :)


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