Looking to buy a bichon frise puppy...

lionsbeat

Hi Guys,

I want to buy a Bichon Frise for my girlfriend but ideally Id like not to get it until the start of January. Would anyone be able to point me in the direction of someone who has just had a litter or is expecting one.

I want to get it as a Christmas present but she will be away over christmas and I think she would not like if I bonded with the pup more than her in her absence! So ideally I would like to buy the puppy and let it be reared etc then go and pick it up around the start of January. AT the same time I want to give her a note saying that the dog has already been purchased.

Toulouse

You won't find any reputable breeder that has a litter ready to go around Christmas.

Is your girlfriend aware that you'll be getting her a dog for Christmas? Dog's are a huge commitment both financially and time-wise. This dog will be around for potentially the next 15 years and she will be responsible for it.

Is she familiar with Bichons. Does she know that they can be very difficult to house-train, they can also be very yappy and suffer from separation anxiety?

Have you planned what happens the dog during the day as it's not recommended to leave them on their own? What happens if she's going on holidays, kennels are very expensive.

There are lots of questions to be answered when it comes to taking on a dog so I really do think that both of you should be in it together and you should discuss it in length with her before you go ahead with this.

Tranceypoo

Toulouse wrote: »

You won't find any reputable breeder that has a litter ready to go around Christmas.

Is your girlfriend aware that you'll be getting her a dog for Christmas? Dog's are a huge commitment both financially and time-wise. This dog will be around for potentially the next 15 years and she will be responsible for it.

Is she familiar with Bichons. Does she know that they can be very difficult to house-train, they can also be very yappy and suffer from separation anxiety?

Have you planned what happens the dog during the day as it's not recommended to leave them on their own? What happens if she's going on holidays, kennels are very expensive.

There are lots of questions to be answered when it comes to taking on a dog so I really do think that both of you should be in it together and you should discuss it in length with her before you go ahead with this.

+1, getting a dog is a big decision/step, please put a lot of thought into it and discuss with your girlfriend, don't just surprise her with it, a dog isn't a toy to be given as a gift, what if she doesn't want a dog? Please take into account everything Toulouse has said above, seriously. Also be aware that Bichons are a prime breed for the puppy farming industry, small, cute, popular, you would not get one from a reputable breeder at Christmas and certainly not if they found out you were giving it as a gift, the only way you would get a Bichon at Christmas is from a puppy farmer, I suggest you type 'puppy farming' into Wikipedia and read up on them, I'm sure as a decent human being it's not an industry you would want to knowingly support.

Let us know what you decide?

dahat

Toulouse wrote: »

You won't find any reputable breeder that has a litter ready to go around Christmas.

I can understand this totally but if a reputable breeder has what he deems an excellent example of his breed and she only comes into season october time does this mean that even if she is a fine example he will not breed regardless?
any reputable breeders here to give an opinion....

I think it is slightly unfair to say any reputable breeder will not have xmas time puppies if this is the case..

toadfly

dahat wrote: »

she only comes into season october time does this mean that even if she is a fine example he will not breed regardless

But she would come into season twice a year

andreac

dahat wrote: »

I can understand this totally but if a reputable breeder has what he deems an excellent example of his breed and she only comes into season october time does this mean that even if she is a fine example he will not breed regardless?
any reputable breeders here to give an opinion....

I think it is slightly unfair to say any reputable breeder will not have xmas time puppies if this is the case..

No, it means that the reputable breeder will not sell or home pups anywhere near christmas. Even if they had a litter around that time, they would hold onto them well after the christmas holidays.

dahat

TillyGirl wrote: »

But she would come into season twice a year

not nessecarily,some bitches are once yearly.

Cherry Blossom

TillyGirl wrote: »

But she would come into season twice a year

+1 especially true in the case of small breeds. Since reputable breeders don't overbreed their dogs they generally have their pups in spring so as to give them the best start in life. The best breeders also generally have waiting lists well in advance for their pups. If your girlfiend is aware of this plan and really wants a bichon I would suggest getting her a present of a book specifically on the breed, perhaps a few accessories (dog bed, bowls, toys etc.) and the promise of a puppy when one comes up if she still wants one which will be easier to find from a reputable source from late February on. In the meantime she can read up on the breed and decide if it really is the right breed for her, she may well decide it's not and go for something else.

Cherry Blossom

dahat wrote: »

not nessecarily,some bitches are once yearly.

Yes some are but small breeds like bichons generally come into season twice if not 3 times a year.

Myyra

Plus bichons are famously a favourite breed for puppy farms, small dogs and often in heat. Just watching tv3 news on puppyfarms in somewhere tipperary and long an behold, almost half of the pups on video are bichons!:mad:
Video can be seen here, heads up, it's not nice to watch!:(
http://www.ispca.ie/

dahat

Myyra wrote: »

Plus bichons are famously a favourite breed for puppy farms, small dogs and often in heat. Just watching tv3 news on puppyfarms in somewhere tipperary and long an behold, almost half of the pups on video are bichons!:mad:
Video can be seen here, heads up, it's not nice to watch!:(
http://www.ispca.ie/

any idea where in tipperary?

Myyra

No, they just said around midlands and only on the ispca website was it mentioned that the puppyfarm in question was somewhier in tipp?

Someone seems to have started a threat about this same thing after my post but still no info in where excatly the farm is or was:( Surely there are farms like this in every corner of the country, at least there's one more for a little while now.:(