bishon frise

1922

any thoughts on them??

girlfriend is mad for one, and we're talking abiut getting a dog with ages. would love to surprise her with one

Goldenegg

There are plenty of websites you can look up which give you the history of the dog, it's tempermeant and general knowledge about dogs. This way it should be able to help you sum up if this breed is suitable for you.

Cherry Blossom

1922 wrote: »

any thoughts on them??

Notoriously hard to train (especially toilet/house training). They are a firm favourite with puppy farmers and back-yard breeders which means you should source your dog very carefully or they may come with a host of behaviour and health issues. They require a lot of grooming which is costly in time, effort and money. They are not suitable for homes where they will be left at home alone for any length of time.

1922 wrote: »

girlfriend is mad for one, and we're talking abiut getting a dog with ages. would love to surprise her with one

A surprise dog is never a good idea, if a person wants a dog they should be actively involved in choosing it.

You haven't really given any details on your circumstances and your lifestyle so people won't be able to tell if it would be a suitable breed or not.

horse7

definately need company,dont like being left alone.need to be kept groomed and washed /blowdried.they eat very little and are the best little friend you will ever have.

1922

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

A surprise dog is never a good idea, if a person wants a dog they should be actively involved in choosing it.

You haven't really given any details on your circumstances and your lifestyle so people won't be able to tell if it would be a suitable breed or not.

appreciate the feedback....she definately wants one of these, god knows she's dropped enough hints!!!

circumstances are i work 8 hours shifts, she only works part time so the dog wouldnt be alone too much or very often. lifestyle isnt very hectic, not a big socialised and prefer my saturday nights in by the fire

1922

probably worth saying its much for me as for her!!!

The Sweeper

Do lots of reading up on the breed, prepare yourself for having a puppy in the house (come on here and ask about puppy-proofing the place and preparing for the first night, the second night, and the first week - it's not dissimilar to bringing a baby home... :O)

Do a budget to include petfood, vets visits and grooming and work out how much it's going to cost realistically and make sure you've got the energy and the money for that commitment.

Then source an ethical breeder - that's someone who:

• vet checks the parents for genetic diseases
• breeds planned litters from a healthy, adult bitch
• limits the number of litters any bitch will have before spaying and retiring her
• has the bitch deliver the pups in their own home
• raises those pups in the house so they are familiar with household noises - doorbell, washing machine, TV, vacuum cleaner
• allows you to see the pup in their home (they have the right to request you make an appointment first to be fair, nobody wants you just rocking up to their house)
• most ethical breeders will be breeding registered dogs, so they should allow you to see the papers and the vet test certificates for the parents

Once you've done your planning, please don't buy a pup from a petstore, online, or from someone who offers to drive and meet you half way and exchange the pup in a carpark on the motorway (even if they have believable photos of the pup at home - this is a major puppy factory tactic).

The pup should be at the very least 8 weeks old when you get them, preferably 10 weeks old, and have had at least one vaccination and be microchipped.

Otherwise, good luck sourcing your new dog

1922

The Sweeper wrote: »

Do lots of reading up on the breed, prepare yourself for having a puppy in the house (come on here and ask about puppy-proofing the place and preparing for the first night, the second night, and the first week - it's not dissimilar to bringing a baby home... :O)

Do a budget to include petfood, vets visits and grooming and work out how much it's going to cost realistically and make sure you've got the energy and the money for that commitment.

Then source an ethical breeder - that's someone who:

• vet checks the parents for genetic diseases
• breeds planned litters from a healthy, adult bitch
• limits the number of litters any bitch will have before spaying and retiring her
• has the bitch deliver the pups in their own home
• raises those pups in the house so they are familiar with household noises - doorbell, washing machine, TV, vacuum cleaner
• allows you to see the pup in their home (they have the right to request you make an appointment first to be fair, nobody wants you just rocking up to their house)
• most ethical breeders will be breeding registered dogs, so they should allow you to see the papers and the vet test certificates for the parents

Once you've done your planning, please don't buy a pup from a petstore, online, or from someone who offers to drive and meet you half way and exchange the pup in a carpark on the motorway (even if they have believable photos of the pup at home - this is a major puppy factory tactic).

The pup should be at the very least 8 weeks old when you get them, preferably 10 weeks old, and have had at least one vaccination and be microchipped.

Otherwise, good luck sourcing your new dog

thats some solid advice. herself is well able for dogs though, they have them at home (her home like)

where else would one purchase one then??? if not online, i see alot of nice looking fellas on donedeal..they say they are ikc registered

The Sweeper

donedeal.ie is a haven for puppy factories.

You can register with the IKC without absolutely having to be ethical breeder. Also be warned that a lot of breeders claim IKC registration, sell you a puppy and tell you papers will follow and guess what - they never do.

They work off emotion - three months into having the pup you'll adore it and it won't matter that no papers appear, because you won't hand the pup back and demand a refund will you? Puppy factory farmers get away with blue murder like that.

You'll see if you give a couple a call, and ask some stupid questions - like how you like bichons but you'd really love something in a different colour or a bit bigger - see if they start trotting out various crossbreeds or alternatives where they can provide what you need. (No ethical breeder can fill your requests like a grocery order.)

Ask for parents' papers, vet check certs (I don't know what diseases and defects the bichon is prone to off the top of my head - look 'em up) - ask the breeder if they have a copy of the parents' papers or vet check certs they can fax to you, or scan and email to you.

The correct answer is 'yes', or 'I don't have a fax machine but I'll have them ready for you to see when you get down here to meet your pup'. The incorrect answer is 'I'll include a photocopy in the pup's pack when I drop him off to you' or 'ah sure I'll send them on, it takes a while to get the pup's papers through, I'll send it all together'.

(It can take a while for your pup's own registered papers to come through, but beware the copout that is showing or giving you nothing when you get the pup with the excuse they'll send it all on together).

Start by calling the IKC for some numbers. Then call around those numbers. Ethical breeders with no current pups can either tell you their next planned litter, or give you numbers for other ethical breeders they know who will have pups.

Even when you have a list of breeders and a list of upcoming litters or existing pups, STILL make a plan to visit each one at their own home. Factory farmers are wily bastards and they are RELYING on you and your addiction to SWFs (small white fluffies) to pull the wool over your own eyes about the horrible place your pup came from. If you want a pup, you want to see and smell where it was raised, its mum, its siblings, so on.

If you buy a factory farmed pup, you're not 'rescuing' it. You're funding the factory farmer to continue abusing dogs.

1922

thanks sweeper, you've opened my eyes in a big way

very much appreicated mate!

Cherry Blossom

1922 wrote: »

where else would one purchase one then??? if not online, i see alot of nice looking fellas on donedeal..they say they are ikc registered

Reputable breeders have no need to advertise, they generally have waiting lists well in advance so you have to seek them out. Places to look would be IKC shows, breed clubs may have details of planned litters etc.

Another place to look is rescue centres (unless you are interested in showing the dog), unsold puppies are often dumped by undesireable types who would be selling them for an arm and a leg if they had any takers. In this case a lot of rescue centres will have assessed the dog and have an idea of it's personality, behaviour etc and is a better option than paying money for one that was specifically breed as a cash generator, was an accident, or someone just decided to throw their 2 dogs together because puppies are cute and didn't do their homework on matching dogs for breeding.

http://www.showbichons.com/puppy.html