Bishon Frise

GT_TDI_150

Guys,

My wife is crazy for one of these, so I'm trying to discover as much as possible about them and my be suprise her by getting one.

As I grew up we always had a dog/dogs and so had my wife, strangly, since we got married we havent had a dog?!!?:rolleyes:

Now down to the questions:

Do BFs suffer from any possible specific health issues( ala king charles cavs brain issue)?
Do they shed (much)?
How are they around kids(2yr old)?
We have a house cat, how would a BF and a cat get on?
What maintenance do they require(brushing, ...)
what kit/set-up do I require at home?
I'm going to assume they are the kind of dog that spend most of their time inside?
Are they ok to go for walks(3miles or so?)

And in general ....

Once the pup comes home with you, what vets visits(costs?) are required

If anyone has any useful info - tips, please share

thanks in advance

toadfly

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

Do BFs suffer from any possible specific health issues( ala king charles cavs brain issue)? I dont know but google is your friend here!
Do they shed (much)? No
How are they around kids(2yr old)? As long as they are trained from day one and you are consistant all dogs can be good around kids but never leave them alone together. Kids also need to be trained what to do/not do around animals.
We have a house cat, how would a BF and a cat get on? Should be fine with proper training/introduction
What maintenance do they require(brushing, ...) massive amount, be very prepared for that
what kit/set-up do I require at home? crate training is great, loads of threads on it here, just search
I'm going to assume they are the kind of dog that spend most of their time inside? definitely indoor dogs
Are they ok to go for walks(3miles or so?) once over 1 year they will be fine, before that the recommended time is 5 minutes/day per month of age. restricted exercise until a year/18 months so as not to damage their joints

And in general ....

Once the pup comes home with you, what vets visits(costs?) are required. Yearly vacinations & kennel cough €50-80, wormer every 3 months €4, flea treatment every 6 weeks in summer and three months in winter €8. kennel costs for holidays €12-20/day.

If anyone has any useful info - tips, please share

thanks in advance

Best of luck with it, be very careful picking your breeder, BF are massive for puppy farmers, dont go near donedeal etc. be prepared to wait for a pup from a good breeder

GT_TDI_150

TillyGirl wrote: »

Best of luck with it, be very careful picking your breeder, BF are massive for puppy farmers, dont go near donedeal etc. be prepared to wait for a pup from a good breeder

thanks,

how do I recognise a puppy farm(er)??
Where do I find a 'good breeder'?

I was searching through donedeal:o

How are they for food? I wud assume going by their size they dont eat that much?

what are the pros/cons of getting a boy/girl?

andreac

Contact the IKC for a list of breeders and details of the Bichon Frise Club of Ireland they will point you in the right direction to good, responsible breeders.

RhodeIslandRed

I have two bichon frise and they make terrific pets. Off the top of my head I have jotted down a few things about them......


1. High maintenance. Need regular grooming every 4-6 weeks. Grooming costs €40-€50 (per dog).
2. Non shed
3. In door dogs (not happy outside without their human for long)
4. I've heard them described as they like to be "in your face" i.e. they love to be with their human as much as possible and will follow you all over the house.
5. Very playful
6. Their size can vary a lot. One of mine is 4.5kg and the size of a miniture poodle. The other is 7.5kg and almost the size of a cocker spaniel. A small one could be hurt by young children especially when they are puppies. Kids tend to pick them up because they look like a cuddly toy and then drop them.
7. My bigger bichon will walk 10 miles, the other will walk a mile and want to be carried more often than not.
8. They are prone to unsightly tears stains and nothing takes it off. It shows up a lot because they are pure white. One of mine has it and one doesn't.
9. They are prone to luxating patellas (the knee comes out of the socket). Again one of my dogs has it.
10. They are prone to skin allergies. Again one of my dogs has it.

My dog that has the tear stains, luxating patella and skin allergies came from a reputable breeder and had all the vet checks, parents and grandparents were show dogs, paperwork for three generations etc. I would suggest really doing your homework, look at lots of bichons out walking, on the internet, maybe even go to a dog show. Pay a bit extra to get a really good dog. Better again rescue a bichon. They are at rescue centres because people do not realize they are high maintenance, especially their grooming and also affectionately.

Don't get this dog if there is not someone at home most of the time. As I said before they want to be with the family and hate to be left behind.

pokertalk

have a look at the sticky on the top of your screen about puppy farming

Cherry Blossom

OP, a dog should never be bought as a 'surprise' for someone and getting one from a reputable breeder or rescue can take months of planning. Everyone in the house needs to be completely on board and active participants in the process. Neither a rescue nor a reputable breeder will give you a dog without your OH's knowledge and in both cases will want to meet with and 'interview' both of you.

zoby

RhodeIsandRed has already said everything i would have


but i really really really want to stress how this breed needs company. They are known as velcro dogs for good reason - you will have a permanent fluffy white shadow :rolleyes: I have two dogs and the difference between them is incredible my king charles will only come looking for me when her belly needs filling and does really well in kennels/groomers etc whereas my bichon is never far from my side - and although she plays and sleeps well in kennels she will only eat every 3-4 days when im gone and give me all picture no sound when i return :P i had read about how dependent the breed is but nothing could have prepared me for the reality of never going to the loo on my own again


Also the grooming cost (or time if you decided to groom yourself) is something that you really need to consider - again i had read over and over how important this is but thought it would be fine. I saw gorgeous fluffy snow white dogs on the internet and boy oh boy between the rain and filthy streets it is next to impossible to keep her clean. Not to mention that you have to regularly brush the full coat to keep the hair from matting.


They are fabulous dogs but not for the fainthearted - i love bichons and can never imagine life without one. BUT unless you have the time, energy and patience above and beyond what a is usual for pets, you and the dog could be in for a very stressful time.

GT_TDI_150

guys,

what do BF's eat? Is there specific dog food for them at what price?
And what could you expect to pay for a puppy from a breeder?

Thanks

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

OP, a dog should never be bought as a 'surprise' for someone and getting one from a reputable breeder or rescue can take months of planning. Everyone in the house needs to be completely on board and active participants in the process. Neither a rescue nor a reputable breeder will give you a dog without your OH's knowledge and in both cases will want to meet with and 'interview' both of you.

It will be a surprise when she actually gets told we are going to see the pups the first time, but we have discussed getting one for a while now.