Dog's Name & Age:
Little Bit O Babe, 9 years old
In a Word, My Bichon Frise Is…
Interesting.
Best Characteristics of the Breed
They are loving.
Most Challenging Characteristics of the Breed
Stubbornness
When, Where and How I Got My Bichon Frise
My late husband got her for me as the last Valentine's present (the last present) he ever gave me before he died. She was only 6 weeks old then. We both went to pick out a puppy and the breeder had two Bichons for sale, a male and a female. I originally wanted the male, but the attendant put both puppies down on the floor in front of us. The male remained next to the attendant, the female walked up to my husband's shoe, squatted and peed on it. That's all it took for my husband. He liked unique personalities and saw that this little puppy was interesting and she certainly has been!
I'd Describe My Dog As…
I know that people like to describe their pets as having human qualities. I love dogs and have worked with many breeds. This Bichon was a gift to me and I wanted this breed as my secretary had one and I loved his affection. I thought that they were a very affectionate breed, which they are. They have other traits and one thing I find important in training a dog is to establish myself as their master, but not break the natural spirit of the dog. It isn't always easy to achieve both, but it can be done. It just takes a lot of time and patience and willingness to work lovingly with the dog.
Our dog has a food allergy and we have two more dogs, a male and female of different breeds. The other female dog also has a food allergy. Finding the right food for our dogs has kept our lives interesting and we have successfully raised a Dobie mix, Rottweiler mix and Bichon together. Considering that they were all born within weeks of each other and are the same ages, they get along very well together.
This little Bichon is very loving, which seems to be a breed trait, and when my husband was ill and dying, our Bichon sensed that he was ill and would lay next to him as he slept. Still, as young and active as this dog was at the time, she was very careful around my husband and never jumped on his wounds. It seems that she knew he was fragile at that time and she did not jump on him, but would jump up next to him and lie beside him for hours.
Bichons are dogs who should be enjoyed, loved, and paid attention to regularly and they become very attached to a loving human host. If one cannot provide a very loving, safe environment for this breed, they may not be the correct pet for that individual as I think that their stubbornness will surface and remain. It then becomes a war of wills which benefits neither.
These dogs are extremely intelligent and learn quickly. The issue isn't their training or their intelligence, it appears to be their stubbornness. Getting them to do what you want them to do is the challenge. They can be severely independent and stubborn, but very loving, energetic, and so much fun.
Advice
- Bichons can be fun. I have heard other experts state that they are difficult to train, but they never seem to get it quite right.
- Bichons will sometimes run around like crazy. This is called the Bichon Buzz. It just comes upon them for no reason. It seems to be that these are the times that they truly enjoy being alive.
- These dogs are extremely intelligent and learn quickly, but can be stubborn.
- When they are happy, it looks like they are actually smiling and that look is so precious.
