Breed Spotlight!! Bichon Frise

Breed Spotlight!

Bichon Frise

This cheerful and companionable powderpuff comes from the Mediterranean area; bichons traveled widely as companions for sailors, minstrels, and circus groups. Beginning in the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, they found favor with one royal European family after another, from Spain to Italy to France (King Henry III of France reputedly carried his bichon in a basket hanging from his neck). Bichons are the star performers of the dog world. Consummate entertainers, they love engaging with their people and can play and clown around for hours. The well-socialized bichon is friendly, resilient, and quick to learn. This, combined with a sturdy build, makes him an equally great buddy whether traveling or lounging at home. Despite his classification as a non-sporting dog, the bichon is a terrific little athlete that, with training, can excel at agility, nose work, and other dog sports.

Personal Story:

My very first purebred dog was a Bichon Frise we named Isabelle. She most definitely was a powder puff dog and keeping her white was often a challenge. We picked up this tiny little girl from the breeder and off we went on a week long vacation to a resort in Payson, Arizona. We were off to have fun in the snow. Looking back, that was not the best thing to do when getting a new puppy. As Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, do better.” We know better now. She was not fully vaccinated and shouldn’t have been running around everywhere in public. That was also a lot of transitions for her to have to go through in such a short amount of time. Thankfully she was resilient and handled it well! She had so much fun meeting people and playing in the snow. She got a lot of attention from people due to her beauty and her small size. After our longs days exploring, she would curl up on her little dog bed in front of the fireplace. It was a fun family vacation for all.

Isabelle was a happy and bouncy girl who had three speeds: sleeping, bouncing, and running! She was fairly easy to potty train, was so eager to please, and never met a dog she didn’t like. She liked to dance on her two back legs and twirl around like a ballerina. Isabelle absolutely loved going on walks and we even got her to ride in a basket on the front of my bike in San Diego. She loved to run around on the beach and adored the kids. Isabelle was a trooper when I was learning how to groom her and to be quite fair, I wasn’t very good at it!

Although it was often a challenge having a small dog and having to constantly watch that our young children didn’t step on her (there was only one mishap), she was a great family dog and such a blessing addition to our family. She lived a long and happy life with us.

If you should choose to add a Bichon Frise to your family, know that they are wonderful dogs but be prepared for the grooming the dog will need and be aware that although our Isabelle wasn’t a barker, some Bichons can be very barky and can sometimes be a challenge to potty train. As with any dog, prior to making the decision to add a pet to your family, please be responsible and research the breed to make sure the breed traits are compatible with your life.