(Bichon à poil frisé) The Bichon Frise is a small breed that bears a striking physical resemblance to the Maltese. The French name “Bichon Frisé” literally translates to the phrase “Curly lap dog”. The body of this breed is exceptionally muscled, especially throughout the lower thighs and rump. The Bichon Frise has a long neck and a well-developed chest. Their heads feature a moderate muzzle and a slightly accentuated stop. Their teeth close in a scissors bite and their round eyes are dark and possess an intelligent expression. They have a hanging pair of ears that are covered with hair. The coat of the Bichon Frise is soft, loosely curled, and virtually hypo-allergenic. This double coat is white in color and consists of a textured outer coat that is lined with a silky, fine undercoat. Cream, gray, or apricot hairs may be present.

The Bichon Frise is a loving, cheerful companion that thrives on human affection and attention. They are independent, spirited, and lively. They are very gentle and need plenty of loving care from their families. Naturally social, this breed is excellent with children and is easy to live with. They are bright, happy, and they love virtually everyone they meet. The Bichon Frise may be difficult to housebreak, but they are not yappers. Because some lines of Bichon Frises have been carelessly overbred, it’s important to do some research before selecting a specimen.

When poorly trained, the bichon frise can develop habits of whining, crying, and yapping. This is especially true when their owners are not able to devote enough time.

Some lines of the Bichon Frise are prone to watery eyes, cataracts, and skin ailments. Epilepsy, ear problems, and dislocated kneecaps are also of moderate concern. The Bichon Frise can also be very sensitive to flea bites. This breed typically lives for 15 or more years. They average 4 to 5 puppies per litter.

This breed has been known to live for up 19 to 21 years with a healthy diet, proper weight and consistent care.

The Bichon Frise made its first appearance in the 14th century. The breed is a cross between the Barbet Water Spaniel and the Poodle. These dogs were commonly traded by Spanish sailors and became a favorite of the French royal courts of the 16th century. Although the Bichon Frise is most commonly utilized as a companion and show dog, they have a history of performing in circuses.

The Bichon Frise should be groomed regularly and bathed on a monthly basis. It’s recommended that this breed be professionally groomed once a month. Hair should be kept trimmed around the eyes and ears. Eyes should be cleaned frequently. This breed sheds little to no hair and is a good companion for those that suffer from allergies.

The Bichon Frise can live in a small household or apartment if he is exercised sufficiently. They are a fairly active breed indoors, and they are content without a yard. Because of their high energy levels, the Bichon Frise is capable of getting proper exercise on his own. They enjoy going for walks and romping in open spaces.

These dogs need training and exercise at a minimum walk at least once a day. If a Bichon is under exercised it will likely never calm down. An under exercised Bichon is also likely to jump on guest and family members.

	I found a Bichon Shih at our local Petland store. Can you give me any information on this type of Bichon? If I were you I WOULD NOT purchase a dog from Adam Berger at this Petland. Not only is he cruel about life he told me too bad for me that my old English bulldogge was at the animal hospital. We bought her November 29 of this year and by December 4 she was sick yesterday she was admitted to the hospital. Our little Brandie was sick when she arrived at this Petland after consulting with several other veterinarians in our town ( mind you this PRICK Adam use to manage our local store) three attorneys the conclusion is Petland sold me a very sick animal which isn't even a pure bred but still 3200.00 and I have no puppy. Adan's comment to me was if you have a baby and it dies that's just life HOW DARE THIS SON OF A BITCH SPEAK TO ME THIS WAY. Well Adam will be hearing from my attorney along with Bill Mitchell as well and Steve Kruse of West Point IA. THE HUNTE CORP IS ON MY SHIT LIST AS WELL. Whatever you do DO NOT PURCHASE YOUR PUPPY FROM THIS PETLAND Adam Berger will treat you like dog shit trust me.
	is this dog considered to be a hypo-allerginic type of dog? no.. there is no such thing as a non allergic dog according to my son's allergist. My son has asthma and it's not the fur it's the dander which people are allergic too.
	do frises come in diffrent color? no they dont come in other colours unless you get a mixed breed such as a bich poo. But no pure bred bichon can be any other colour than white.
	we have just purchased a male bichon and he's approx 5mths old, his fur/coat seems to be changing from long hair into short curlier hair , is this normal for this breed this is completly normal. i own 6 bichons ranging in age from 1 year to 9 years. your puppy is growing its outer coat
	My Bichon is my 17 months old. He becomes very nasty when I try to brush or comb his hair. He bites the groomer. His vet has to muzzle him to give him shots or to cut his nails. The behavior started when he was 6 months old. I tried everything. Any advice?
	My bichon frise is only 3 yrs old and has already develop severe cataracts on both his eyes. He is always bumping into things and often looks very depressed. Is it normal for a bischon to get cataracts at such a young age? My bichon is about to be 4 years old and we just found out he had cataracts about a month ago. But it has very rapidly gotten worse! I think it is common in bichons to get them at at early age. It has made him bump into things and become a little aggressive towards the others.
	Can you get a bichon to swim or do they naturaly hate water?? my beautiful bichon loved to surf and loved the water he would jump in after out boat such spunk yet very gentle
	My Bichon carries her toy bear in her mouth and whimpers with it in there for like 30min has anyone heard of this and if so why do they do it? I don't know why they do it, but my bichon does the same exact thing after he eats. When he does this, my family knows that he has eatten and his way of talking to his bear. I am glad that I am not the only one that has a bichon that does this.
	My 3 year old bichon frise still has several accidents in the house, we unfortunately did not receive him as a puppy so we were unable to properly train him. I need suggestions from anyone... Our Bichon is 2yrs 8mths old. We got her as a puppy. We trained her to go outside or on a pad. She mostly goes outside. Once in a while she will go on a pad...smack in the middle. We keep a pad out if we are outside & she is in by herself. She 99.9 percent of the time waits until we take her out. We had her trained when she was a puppy. When we think she has to go potty, we say potty outside. We take her out & say potty. After she goes..we say good girl potty outside. When take her in & give her a treat. If it is bad weather out, we say potty on pad. After she goes we tell her good girl potty on pad & give her a treat. As we give her a treat, we say good girl potty outside or potty on pad. Give praise...that works the best. When your dog goes in your house. Tell your dog bad girl or boy & put the dog in a pen just for maybe 5mins or so & then let the dog out. They say if you put the dog in a pen too long they will forget why they were put in there.
	My Bichon Frise (female) is about 7 months old and we think she is about to come into season. How long does this last for, is it between 10 and 21 days, or can you give me more info on this matter?

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