Bichon Frise Needs:

Because they have always been bred to be companion dogs they are happiest in a home where at least one member of the family is home during the day. They can be quite mischievous if left alone for long periods of time and can develop some very bad habits such as chewing on furniture, window sills, etc.

They are also very challenging to house train and need to have someone there to be very consistent in their training. We strongly recommend crate training. In this way, a puppy that is not “empty” will not have access to carpets or furniture. We have successfully used the method described in “How To Teach Your Dog To Eliminate On Command” by Adam G. Katz. This takes a lot of time to teach the dog what you want - but it is well worth the time spent.

Bichons are Labor-Intensive dogs. They require a lot of attention, training and grooming. Their hair will develop split ends and break off if not cut regularly. We recommend a haircut at least every four weeks for pets and every week for show dogs. Because it is double-coated it mats easily and must be brushed and combed daily to prevent mats from developing. If the dog gets wet, it must be blow-dried and brushed and combed to prevent matting. Not only are mats difficult for the groomer to deal with, it is very painful for the dog to have them cut or combed out.

Bichons are very active, little dogs and love to go for daily walks. New owners should plan time for this activity - although it is a well-known fact that Bichons are also “self-exercising” and will occasionally do the “Bichon Blitz” around your home.

Bichons love to chew on toys, or lacking these, anything else in the house, so plan to have a lot of chew toys for your new puppy. They love toys that squeak and immediately set about trying to get the squeaker out of the toy.

There are many books written by Bichon breeders that are excellent. We also recommend new owners read “How To Housetrain Your Dog” by Job Michael Evans. We also recommend “There’s A Puppy In The House” by Mike Wombacher. He can be contacted at www.doggonegood.org. Another excellent book that was published this year in Great Britain is “Living With A Bichon Frise” edited by Roger Dunger. This can be obtained in the United States through Barrons.This is excellent, general information for raising and training a dog and should be read prior to bringing your puppy home.

Most Bichons have flea allergies and an aggressive flea control program is necessary. Ask your veterinarian about a flea control product. Frontline is the product we use because it kills ticks as well as fleas and does not wash off. If you live in an area of the country that has a problem with Lyme Disease we recommend getting the Lyme Disease vaccine for your dog as well as their other vaccinations.

We feel very strongly that if you are unable to devote time to your dog on a daily basis this is not the breed for you.

Dog Return Policy:

Because we feel we are responsible for every dog out of our breeding, we have a clause in our contract that requires the dog to be returned to us if, for any reason, the new owner cannot keep it, no matter what age the dog . We want to be involved in finding a new home for any dog out of our breeding should this be necessary.

Where to Pick Up Your Bichon:

We do not ship puppies so prospective owners need to plan a trip to Fair Oaks, CA if they want one of our puppies.

Feeding Your Bichon

We feed Flint River Ranch kibble. This is a baked biscuit that is broken into kibble-sized pieces. There are no artificial preservatives and we feel it is one of the best dog foods available. All of our puppies are raised on Flint River Ranch and therefore new owners must purchase this before they pick up their puppy, using our distributor number “P758” and our name as the referring distributor. Their phone number is 1-800-704-5779, an order can either be faxed or mailed and the company will ship the food via U.P.S. to your door within five days.

Flint River Ranch is rated among the top ten dog foods, consistently.