Any Bichon owners out there???
- Thread starter Stacy
- Start date
daisyheather
Cathlete
Hi Stacy,
I am a previous Bichon owner, but I can share my experiences with you. My first Bichon puppy was such a sweetie. Her name was Molly and was a wonderfully behaved dog. Never had any trouble training her at all. Unfortunately she only lived a little over a year. She had an immune-deficiency problem. Very sad. About a year later we got another bichon, Gabby. Very different personality right from the start. Much more energetic and healthy, but not quite as trainable. She was definetely house broken, but she would occasionaly pee on something important to you (pillow) when she was upset with you. I don't know if this is a normal bichon thing or not. Overall, though they are great little dogs. Don't shed, don't yap and have great personalities. Hope I helped a little. Heather
I am a previous Bichon owner, but I can share my experiences with you. My first Bichon puppy was such a sweetie. Her name was Molly and was a wonderfully behaved dog. Never had any trouble training her at all. Unfortunately she only lived a little over a year. She had an immune-deficiency problem. Very sad. About a year later we got another bichon, Gabby. Very different personality right from the start. Much more energetic and healthy, but not quite as trainable. She was definetely house broken, but she would occasionaly pee on something important to you (pillow) when she was upset with you. I don't know if this is a normal bichon thing or not. Overall, though they are great little dogs. Don't shed, don't yap and have great personalities. Hope I helped a little. Heather
Hello Stacy
I have had my bichon (Bogie) for about 5 years. He was hard to house break. I got him when he was 6 months old. He lived in a kenel full time up until the day we took him home. Poor little guy.
So we did have a problem training him, but once he was trained, he had very few accidents. It was our fault if he did.
We love our little guy
Good luck Tonya
I have had my bichon (Bogie) for about 5 years. He was hard to house break. I got him when he was 6 months old. He lived in a kenel full time up until the day we took him home. Poor little guy.
So we did have a problem training him, but once he was trained, he had very few accidents. It was our fault if he did.
We love our little guy
Good luck Tonya
Gettingfit
Cathlete
Not a bichon owner, but I am a new puppy owner. A few types of advice. Get a young puppy--if you can get one immediately after it's weaned, do it. DO NOT BUY FROM A PET STORE. Even one with a good reputation. Go to a breeder, check the cleanliness & health of the environment. We bought our latest baby from a reputable pet store. Turns out they still used puppy mills & we have a sick puppy. We love her like crazy but it's sad to watch this baby with all of her illnesses.
Finally, I say CRATE TRAIN! We've had 4 dogs over the years. The first 2 we did not crate train & they were terrible to house train. These last two were crate trained & they are much easier to train.
It sounds cruel to keep the dog locked up but it is better than the alternative--having your carpet/floors ruined by house training. Vets will actually tell you it's better for the animal.
Get a small crate from your pet store & make sure the puppy has just enough room to lay down & get up & turn around--that may mean putting a piece of board mid-way in the crate. The puppy will not "go" where he sleeps. The puppy should stay in the crate while you are not home & at night. When you put him in, tell him "get in your box" & give him a biscuit as a reward for getting in the crate. Eventually he will go in when you say "get in your box" & he'll be looking for that treat.
Immediately upon your return or when releasing him from the crate, take him out to the yard. Don't hesitate or he will go on the floor before you get him outside. Because Bichons are small you can carry him--he won't do his business on you. PRAISE LIKE CRAZY for every little piddle or poop in the yard. As he gets older & can control his body functions, you give him more room to move around in the crate. Eventually he will be house broken & you can let him stay out of the crate. During times when you are home, leave the crate door open so that he can go in & out of his "home." It only took us about 2 months to get our latest puppy trained. She's 9 months old now & goes in & out of her crate without hesitation.
This won't eleviate accidents when you are home but will prevent them while you are gone. And you would be surprised how much a puppy can go in just a short time!!!
Good luck with your new puppy!!!
I'm ready to take the next step! http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/a_smil09.gif
Finally, I say CRATE TRAIN! We've had 4 dogs over the years. The first 2 we did not crate train & they were terrible to house train. These last two were crate trained & they are much easier to train.
It sounds cruel to keep the dog locked up but it is better than the alternative--having your carpet/floors ruined by house training. Vets will actually tell you it's better for the animal.
Get a small crate from your pet store & make sure the puppy has just enough room to lay down & get up & turn around--that may mean putting a piece of board mid-way in the crate. The puppy will not "go" where he sleeps. The puppy should stay in the crate while you are not home & at night. When you put him in, tell him "get in your box" & give him a biscuit as a reward for getting in the crate. Eventually he will go in when you say "get in your box" & he'll be looking for that treat.
Immediately upon your return or when releasing him from the crate, take him out to the yard. Don't hesitate or he will go on the floor before you get him outside. Because Bichons are small you can carry him--he won't do his business on you. PRAISE LIKE CRAZY for every little piddle or poop in the yard. As he gets older & can control his body functions, you give him more room to move around in the crate. Eventually he will be house broken & you can let him stay out of the crate. During times when you are home, leave the crate door open so that he can go in & out of his "home." It only took us about 2 months to get our latest puppy trained. She's 9 months old now & goes in & out of her crate without hesitation.
This won't eleviate accidents when you are home but will prevent them while you are gone. And you would be surprised how much a puppy can go in just a short time!!!
Good luck with your new puppy!!!
I'm ready to take the next step! http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/a_smil09.gif
mojolisa
Cathlete
I love the Bichon. He's so adorable. A couple years ago a Bichon named JR won Westminster Kennel's 1st place in their annual dog show.
I always heard that the Bichon is not the kind of dog who can be left alone. He's supposed to be very people oriented. One report actually said the dog can develop neurotic tendencies if he is left alone too much. Is that true?
I've been thinking about getting a dog (either a Bichon or West Highland Terrier) for about a year. But I keep holding back because the thought of leaving the poor thing locked in a crate all day while I'm at work seems so mean, but there is no way I will allow him to run free throughout my house while I'm not home. What do you think?
Lisa
I always heard that the Bichon is not the kind of dog who can be left alone. He's supposed to be very people oriented. One report actually said the dog can develop neurotic tendencies if he is left alone too much. Is that true?
I've been thinking about getting a dog (either a Bichon or West Highland Terrier) for about a year. But I keep holding back because the thought of leaving the poor thing locked in a crate all day while I'm at work seems so mean, but there is no way I will allow him to run free throughout my house while I'm not home. What do you think?
Lisa
Hi, Stacy,
I have an 8-year old bichon whom I've had since he was 8 weeks old, and I didn't find him to be that difficult to housetrain. He didn't really "get it" for about the first 8 weeks I had him, but I think this was more my fault than his. I lived in Boston at the time and brought him home in February, so the weather was so horrible I didn't even try for a few weeks. I was also in grad school and didn't always have to get up early, so I wasn't good about taking him out first thing in the morning or late at night -- I tried to get him to go on paper at those times, and I think that just confused him. When he was about 4 months, I started getting serious about taking him out regularly, and by about 5 months he was completely trained, and has had very few accidents since. (He had surgery for bladder stones 2 1/2 weeks ago and had a couple of accidents in the aftermath of that, but before that it had been at least 2 years since he'd had an accident. He now seems to be back to normal following his surgery.)
I do think it's important to have reasonable expectations about housetraining. I've seen books with titles like "Housetrain your Puppy in 10 Days" and in my opinion that's BS. A very young puppy needs to learn simply to control its bladder as well as where you want it to go. Bichons are allegedly late-maturing, which may be part of the reason they're considered difficult to housebreak. When I was growing up, we had a cocker spaniel who trained very quickly, but he was also 4 months old when we got him -- and that was exactly the same age at which my bichon made a lot of progress. I also found it very easy to train him on everything else; he learned to sit in 10 minutes, no kidding! He is very smart and has an amazing memory. And unlike the rest of us, he even wakes up happy every morning! So I wouldn't let the housebreaking thing scare you -- they are delightful dogs, and mine at least didn't seem any harder than average to housebreak.
Audrey
I have an 8-year old bichon whom I've had since he was 8 weeks old, and I didn't find him to be that difficult to housetrain. He didn't really "get it" for about the first 8 weeks I had him, but I think this was more my fault than his. I lived in Boston at the time and brought him home in February, so the weather was so horrible I didn't even try for a few weeks. I was also in grad school and didn't always have to get up early, so I wasn't good about taking him out first thing in the morning or late at night -- I tried to get him to go on paper at those times, and I think that just confused him. When he was about 4 months, I started getting serious about taking him out regularly, and by about 5 months he was completely trained, and has had very few accidents since. (He had surgery for bladder stones 2 1/2 weeks ago and had a couple of accidents in the aftermath of that, but before that it had been at least 2 years since he'd had an accident. He now seems to be back to normal following his surgery.)
I do think it's important to have reasonable expectations about housetraining. I've seen books with titles like "Housetrain your Puppy in 10 Days" and in my opinion that's BS. A very young puppy needs to learn simply to control its bladder as well as where you want it to go. Bichons are allegedly late-maturing, which may be part of the reason they're considered difficult to housebreak. When I was growing up, we had a cocker spaniel who trained very quickly, but he was also 4 months old when we got him -- and that was exactly the same age at which my bichon made a lot of progress. I also found it very easy to train him on everything else; he learned to sit in 10 minutes, no kidding! He is very smart and has an amazing memory. And unlike the rest of us, he even wakes up happy every morning! So I wouldn't let the housebreaking thing scare you -- they are delightful dogs, and mine at least didn't seem any harder than average to housebreak.
Audrey
I have a 1 1/2 year old bichon, as well as a 6 month old lhasapoo. I crate-trained both of them (actually, we live in a tiny apartment which is like one big crate!) and I didn't have any particular problems with Tucker, my bichon. It does take a lot of patience and consistency, though, and there WILL be accidents, guaranteed! But by the time they are 5 or 6 months old they should be virtually accident free. I put my pups in their crates if I am not home, so that also minimizes accidents and they seem to feel more secure that way. All in all, I'd definitely recommend a bichon, although you will want to make sure the individual puppy does not have a high-strung temperament. (Tucker tends to be that way, but he is still a great dog and I love him endlessly! However, now that my second dog Molly is so laid back I can really see the difference temperament makes, and that will vary by puppy.)
I also highly recommend the discussion groups at greatpets.com!
Good luck!
Lauren
I also highly recommend the discussion groups at greatpets.com!
Good luck!
Lauren
Hi, Lisa,
I think more than a lot of dogs, bichons are very people-oriented and can have behavioral problems if left alone a lot, but that doesn't mean you can only get one if you're at home full time. (Although some bichon folks seem to think that!) I work full time and mine is ok at home alone, although I did work somewhat less (maybe about 25 hours/week work and school) when I first got him. I do try to be home with him in the evenings during the week; if you're gone all day and then go out again in the evening frequently, that would probably be asking for trouble -- though most dogs wouldn't react well to that, I think. Also, I think people tend to underestimate how much exercise dogs need in general, but especially these little floofy guys. My bichon is plump and middle-aged, but he still walks (briskly) about 2 miles a day, and I can definitely tell the difference in his behavior when he doesn't get his walk. Tired dog = good dog!
So IMHO, I think if you work full time, you can be ok with a bichon or similar dog as long as you have time for the dog when you're not at work. But if you have a very busy social life or a lot of other demands on your attention once you get home (i.e., small kids), that may be a different story. You just need to evaluate your lifestyle to see if it is realistic to spend a lot of time with the dog, or whether you have other priorities at this point in your life.
I will admit mine gets separation anxiety if I leave him in a strange place; if I had it to do over again, I would have boarded him, taken him to the groomer's, etc., at an early age to make sure he got used to my "abandoning" him in places other than my home. Well, live and learn.
If you don't want to crate, you can confine the dog to an "easy care" area of the house like the kitchen. This is what I did when mine was young -- my apartment was so small that the crate would have been the focal point of my decorating scheme, and I just couldn't go there! (Now I just put the trash can up on the counter and let him loose...)
Best of luck with your decision,
Audrey
I think more than a lot of dogs, bichons are very people-oriented and can have behavioral problems if left alone a lot, but that doesn't mean you can only get one if you're at home full time. (Although some bichon folks seem to think that!) I work full time and mine is ok at home alone, although I did work somewhat less (maybe about 25 hours/week work and school) when I first got him. I do try to be home with him in the evenings during the week; if you're gone all day and then go out again in the evening frequently, that would probably be asking for trouble -- though most dogs wouldn't react well to that, I think. Also, I think people tend to underestimate how much exercise dogs need in general, but especially these little floofy guys. My bichon is plump and middle-aged, but he still walks (briskly) about 2 miles a day, and I can definitely tell the difference in his behavior when he doesn't get his walk. Tired dog = good dog!
So IMHO, I think if you work full time, you can be ok with a bichon or similar dog as long as you have time for the dog when you're not at work. But if you have a very busy social life or a lot of other demands on your attention once you get home (i.e., small kids), that may be a different story. You just need to evaluate your lifestyle to see if it is realistic to spend a lot of time with the dog, or whether you have other priorities at this point in your life.
I will admit mine gets separation anxiety if I leave him in a strange place; if I had it to do over again, I would have boarded him, taken him to the groomer's, etc., at an early age to make sure he got used to my "abandoning" him in places other than my home. Well, live and learn.
If you don't want to crate, you can confine the dog to an "easy care" area of the house like the kitchen. This is what I did when mine was young -- my apartment was so small that the crate would have been the focal point of my decorating scheme, and I just couldn't go there! (Now I just put the trash can up on the counter and let him loose...)
Best of luck with your decision,
Audrey
My parents have had two Bichons for 16 years, although one just recently passed away, which broke my parents' hearts. They have recently acquired another one that was a show dog and was crate/paper trained. All of their dogs have been female and have been such lovable sweethearts. However, they have been difficult to housetrain. One of the dogs, in particular, was much harder and continued to occasionally have accidents.
My mother-in-law also had a bichon for a short while. He was a male and was very excitable. She ultimately gave him away or had him put to sleep, I don't remember which. However, I think this dog had been abused before she got him and she just wasn't able to deal with his problems at the time given other stuff going on in her life.
My mother-in-law also had a bichon for a short while. He was a male and was very excitable. She ultimately gave him away or had him put to sleep, I don't remember which. However, I think this dog had been abused before she got him and she just wasn't able to deal with his problems at the time given other stuff going on in her life.
TarHeelMom
Cathlete
Hi Stacy and all,
Well, a post after my own heart.
My Bichon Frise, Eddie, is almost 6 (!!!) years old and is the love of our life. We brought him home as an eight-week-old ball of fur and now he looks very much like a huge version of JR, the fluff who won the Westminster -- our Eddie is the world's largest Bichon, so far as we can tell. He's tall and long, although beautifully proportioned, and clocks in at 30 pounds. The vet would like to see him weigh 27 but we have a hard time keeping those 3 pounds off him -- he's a yo-yo dieter. ;-)
I agree with the other posters' comments about Bichons in general. Eddie seems quite typical. He is highly intelligent, easy-going, playful, very loving with kids AND adults, and is happiest when given alot of interaction, although he's happy just to have his humans at home. He wasn't difficult to house-train -- we always say if we're good he's good, meaning that if we give him regular feedings, appropriate food and water, and chances to be outside and walk, play or pee/poop, then he's a nicely-potty-trained little pooch. If we're negligent of his needs he'll have an accident in the house and will look just miserable about it.
We found Eddie very easy and fun to obedience-train, too. He loved learning and showing off and has had a couple of successful intermediate classes. He and my older son are currently working on getting Eddie certified as a "Canine Good Citizen" by the AKC, so that he can work as a therapy dog visiting children's hospitals with an organization called "Happy Tails." I can't imagine a better therapy dog -- I've never seen a child NOT want to pet and hug this giant ball of white fur with a glorious plume of a tail and bright black eyes! And Eddie is so sweet about children -- little ones will pull on his fluffy tail and he'll just pull away and look at me like "Oh brother." I have never seen him snap, ever, at anyone.
I will say that, according to his trainers and according to our experience, Eddie's unusually willful for a Bichon. Their breed trademark is to be more accommodating, but Eddie's a pretty dominant dog and he sometimes interprets commands as "requests." Not a good thing but something we can't seem to break him of, no matter what we do. Almost all the time he'll obey, and he ALWAYS knows what we're asking of him, you can see that -- but sometimes he behaves like an unruly child who has to be told three times to turn off the TV. If he's feeling lazy he'll just lay very still and stare when a command is issued. As if to say "I hear you, I'm just not HAPPY to hear you." Then we'll have to get pretty stern with him and before complying with the "request" he'll give this look like he's sighing and saying "Oh, alright. Geez!"
Because Eddie's dominant by nature, we have to be careful, even now, to communicate "pack order" information to him correctly. I am his alpha dog and my DH is the beta, but Eddie's always jockeying for a better position vis-a-vis my two sons. In his little nimble mind, there's always room to hope that he could become Dog Number Three out of Five. My younger son was such a little boy (7 years old) when we got Eddie, and Eddie clearly sees him as a pack equal -- he accords him great affection but no real respect. Won't listen to a thing Evan says command-wise, but will play games with him all day long. Eddie also adores our older son Alex and seems to understand that Alex is superior to him in pack order. But Eddie also views Alex as a "friendly pack rival" and is always trying to one-up him -- e.g., he'll try to hump Alex's leg even though he's long since been neutered (he does not do this to anyone else's leg, either -- this is just pure dominance behavior). Or he'll jump up into an armchair with Alex as if he wanted to snuggle, but instead he'll try to head-butt Alex out of the chair. It's cute and funny to watch because he looks like a stuffed animal, but we really do have to be careful about correcting this kind of behavior because to Eddie it's a serious attempt at living out his perpetual hope of advancing in the pack.
We wouldn't trade him for any other dog and we think this is a fabulous, easy breed to own. The cost of maintaining a Bichon's coat well is pretty expensive -- they need frequent grooming and very careful brushing. But they don't shed, they're hypoallergenic, they're loving and smart and absolutely adorable. You'd love having one join your family!
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
Well, a post after my own heart.
My Bichon Frise, Eddie, is almost 6 (!!!) years old and is the love of our life. We brought him home as an eight-week-old ball of fur and now he looks very much like a huge version of JR, the fluff who won the Westminster -- our Eddie is the world's largest Bichon, so far as we can tell. He's tall and long, although beautifully proportioned, and clocks in at 30 pounds. The vet would like to see him weigh 27 but we have a hard time keeping those 3 pounds off him -- he's a yo-yo dieter. ;-)I agree with the other posters' comments about Bichons in general. Eddie seems quite typical. He is highly intelligent, easy-going, playful, very loving with kids AND adults, and is happiest when given alot of interaction, although he's happy just to have his humans at home. He wasn't difficult to house-train -- we always say if we're good he's good, meaning that if we give him regular feedings, appropriate food and water, and chances to be outside and walk, play or pee/poop, then he's a nicely-potty-trained little pooch. If we're negligent of his needs he'll have an accident in the house and will look just miserable about it.
We found Eddie very easy and fun to obedience-train, too. He loved learning and showing off and has had a couple of successful intermediate classes. He and my older son are currently working on getting Eddie certified as a "Canine Good Citizen" by the AKC, so that he can work as a therapy dog visiting children's hospitals with an organization called "Happy Tails." I can't imagine a better therapy dog -- I've never seen a child NOT want to pet and hug this giant ball of white fur with a glorious plume of a tail and bright black eyes! And Eddie is so sweet about children -- little ones will pull on his fluffy tail and he'll just pull away and look at me like "Oh brother." I have never seen him snap, ever, at anyone.
I will say that, according to his trainers and according to our experience, Eddie's unusually willful for a Bichon. Their breed trademark is to be more accommodating
, but Eddie's a pretty dominant dog and he sometimes interprets commands as "requests." Not a good thing but something we can't seem to break him of, no matter what we do. Almost all the time he'll obey, and he ALWAYS knows what we're asking of him, you can see that -- but sometimes he behaves like an unruly child who has to be told three times to turn off the TV. If he's feeling lazy he'll just lay very still and stare when a command is issued. As if to say "I hear you, I'm just not HAPPY to hear you." Then we'll have to get pretty stern with him and before complying with the "request" he'll give this look like he's sighing and saying "Oh, alright. Geez!" Because Eddie's dominant by nature, we have to be careful, even now, to communicate "pack order" information to him correctly. I am his alpha dog and my DH is the beta, but Eddie's always jockeying for a better position vis-a-vis my two sons. In his little nimble mind, there's always room to hope that he could become Dog Number Three out of Five.
My younger son was such a little boy (7 years old) when we got Eddie, and Eddie clearly sees him as a pack equal -- he accords him great affection but no real respect. Won't listen to a thing Evan says command-wise, but will play games with him all day long. Eddie also adores our older son Alex and seems to understand that Alex is superior to him in pack order. But Eddie also views Alex as a "friendly pack rival" and is always trying to one-up him -- e.g., he'll try to hump Alex's leg even though he's long since been neutered (he does not do this to anyone else's leg, either -- this is just pure dominance behavior). Or he'll jump up into an armchair with Alex as if he wanted to snuggle, but instead he'll try to head-butt Alex out of the chair. It's cute and funny to watch because he looks like a stuffed animal, but we really do have to be careful about correcting this kind of behavior because to Eddie it's a serious attempt at living out his perpetual hope of advancing in the pack. We wouldn't trade him for any other dog and we think this is a fabulous, easy breed to own. The cost of maintaining a Bichon's coat well is pretty expensive -- they need frequent grooming and very careful brushing. But they don't shed, they're hypoallergenic, they're loving and smart and absolutely adorable. You'd love having one join your family!
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
My parents had a Bichon. He never did get totally housebroken.
He was a barker too! However, he was the smartest, most adorable,loving, all around wonderful dog (except of course for the barking and peeing!LOL!)We were all heartbroken when he died!
My mother still talks about him! Everyone loved him (even the neighborhood dogs that were three times his size - he ruled the neighborhood whenever he got loose - and he was smart enough to get loose at least once every few months - just to see what was going on out there!)
I would like to add that my parents didn't do a very good job housebreaking him - I'm sure that if you're consistent with your pup you'll have great results! They are wonderful dogs!
He was a barker too! However, he was the smartest, most adorable,loving, all around wonderful dog (except of course for the barking and peeing!LOL!)We were all heartbroken when he died!
My mother still talks about him! Everyone loved him (even the neighborhood dogs that were three times his size - he ruled the neighborhood whenever he got loose - and he was smart enough to get loose at least once every few months - just to see what was going on out there!)
I would like to add that my parents didn't do a very good job housebreaking him - I'm sure that if you're consistent with your pup you'll have great results! They are wonderful dogs!
Yes, I own a Bichon. They are great dogs. They have great personalities and have LOTS of energy. My Lady will turn 9 in March and still has plenty of energy. She is definately a member of the family. They are extremely smart dogs. They do have a history of being difficult to house train but if you are persistent it should be fine. I can't say enough good about them. They need to be groomed fairly regularly. Lady forgets she's a white dog and tends to hunt in the yard with my Rotti/Shepard and she comes back in brown but is great in the bath so needless to say she gets frequent baths.
I am also a volunteer for Small Paws Rescue. You can check out their web site at "smallpawsrescue.com" if you are interested in adopting a Bichon. If you are going to a breeder, just make sure it's a reputable breeder and check their references.
If there is anything else you'd like to know please be sure to ask as I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
JoEllen
I am also a volunteer for Small Paws Rescue. You can check out their web site at "smallpawsrescue.com" if you are interested in adopting a Bichon. If you are going to a breeder, just make sure it's a reputable breeder and check their references.
If there is anything else you'd like to know please be sure to ask as I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
JoEllen
mogambo
Cathlete
http://www.bichonrescue.org/home0211.html
http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/9618/
And if you put "bichon rescue" into a search engine you'll get a bunch of local bichon rescues so you can find one close to where you live. It's great if you can rescue a dog rather than buying a new one from a breeder with so many homeless dogs being euthanized every day. My 2 cents.
http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/9618/
And if you put "bichon rescue" into a search engine you'll get a bunch of local bichon rescues so you can find one close to where you live. It's great if you can rescue a dog rather than buying a new one from a breeder with so many homeless dogs being euthanized every day. My 2 cents.