Bichon Frise

What is a Bichon Frise?

A small white companion dog of 5-8kg with a soft, curled double coat, a black nose and dark round eyes. Nothing about them was bred for work - they are a lap dog of several centuries' standing, and they behave accordingly: sociable, attention-seeking and happiest in company.

The coat is the defining practicality. It grows continuously rather than shedding, which means it does not cover the furniture and does mean it must be cut.

History and origins

The bichon type goes back to the Mediterranean and probably to Tenerife, travelling with Spanish sailors from the 14th century. They were court dogs in Renaissance Italy and France, fell out of fashion after the French Revolution, and survived as street performers' dogs and circus animals - which is where the biddability comes from. The modern breed was standardised in France in 1933.

Appearance and size

23-30cm, 5-8kg. The coat is a soft dense undercoat with a coarser curled outer coat, traditionally trimmed into a rounded outline. Pure white, sometimes with cream or apricot shading on the ears, particularly in a young dog.

Dark pigment around the eyes and on the nose is correct; a Bichon with a pink nose or pale eye rims is often a dog with less pigment generally, which tends to travel with more skin sensitivity.

Temperament and personality

Cheerful, outgoing and entirely people-oriented. They like strangers, like other dogs, and expect to be involved in whatever is happening. There is very little guarding instinct and no real reserve.

The other side of that sociability is that they do not cope well alone. Separation anxiety is one of the commonest reasons Bichons end up in rescue, and it is worth being honest with yourself about your working hours before buying one.

Intelligence and trainability

Bright and willing, with a circus history behind them - they learn tricks easily and enjoy performing. Reward-based training works very well.

House training is the weak spot, as with most toy breeds, and is usually a matter of frequency and patience rather than intelligence.

Children and other pets

One of the better small breeds with children. They are sturdier than a Pomeranian or a Chihuahua, they tolerate handling well, and they enjoy the attention. Small children still need showing how to hold one.

Good with other dogs and usually fine with cats. They are not a prey-driven breed.

Health problems

Allergies and atopic dermatitis. Very common. Itching, recurrent ear infections, licked and stained paws. Manageable but often lifelong and sometimes expensive.

Hereditary cataract, which can appear young. Both parents should have a current eye certificate - annually, not once.

Bladder stones, particularly calcium oxalate, which run strongly in some lines and can need repeated surgery. There is a DNA test for primary hyperoxaluria. Ask the breeder directly whether any of their dogs have had stones.

Luxating patella, as with most small breeds. Tear staining, cosmetic but persistent on a white face. And dental disease, early.

Daily care routine

Brushing - properly, to the skin, most days. Eyes wiped, ears checked, and a look at the feet, which is where allergy shows first in this breed.

Bichons need somebody about. A dog walker or a day at a sitter beats eight hours alone.

Grooming and coat care

The real commitment, and the reason Bichons are given up.

The coat does not shed, so everything it sheds stays in the coat and mats. Left a fortnight it becomes a solid pelt against the skin, which is painful and can only be clipped off. Brush and comb to the skin three or four times a week minimum, and book a professional groom every six to eight weeks - £45-£70 a time, for the life of the dog.

Face washed daily to manage tear staining. Ears plucked or cleaned as the groomer advises. Bathing every three or four weeks, dried thoroughly, because a damp undercoat is where skin trouble starts.

Exercise needs

Modest. Two half-hour walks and some play is ample. They enjoy a good run in a park and are quick and agile for their size, but they are not an endurance dog and they do not need to be.

Feeding and diet

Measured meals of a good quality food. If there is skin or ear trouble, food is worth investigating with a vet before assuming environmental allergy. Plenty of water, which matters in a breed predisposed to bladder stones - a dog that drinks well passes more dilute urine and forms fewer.

Price

£900-£1,800 from a breeder with eye certificates and patella grades.

The running cost is the part people miss. Grooming alone is £300-£500 a year, every year, and insurance for a breed with this much skin and urinary risk runs £35-£70 a month.

Buying advice

Ask for current eye certificates on both parents - within the last twelve months, since hereditary cataract can develop after a young dog has been tested. Ask for patella grades. Ask outright whether any dog in the line has had bladder stones.

Meet the mother and see whether she is comfortable being handled and brushed. A Bichon that hates grooming is a hard dog to live with, and the temperament around handling is partly learned from her.

Then be honest about two things: whether you can afford the groomer every six weeks for fourteen years, and whether the dog will be alone all day. Those two, far more than anything genetic, decide whether it works out.