Is the Bichon Frise a Good Family Dog?

  • By: Mick Whitefield
  • Time to read: 7 min.

People decide to choose a toy dog breed for all sorts of reasons. Some like the fact that they tend to be adaptable and are ideal for apartment life. Others love their sweet and cut appearance while others love that they make ideal lap dogs due to their tiny size. Whatever your reasons behind wanting a toy dog breed, there are certainly plenty to choose from. One popular choice is the lively little Bichon Frise, which has become a very popular choice due to its sweet and loving nature.

Is the Bichon Frise a good family dog? , Yes, a great family dog, this breed is definitely affectionate and loving, and always eager to do whatever they can to please their owners. Bichons do require a lot of attention and love, so you need to be able to dedicate the time to provide this and if you do they will be easy to train and easily fit into family life. In addition, while they are friendly and sweet-natured pooches, they tend to get along best with families that have older, more considerate children rather than younger, more boisterous ones as they enjoy calm surroundings.

In this article, you can find out more about this breed and how well it is likely to fit in when it comes to family life. You can then decide whether this sweet breed is the ideal addition to your family unit.

Overview

The Bichon Frise is a merry little dog that is always eager to please and has a sweet nature as well as a cute appearance. These dogs have become known for providing excellent companionship as well as plenty of entertainment for their owners. Playful and loving, Bichons love to spend time with their human family, and they form a very close bond with their owners.

Originating from Tenerife and France, the ancestry of this breed goes back many years. There is still some speculation with regards to its exact origins and the name of the breed literally translates to ‘curly lap dog’. If you are looking for a cute, energetic, and loving pet or companion, this breed could be an excellent choice for you.

These small but sturdy dogs have gorgeous dark eyes and little button noses that add to their sweet appearance and appeal. The coat is white but can sometimes be tinged with cream, buff, or apricot. The ears are large and drooped and the coat is beautifully curly. Overall, these dogs have an adorable appearance with a very alert, intelligent expression.

Personality

In terms of personality, you will love the Bichon Frise. These dogs are very loving, they love being around their family, and they are eager little souls with plenty of energy. The Bichon is a sweet-natured dog that tends to get along with people as well as other animals.

The breed is also great around well-behaved children, although its small size means that it is not ideal for families where there are younger, more boisterous children around.

These dogs have a fun-loving attitude to life, and they can be very entertaining, which makes them a popular addition to the family unit. They are also superb, gentle lapdogs, which makes them perfect companions for people of older ages too.

You will notice that Bichons also have a very independent streak although they are not dominant or attention-seeking like some other toy breeds. They do have a tendency to show off from time to time, and they are always keen to learn new tricks (great for the kids).

With their sociable nature, enthusiastic take on life, and high level of intelligence, this breed is great for both seasoned and novice dog owners. When you bring a Bichon into the household, you can look forward to plenty of fun and entertainment as well as a loyal and devoted companion for life.

Temperament

These dogs have a very sweet and docile nature, which is part of what makes them such great pets and companions. They tend to be extremely affectionate and quite sensitive, but they always have bags of personality and a lively attitude. If you are looking for a dog breed that is laid-back and easy-going, this is an excellent option. The sweet temperament and nature of the Bichon mean that you can look forward to having a pet that is very amiable and cheerful – just what you want when it comes to a family pet.

For more detailed information about this breed Click Here

Adaptability

Bichons are very adaptable, and their size means that they are perfect for living in apartments as well as houses. They do enjoy spending time outdoors to play and have a run around, but they are not outdoor dogs that can be kept in kennels. They want to be inside and, more importantly, they like to be with their families or owners. So, if you tend to spend a lot of time outdoors or away from home, this may not be the right choice for you.

Feeding/Eating Habits and Exercise

It is important to feed your Bichon a healthy diet and high-quality food to ensure it gets the necessary vitamins and nutrients required for good health and wellbeing. It is worth noting that these dogs can have a sensitive digestive system, so you may need to look at purchasing food designed for those with digestive sensitivities. This can, however, vary from dog to dog.

Whether or not your dog has digestive sensitivity, a balanced diet is important. You should make sure you are careful with portions as well, as some Bichons do have a tendency to eat more than they should, which can be a problem given their small size. Complete dry kibble is the best choice to promote general and dental health. However, you can also add some wet food to your pet’s diet as well. Of course, fresh drinking water should always be in plentiful supply.

Grooming and Care

The good news is that Bichons are not dogs that shed excessively, so you won’t have to worry about big bunches of hair littering the floor and furniture. The bad news is that they can still be pretty high-maintenance when it comes to grooming requirements.

You should brush the coat of your Bichon every day to keep it in good condition. You may also need to clip and trim the coat every couple of months or so, which can help to reduce grooming time. You can use a metal comb on the coat in order to detangle and remove dead hair. The curly coat of these dogs means tangling can become a big problem, so regular brushing and combing is important.

For the purposes of hygiene, you should take time to clip the hair from around the bottom region of your dog. In addition, make sure you check your dog’s ears regularly for any signs of infection. You may find that grooming can be challenging at first, but the more you do it the more used to it your Bichon will become. This will eventually make the process easier on both you and your pet. Your other obvious choice is to take your loving dog to the local grooming parlour which will be about every 6 to 8 weeks.

Trainability

There is good news and bad news when it comes to training your Bichon Frise. The good news is that, when it comes to general training, you should have no problem with this breed. As we mentioned earlier, these dogs are always eager to please their owners. In addition to this, they are very intelligent little dogs. All of this adds up to the perfect recipe for training, so you should find that teaching and training your pet is a pleasure with most Bichons. These dogs are always eager to learn new tricks and will be only too pleased to show off what they have learned to their owner. 

On the downside, housebreaking your Bichon may be a very different story. When it comes to housebreaking, these dogs can become very stubborn and difficult. This stubborn streak in some Bichons can also make general training a little more challenging too. However, using positive reinforcement, consistent training, and exercising patience can work wonders when it comes to achieving success.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the Bichon Frise boasts many exceptional qualities that help to make it a great choice for a family dog. These dogs are intelligent, alert, eager, sweet, amiable, and sociable. They also lavish their owners with love, attention, devotion, and loyalty. They can be a little noisy at times, and they have a high-pitched bark that may grate on you at first. However, this is a small price to pay for the companionship that these adorable dogs provide.

If you are considering this breed as your new family addition, you need to make sure you have the necessary time to devote to your pet. Remember, Bichons do require daily grooming as well as lots of fuss and attention. These are not dogs that are suited to being left on their own for the majority of the time, which is something to bear in mind when making your choice.

As long as you can commit yourself to providing your Bichon with love, affection, time, and care, you will get plenty back in return.

Learn More About The Bichon Frise on our A to Z of Lap Dog Breeds

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