Owning dogs, especially providing care for the bichon frise, is a specialty of people across the world. Some experts have proven that dogs were originally domesticated between 12,000 and 25,000 years ago—and that canines evolved from the wolf. Since those days, humans have selectively bred more than four hundred different breeds, ranging in size from four-pound teacup poodles all the way up to Irish wolfhounds, who have earned the title of the tallest dog. But the most popular dogs are non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mutts. The bichon frise is another favorite choice among canine owners. Many owners are misinformed, however, of some crucial bichon frise care tips.
Typical cost of care for the bichon frise
The yearly cost of rearing the bichon frise—which includes everything from nutrition, veterinary care, toys and license—could vary between $420 and seven hundred eighty dollars. This doesn’t even account for capital costs for spay/neuter operations, a collar and leash, a dog carrier and a crate. Tip: Be sure you have all your supplies before bringing your bichon frise home.
Typical bichon frise Care
How To Feed the bichon frise
- bichon frise puppies between 8 and 12 weeks old need 4 meals every 24 hours.
- Feed bichon frise pups 3 to 6 months old three meals in a day.
- Feed pups 6 months to 1 year 2 times daily.
- By the time the bichon frise makes her first birthday, one bowl every 24 hours is all that’s required.
- Many times bichon frises, however, do better with 2 lighter servings. It is your responsibility to adapt to your bichon frise’s eating schedule.
Top-quality dry dogfood provides a well-rounded diet to full-grown bichon frises and can mix with broth, canned food, or water. Your bichon frise may also be fond of fruits and vegetables, cooked eggs, and cottage cheese, but these dishes should not add up to more than ten pct of his daily food. bichon frise puppies must be fed top-quality, brand-name puppy food. You should try to cut down on “table food”, however, since it can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, bone and teeth problems, and may result in some very picky eating habits and obesity. Clean, fresh water should be made always, and make certain to clean water and food dishes very regularly.
bichon frise Care Tips: Your bichon frise needs exercise daily
bichon frises need some daily physical activity to burn calories, recharge their brains, and keep healthy. Exercise also really helps bichon frises fight boredom, which would often lead to destructive behavior. Some outside playtime will satisfy many of your bichon frise’s desires to retrieve, dig, chew, chase and herd. Individual exercise needs depend on your bichon frise’s age and her level of health—but just a couple of walks around the block every day and ten minutes in back of the house probably is not enough. If your bichon frise is a six to eighteen month adolescent, his requirements will be much more.
bichon frise Grooming Tips
You can help keep your bichon frise clean and reduce shedding with regular brushing. Check for fleas and ticks every day during the summer or other warm weather. Most bichon frises don’t need a bath more than a few times per year. Before a bath, comb or cut out any mats from the bichon frise’s coat. Carefully rinse all soap from the coat, or the dirt will stick to the soap residue.
How to Handle Your bichon frise
Pups, as opposed to adults, are obviously the easiest to manage. To carry the bichon frise puppy, take 1 of your hands and put it beneath your dog’s chest, either with the forearm or your other hand supporting the hind legs and rump. Never attempt to grab or lift your puppy by his or her forelegs, tail or back of the neck. If you need to lift a bigger, adult bichon frise, lift from underneath, supporting her chest with one of your arms and rump with your other arm.
How to House your bichon frise
bichon frises need a comfy quiet place to be able to sleep apart from all the breezes and off the ground or floor. You might want to buy a doggie bed, or make one out of a wooden box. Place a clean blanket, sheet, comforter, or pillow inside the bed for cushion. Wash the bichon frise’s bed covering frequently. If the bichon frise will be outdoors much, make sure he has plenty of cool water and shade in the summer, and a warm, dry, covered area during the winter.
bichon frise Identification
Your town has licensing rules to heed. Make certain you affix the license to your bichon frise’s collar. This, together with an identification tattoo, could help you recover your bichon frise should he go missing.
Facts on bichon frise Temperament
bichon frise Training
Well-behaved, companion bichon frises are truly a joy to raise. But when left untrained, your dog will most likely be a big headache. Training your bichon frise on the standards—”Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, and “Leave it”—will improve your relationship both with the bichon frise as well as your visitors. If you’re the owner of a pup, start training him on manners immediately! Use food as incentive and reward. Pups should start obedience classes when they have been sufficiently vaccinated. Contact your community SPCA or humane society for training classes. It is best to walk your bichon frise leashed while in public, even while a pup. Just be certain your doggie will come to you at all times whenever you say. An aggressive or disobedient bichon frise cannot play with children.
bichon frise Health
Your bichon frise should visit the vet for a complete check-up, shots and a heartworm assessment each and every year, and ASAP when he is ill or hurt.
bichon frise Oral Health
Although we might object to our bichon frise’s bad breath, it’s important to be aware of what it might represent. Foul-smelling breath is a symptom that your bichon frise needs a dental check up. Dental plaque , which is a result of germs brings a foul stench that can only be cured by the help of a professional. After a professional oral cleaning, her teeth and gums may be kept up by brushing the teeth regularly, feeding a specially formulated dental diet and treats, and avoiding table scraps. Your vet can provide you with additional advice on eradicating periodontal problems as well as bad breath. You can use a baking soda and water paste or a dog toothpaste once or twice per week to brush your bichon frise’s teeth. Clean them with a gauze pad, a piece of nylon stocking wrapped around your finger, or a soft, child’s toothbrush. Sometimes bichon frises have periodontal disease, another name for gum disease. Frequently, loss of teeth occurs due to periodontal disease. Disease will sometimes also spread to other areas of your bichon frise’s body. The doctor will brush the bichon frise’s teeth as part of her routine health test.
Bad bichon frise Breath
If your bichon frise has halitosis, gum disease might not necessarily be the only disease, as other more serious problems also have that symptom. Liver or intestinal diseases sometimes also cause halitosis, and a fruity, sweet smell may sometimes be indicative of diabetes. When your bichon frise’s breath smells like urine or ammonia, kidney disease may be the reason. When you notice your bichon frise has smelly breath in conjunction with other signs of disease, such as loss of appetite, vomiting or nausea, loss of weight, moodiness, including depression, excessive urination or drinking, set up an examination with your dog’s doctor.
bichon frise Tick and Flea Issues
Regular, daily inspections of your bichon frise for ticks and fleas in the summer are important. Use a flea comb to find and remove fleas. There are several new procedures of flea and tick mitigation. Talk to your bichon frise’s doctor about his or her options.
Heartworm problems in bichon frises
This parasite lives in the heart and is passed from an infested dog to your bichon frise by mosquitoes. Heartworm infestations are known to be deadly. Your bichon frise should have a blood test for heartworms every spring—this is required to catch infections from the earlier year. It is recommended that you give your bichon frise a monthly tablet during mosquito season in order to protect him from heartworms. If you travel in warmer regions with your bichon frise during the winter, your dog ought to be on the preventive medicine during the trip. There are some places, usually the places with warmer temperatures, where the doctors recommend worm tablets be taken year round.
Medicines and Toxins
Please don’t give your bichon frise medicine that hasn’t been prescribed by his veterinarian. Are you aware that one ibuprofen pill causes ulcers in bichon frises? Make sure your bichon frise is never exposed to rat poison and other rodenticides. If you have reason to think that your dog has ingested a poisonous substance, notify the vet or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for 24-hour animal poison assistance.
bichon frises: Spaying and Neutering
It is recommended that male bichon frises should be neutered – the extraction of the testes – and females spayed – the removal of the ovaries and uterus – by 6 months of age. Spaying before maturity significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer, a common and usually fatal condition for older female dogs. The risk of a diseased uterus, which is another serious affliction that affects older females, will be eliminated by spaying before six months. Neutering males helps prevent prostate and testicular diseases, certain types of aggressions and some hernias.
bichon frise Immunizing
- The combination vaccine (also known as the “5-in-one shot”) ought to be given to your bichon frise at 2, three, and 4 months old and again once each year. This innoculation protects your bichon frise puppy from hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and distemper. The bichon frise must be immunized for at least the first 4 months of his life.
- If you have the rare bichon frise who has not been vaccinated and is older than 4 or 5 months, she must get a series of two immunizations given 2 or 3 weeks apart, followed by a yearly immunization.
- bichon frise puppy socialization and innoculation should coincide. Most vets advise that new owners bring their bichon frise puppies to socialization classes, beginning at eight to 9 weeks of age. At this age, they should have received at least their first innoculations.
Since laws are so different between different areas, call a community veterinarian for information for rabies shots. In NYC, for instance, the rule requires any pets older than 3 months of age to be vaccinated for rabies. After the first vaccination, she must get another innoculation the next year, and then every three years. There are a variety of innoculations, many of which are right for your bichon frise. There are others that are not, however. Ask your bichon frise’s vet for her recommendation. By the way, if your bichon frise gets sick because she is not properly innoculated, do not give the vaccination until the dog has made a full recovery.
Intestinal Parasites in bichon frises
bichon frises are often exposed to worms and possible infestation—even in urban areas. Eggs that carry roundworms are transmitted through a dog’s stool. Even the healthiest of bichon frise puppies carry intestinal worms. The secret to effective treatment is correct diagnosis. This will ensure that the medication is successful against the worms your dog has. A dewormer that eliminates roundworms, for example, can’t kill tapeworms. Your bichon frise’s doctor can best determine the culprit—and prescribe the best treatment.
bichon frise: Miscellaneous Care Tips
Checklist of bichon frise Supplies
- Top-quality dog food and treats specifically for bichon frises and similarly-sized dogs
- Food bowl
- Water bowl
- Toys, toys and more toys, including safe chew toys
- Brush and comb for grooming, including a flea comb
- Collar with license and identification tag
- Quality leash
- Carrier (for pups)
- Training crate
- Box or dog bed with sheet or towel
- Doggie toothbrush
Warnings to be Heeded
The following items should never be fed to bichon frises:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Chocolate, coffee, or tea
- Grapes and raisins
- Moldy or spoiled food of any kind
- Onions, garlic & chives
- Bones of chicken, turkey, or any other animal (choking hazard)
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, stems or unripe fruit
- Yeast dough
The scoop on poop
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in space, always keep your bichon frise on a leash. When your bichon frise goes number 2 on a neighbor’s lawn, his sidewalk or any other public spot, please clean it up! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about bichon frises
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