Exercising your dog

Although prone to short bursts of intense activity, like running through your home or doing laps of the garden, Bichons will happily spend the rest of time not doing much (other than following you around of course).

Bichon Frises do well on about 30 minutes of exercise a day, although this should be broken up into short sessions and involve walks and playtime. Think 1 or 2 short neighbourhood strolls, plus playtime with you (they’re partial to a game of fetch) and sniff sessions in the garden or local park.

You may be surprised at how speedy a Bichon can be - they’re naturally fast runners. This makes a fenced-in garden a must (and a lead at all times for an untrained Bichon).

Training your Bichon Frise

With their built-in performing streak, Bichon Frises love training and learning new tricks which makes them really easy to train. But they’re renowned for being tricky to house train.

You can blame their need for independence for their struggles to master the basics like toilet training, walking well on a lead and commands including sit and stay.

Positive reinforcement works well with Bichons - they love to be rewarded with your attention when they behave well. Plus, putting them on a toileting schedule can help them learn where and when they’re supposed to go.

Your dog's health

By recognising health problems in Bichon Frise early you can seek advice and treatment from a veterinarian.

Reduce the risk of health problems by purchasing a puppy from a responsible breeder. Always inspect breeding facilities and breeding dogs, and never buy from a distant online seller.

Health Issues to watch out for:

Bladder Stones

Liver Issues

Skin Problems including Allergies

Eye Problems

Luxating Patella

Grooming your dog

Although your Bichon Frise’s curly double coat doesn’t shed much, without the right amount of care and attention it can quickly become matted. A daily brushing routine will help keep it camera-ready and you can start brushing them when they’re a puppy. A slicker brush will get rid of the loose hair. Follow this with a dog comb to ease out any tangles.

Every week or two (or more often if they’re dirty) pop them in the bath to keep them fresh and their coat healthy. Give their coat a brush before bath time as wet hair can make it trickier to remove any matted hair.

As well as a daily brush and a regular bath, a Bichon’s coat needs a monthly trim.

Other things you should do regularly is brushing their teeth and monthly nail trims.