Dealing with coat shedding is one of the most common maintenance routines for every furry pet owner out there. While not all dog breeds shed profusely, it’s still a good routine to schedule for the “peak” shedding season for your pet.
After all, you wouldn’t want to have unexpected balls of fur on your carpet or clothes. Always prepare for shedding season to minimize potential allergic reactions from your furry companion.
The Bichon Frise is one of the most popular dog breeds. According to the American Kennel Club, it ranks as the 46th famous dog out of more than 200 recognized breeds from the association.
The Bichon Frise falls under the Barbichon dog types that include the Maltese and Havanese dog breeds. The breed is also royalty dogs in Italy, accompanying Italian nobility in the royal court.
However, there is another reason the breed is top pick or top chosen dog breeds. The Bichon Frise rarely shed their fur coat, making the breed a more suitable choice as home dogs.
While this dog breed may be known for its furry silhouette, these tiny creatures shed, but only to a very minimal extent.
Bichon Frise Physical appearance
Before diving into furry matters of the breed, it’s best to know the physical properties of the breed. The dog breed is known for having a toyish demeanor and affectionate attitude to others. If you want to carry around a pet outdoors that won’t weigh too much, the Bichon Frise fits the factor.
- COLOR: white, apricot, cream, buff, or mixture of white and any of the latter colors
- COAT: long, curly, double coat
- HEIGHT: 9.5 inches to 11.5 inches
- WEIGHT: ranges from 12 to 18 pounds
- BUILD: small dogs that are manageable to carry around
- DROOLING LEVEL: less likely to drool
- SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS: with maintenance, the Bichon Frise may look like its signature cotton ball shape
- LIFE SPAN: 14 to 15 years
- TEMPERAMENT: friendly, happy go lucky, and intelligent
Bichon Frise Shedding level
The Bichon Frise has low shedding levels, despite having almost a long, curly, and double coat of fur. The fur coat of the Bichon Frise is also soft and velvety to the touch. Many pet owners style the fur coats into a more puffy and powdery look to give a cloudy appearance of the Bichon Frise.
If you’re looking for low shedding level dog breeds, the Bichon Frise is one of the most dependable types around. Also, if it’s your first time living alone, and you’re looking for a pet that doesn’t leave a lot of hair on your belongings, this dog is for you.
Bichon Frise Maintenance
Whereas the shedding level of the Bichon Frise is low and minimal, it doesn’t mean pet owners of the breed are off the hook for the regular maintenance of this dog breed.
The length of the fur coats may reach long strands without proper grooming. In addition, this dog breed has a lot of maintenance routines to keep a healthy and well-kept appearance.
Maintaining Bichon Frise is not for the faint of heart if you decide to own this dog breed. You’ll need to schedule monthly grooming routines, or else the minimal fur sheds will get stuck on the undercoat of the furry breed.
To many pet owners, the Bichon Frise dogs are considered a “high maintenance breed” in grooming and care.
1. Maintenance brushing
Coat maintenance helps detangle any dead hair build-up in the undercoat of the Bichon Frise. If you want to keep this pet free from hair tangles, it’s best to keep a daily brushing of a moist double coat. Schedule a time slot every day to brush the fur coat of the breed.
Without brushing, fur tends to tangle and mattify. Brushing after some period may become painful for the Bichon Frise. The more hair tangles on the coat, the more difficult it is to brush the Bichon Frise. Also, it will take more time to brush the breed with the lack of a daily brushing routine.
2. Fur trimming
The fun part of having a pet, Bichon Frise, is shaping the dog’s fur coat. Trimming and haircuts may take most of your pet errand time when you decide to book a groomer. However, you have insurance that the pet Bichon Frise has a well-kept look.
Some of the most popular haircuts and trim styles are lamb cut, utility cut, panda cut, and show cut. No matter which cut style you choose, your pet sports cute, clean, and shaped fur.
3. Nail trimming
Nails trimming is also a part of the maintenance routine to avoid painful scratches or accidental scrapes on any object. Schedule a bimonthly nail trimming to prevent any injury whenever the Bichon Frise plays around.
Moreover, the paw nails of dogs have blood vessels, so it’s best to be very gentle and attentive to prevent any bleeding on the Bichon Frise’s paws. You’ll have a hard time making your pet Bichon Frise cooperate for the following nail trimming sessions.
TIP: If you hear the nails when the Bichon Frise is running around, it’s time to trim the paw nails.
4. Bathing
There are many dog breeds that you can leave alone without bathing for weeks. Unfortunately, the Bichon Frise is not one of those breeds. With a long coat that sheds minimally, the fur may accumulate dirt over time.
Schedule the Bichon Frise for biweekly bath sessions to prevent dirty dogs in the household. This weekly bathing schedule is on top of bathing these dogs when they get significantly dirty from playing outside. Bathing is necessary to have an upkeep of the clean fur coat of the Bichon Frise.
5. Dental care
Dental care is also essential to keep the teeth free from tartar build-up and bacteria growth. It’s suitable to brush the teeth of a Bichon Frise twice a week. To ensure that no bacteria are lurking around or have a high potential for gum disease, you can brush this pet’s teeth daily.
6. Ear care
Ear wax build-up is typical for any dog breed. It’s natural as the ear canals of the Bichon Frise may run deeper compared to people. Deep spaces may end up harboring more dirt without proper cleaning and care. Furthermore, ear infections happen when there is less cleaning routine for the ear canals of any dog breed.
Uncleaned ears may result in foul odors that worsen over time. The ear canal of your Bichon Frise may also turn red from frequent scratching when there is dirt build-up. Book for a weekly ear cleaning if you can.
7. Hypoallergenic breed
The Bichon Frise needs high and frequent maintenance; it may turn you off. Constant grooming helps boost and maintain the beautiful coat of the Bichon Frise. However, there is more to the grooming than what meets the eye of any potential pet owner.
Another bonus is this: The Bichon Frise are hypoallergenic dogs that are unlikely to cause allergic reactions. If you have an existing medical condition like allergies that hinders you from taking in furry pets, this breed may be the solution to your concern.
Have you ever had a hard time choosing a furry pet because of allergic reactions and dangers to your health? The Bichon Frise is one of the breeds available that don’t incite potential or frequent allergies. Moreover, if you have other people in the household, it may be safer to have a hypoallergenic dog breed first.
Tips for caring and owning a Bichon Frise
Tips and tricks are available to help you manage space with a Bichon Frise at home. While being a first-time pet owner may be a lot of work, it doesn’t need to be complex and full of exhausting times for you. Share the love with a Bichon Frise and keep a manageable maintenance routine.
1. Schedule a maintenance calendar for your pet Bichon Frise
You must always note the maintenance and grooming of the Bichon Frise. Part of any pet’s health is grooming, and with a high maintenance breed, the work may double. If you have an extensive calendar at home, put in the dates and weekly routines to frequent the grooming habit.
Remember, although the breed doesn’t shed a lot, it also means there is more room for fur tangles and mattifying fur coats without brushing and trimming. Regular grooming and frequent maintenance keep the dog healthy and avoid potential pains and diseases.
2. Bichon Frise may miss you terribly without constant loads of attention
Have you ever heard the term separation anxiety? Dogs experience separation anxiety and miss you terribly when you don’t shower it with regular attention and physical affection.
The Bichon Frise doesn’t like being alone and prefers any company. This condition can result in unwanted behaviors such as increasing barking levels and soiling levels in a property.
It means two things when you schedule a playtime, walk time, or personal training time for the Bichon Frise. One, you are spending social time with this pet dog showing that you love and care for your pet.
At the same time, you help channel the pent-up energy by engaging with your pet in physical activity outdoors. The attention can turn away any negative feelings of being alone for your pet Bichon Frise.
3. Moderate energy levels still call for exercise and playtime
The Bichon Frise is not classified as a high-energy dog. However, they need their dose of exercise and playtime.
Without regular playtime and outside sessions, you may develop aggression and destruction. Exercise is the solution if you want to avoid furniture destruction or threadbare carpets (from constant chewing).
Always remember that dogs are highly intelligent animals, and the lack of physical and mental stimulation may result in boredom. In addition, the Bichon Frise is always at risk of obesity and being overweight with the absence of any physical routine. The right amount of exercise keeps any dog breed in shape and mentally balanced.
4. When in doubt, a professional groomer is always out and about!
It’s not wrong to rely on a professional groomer, especially if you don’t have the time and schedule to groom a Bichon Frise. Trusting a groomer means trusting somebody who has a lot of experience dealing with various dog breeds.
More often than not, your partner groomer may know more about your pet. If you have doubts about your ability to groom the Bichon Frise, you can contact a professional groomer nearby. You may need to spare some budget to keep your pet well maintained; however, if it’s best for your furry companion, why not?
5. Always do what’s best for the pet Bichon Frise
Always remember that when you own a pet dog, you are responsible for its overall well-being. Do some research first to figure out if you have the capability of owning a pet dog. Sometimes, what you think is best for you, may not be the best for a potential pet dog like the Bichon Frise.
With great pets comes great responsibility. Having a pet dog may even feel like you’re having a child of your own. Never think twice about putting your pet’s best interest first. It would help if you considered many things before buying a breed with high maintenance and frequent grooming needs.
Conclusion
The name Bichon Frise comes from two words. The word Bichon comes from “barbichon,” meaning little water spaniel. On the other hand, “frise” means curly-haired.
Indeed with the Bichon Frise, you have a small curly-haired pet dog. However, there is more to the Bichon Frise than having a small curly-haired dog. The dog breed champions as one of the dogs that have a low shedding level and mellow temperament.
With regular maintenance procedures and routines, you’ll get the best of both worlds: a healthy fur coat that doesn’t plague your apartment, room, or home with hair in the air. On top of that, you’ll also get an affectionate dog breed capable of socializing and fitting in well with other figures in the household.
If you want to have a loving dog with a trainable attitude and balanced temperament with others, the Bichon Frise is for you!
