Bichon Frise: A Small Dog With A Golden Heart
The Bichon Frise is a captivating dog that looks like a puff ball because of its curly hair. Energetic, this lovable, curly-haired dog is smart, bubbly and even-tempered. Its affable character makes it a winner for anybody, young or old, to have as a companion at home. It is believed to be a cross between the Barbet Water Spaniel and the Poodle. It gained popularity as a circus performer and as the organ player's dog!
Compatibility and Usage: The Bichon Frise's size and nature does not make it a very good guard dog nor does it do well as a show dog however it adequately fills the role of the absolute family dog. Taking your Bichon for regular walks in the park where it can interact with other people and dogs would surely make the dog happier and livelier.
Physical Appearance: The Bichon Frise has a non-shedding white fur coat although different breeds may have different coat color. They sometime have a cream color coat or even in apricot with shadings around their ears. But a purebred Bichon Frise will have a white color coat. Their eyes are normally black or brown in color and have an unmistakable halo around the eyes.
Temperament: its overfriendliness with humans including strangers makes the Bichon Frise a poor choice for a guard dog. Nonetheless, its cheerfulness, warm and loving attitude make it very popular as a family dog especially those with small children. Its temperament makes it easy for the Brison Frise to ingratiate itself with humans and even other dogs.
It is very sociable with other pets and humans but can also perform guard dog duties for its master due to its protective demeanor. When playing, they may exhibit some tenacious attitudes but otherwise they are a good choice for the companion of the young and old alike.
Caring & health: A Bichon Frise has a life span of around 12 years and a male dog will have a height of up to 12 inches while a female or a bitch can have a height varying from 9 to 11 inches. They have a non shedding coat and hence need regular grooming. Bichons are also susceptible to different types of skin allergies and other skin problems, which makes grooming necessary.
The only way you can avoid the tangling of the Brison's coat is through regular brushing which makes the dog's coat puffier and more beautiful. Refrain from feeding your dog with high fat foods as this can lead to pancreatitis, very common with this breed of dogs. Regular daily walking exercise with the right type of dog food is enough to keep the dog healthy.
Some of the other medical problems that the Bichons are susceptible to include skin irritations allergy, cataract (happens with age), senility and vestibular disease. The last one is a disease of the ear and needs to be taken care of immediately. Minus the diseases, which are common for almost all breeds, choosing a small breed dog like the Bichon Frise is like bringing home a fur ball of happiness!
Author Info: Mike Mathews is a writer and publisher of the acknowledged Dog Breed Facts website. His new ebook titled "Choosing a Dog For Your Lifestyle" is a fantastic resource for the new dog owner.
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