How to Take Care of Bichons

Caring for your bichon frise requires a lot of grooming.
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Your bichon frise is a happy, mischievous little personality wrapped in a puffy, cotton ball-like package. This playful pup is as good-natured as they come and offers his family lots of affection. His needs are fairly simple, but his coat requires more grooming and attention than you might expect.

Step 1

Feed your bichon a high-quality dog food twice a day. Full-grown bichons range between 7 and 12 pounds on average, meaning they generally don't need a huge amount of food. Depending on how active and old your perky puffball is, he'll need between ½ and 1 ½ cups of food per day. Adjust his food as necessary so he doesn't turn into a roly-poly puffball.

Step 2

Keep him well groomed. Claims that bichons don't shed are untrue -- the cast-off hair just gets caught in the dense white coat instead of landing on your furniture and clothes. Brush your pooch regularly, at least two or three times a week, to remove the shed hair and prevent tangles and mats. Apply a pin or slicker brush to get through his thick coat and all the way down to the skin.

Step 3

Wash your perky pup as necessary to keep his coat clean and white. Dead hair holds dirt, and any dirt or stain on your bichon stands out glaringly from his otherwise white coat. Apply a whitening dog shampoo to get him all squeaky clean and make his coat look its whitest. Rinse him thoroughly and apply a conditioner to make his hair soft. Towel away excess water and finish the job with a hair dryer on a low setting.

Step 4

Walk and play with your bichon every day. Although he may look like a dog who'd rather sit and watch the action instead of participating, your little curly-top is a rough-and-tumble pooch who loves to be active. Take him for a daily walk and play with him to release some of that energy. The more he plays, the more calories he burns and the less likely he is to become overweight.

Step 5

Train your bichon to behave properly. Your little puffball is a smart dog who will walk all over you if you let him. Don't let him. Start training as soon as possible to instill proper behavior. Place him in a crate to assist in housebreaking and to provide a safe place for your little guy when you're heading out without him.

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