by Riley MacDonell

Created on: September 24, 2009   Last Updated: September 25, 2009

Bichons: they're cute, cuddly, loving and playful everything you could possibly want in a canine companion. They're the perfect option for those who have always wanted a pet dog but never thought they could own one without having to buy stock in Zyrtec, Claritin and every other pet allergy medication out there on the market today. The name Bichon Frise comes from the French, literally translated into curly lap dog for all us English-speakers out there. And that, in a nutshell, is a very suitable description of the breed. They are lapdogs and their hair is generally curly. The French sure do have a way with picking creative names for their dog breeds, I've got to say.

Bichons are pretty unique in the fact that they have hair, like humans, and not fur like most other breeds of dog. This is partly what makes them hypoallergenic. Although there are rumors out there that Bichons are allergy-free dogs, it is simply not true. Like every other dog, Bichons produce dander. This is a very hoity-toity way of saying that they shed skin cells; it's something that just cannot be avoided. They also do shed their hair, another common misconception stemming from the whole Bichons are non-shedding dogs myth. Everything that has hair sheds it, eventually. You do, I do, your second grade math teacher does (assuming they're still alive and all), the person in front of you in line at the checkout counter at Wal-Mart does, you get the picture. Luckily for most allergy-sufferers out there, Bichons tend to shed much less often than most other breeds and are less irritating in general to those with sensitive skin, eyes, noses and all that other hullabaloo.

So how do you care for one of these fuzzy little hairballs? It really doesn't take as much effort as one would imagine. They require a little more upkeep than your average shorthaired mutt, sure, but not that much more (assuming you're not planning on showing your Bichons at any dog shows, that is).

Diet is important. Don't feed your Bichon anything that you wouldn't feed any other dog. For example, any form of chocolate or alcohol, grapes, raisins, coffee, most nuts (aside from peanuts, peanut butter is alright), fried foods, bones, tomatoes, nutmeg, avocados, raw eggs, salt, or fruit seeds. These can all be deadly or extremely detrimental to your Bichon's health. Most vegetables, wheat bread, plain yogurt and cottage cheese are okay for your Bichon in small amounts.

Just like us humans, Bichons need their exercise. Not as much as,

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>