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Does anybody have 1? We have finally settled on getting 1 of these. My next dilemma is do i stick to my original plan and wait till we have moved before getting her. The main thing was i had set up a puppy fund jar and said we wouldnt have 1 till it was full which would take another few months and i thought we would have a new house by then. However i received a very nice tax rebate which would more than pay for the pup and everything that goes along with 1 and the breeder we have chosen has only 1 pup left (she might have another litter next year). So what would you do

how long until you are moving house? If it is immiment, I personally would leave it until afterwards, mind you, I'm no expert - I don't even have a dog!!!

I havent found anywhere yet but am actively looking so it could be anything from a month to a year before we move

would it be fair to bring a new dog into your house when you have the stress of packing up boxes, organising removal etc. From my understanding, puppies are such hard work that a new puppyplus the stress of moving house would probably give you a breakdown! I really would wait. but as I said, I really am not speaking from experience, just from a 'voice of reason' point of view

Its exactly what i need, feel free to keep those reasoning thoughts coming this way lol

hahaha! It is very easy to be sensible when your heart is not ruling your head . I really would wait though. New house, new start, new dog, lovely stuff

Have you looked into a Cavachon?, they are a cross between a King Charles Cavalier spaniel and a Bichon Frise. They are very loveable and cuddly and cute. We are constantly being asked what kind of dog he is.

Just to say that Bichons are one of the most widely "puppy farmed" breeds. Please therefore be very cautious when choosing a breeder. If they are advertising on Epupz, Gumtree, Preloved or similar then you can practically guarantee it. Also please, please do not buy a pup from a pet shop.

Reputable breeders are out there but are harder to find, and as you know, good welfare is not a cheap option. This page here on the Bichon website gives some excellent advice on finding a good breeder and avoiding a bad one, and also has Bichons in rescue needing homes, as well as lots of info on what the breed is like. This website here gives an honest appraisal of the breed's COI (coefficient of inbreeding) and the likely health issues.

Hi Sluttybuttons. I had a bichon which I sadly had to leave with close friends when I moved country. I
They are lovely dogs, very smart and great with children. My friend's that have her have a 3 year old and she allows him to sit on her/pull her tail etc without getting snappy.
Very loyal. I still see her on a regular basis and she behaves much better for me than my friends.

The downsides..
They are very needy and do not like being left on their own. They will cry and bark for hours. If they're left with another dog they are okay, but not on their own.
If you are relying on a tax rebate to fund the puppy, then wait until next year.
The costs of a new pup are quite high. My dog got ear infections on a regular basis for the first 8-10 months (cylindrical ear canal instead of cone shaped) They need to be groomed every six weeks or else their hair gets matted.
They are so smart that they can be very wilful. They will know the correct thing to do from training but if they don't want to do it they won't.
They don't like rain or mud and will pee in the house even when fully house trained to save themselves getting wet

They are an amazing breed but time consuming and expensive. I'd wait until next year if I were you.

HTH

i have one and shes amazing ! but was so hard finding her , their was countless ads from puppy farms be very careful.

I see that this is an old thread, however, I'd just like to add to the comment above about the dog which lets the three year old pull its tail etc.

We have a four year old, a seven year old and two very tolerant dogs, but there is no way on earth that I would accept any child pulling my dogs tail, ears, sitting on them or any of that nonsense. Children do need to be taught to respect dogs and not treat them as cuddly toys. If children do not treat dogs with respect, there is a good chance they may be biten at some point. A dog may also tolerate this kind of behavior for years before it finally snaps. Think about it, the dog relies on the adults to protect it from abuse by the children, if the adults don't do this, sooner or later the dog will take matters into its own hands.

If you can't stop your children from pulling the dogs tail etc, don't combine a dog with children.