Has anyone got a Bichon Frise dog?

[highfive]

Am trying to persuade dh to buy a dog as myself and the 2 dd's are desperate to have one. Having done some research, it seems to me that a Bichon Frise might be best. Our particular requirements/lifestyle as follows:

1. I work from home so we need a dog who will not bark madly if put away in a small room for a couple of hours a day.
   
2. 2 dd's (youngest is 7) but both are really keen on an affectionate dog who doesn't mind being cuddled a lot!
   
3. We have only a small garden, but a big park nearby so will be able to do one decent walk a day.
   
4. We do trips away at the weekends to inlaws etc - need a dog who will travel well.
   
5. we will only have one dog - will they get lonely? However, I'm in the house most days.
   

Also, are they v. hard to house train? what is the best age to buy one?

Will the Bichon Frise match our requirements? They look gorgeous!
Thanks

[DooinMeCleanin]

A rescue dog would match all of those requirements perfectly, if you go to a decent rescue center and outline them to the rescue workers.

Why would the dog need to be shut away when you're working? Just being nosy, there is nothing wrong with this, so long as it is not all day, every day. It does rule out puppies though, as they can't be left unsupervised that long.

[newmum001]

Never had a bichon Frise but my mum has 2 shih tzu's (so similar) and they are lovely dogs. However i think you need to keep an open mind about barking and liking cuddles. My mums dogs both bark like lunatics if anyone knocks on the door or dares to walk past the window, she's tried dog training etc and they still do it. Also the younger dog (male) loves cuddles and will sit on your knee all day every day but the older dog (female) has never been very sociable, she will tolerate being stroked for a short while but gets fed up with it very quickly.

As Dooin suggested a rescue centre is probably the best place to go as they will match you with a dog which suits your needs. If you buy a puppy from a breeder you won't know much about it's personality until it's older.

[minimu1]

Bichon love human company and would not readily enjoy being shut in a small room when you work. They love to bark. They are very clever dogs and many have found a great way to get attention is soiling if they are left on their own.

this link will tell you a lot about them probably not the dog for your circumstances

[highfive]

I do baby massage classes at home and to be honest, there's no way we can have a dog running around the place when they are taking place. It's 2 hours - although I can obviously pop in and out. There's no need for them to be shut away at all apart from that during the day. Any other dogs that might be suitable? Thanks.

[DooinMeCleanin]

An older Staffy (past the puppy and teen phase) would be very cuddly and probably okay with being left in a room for that time. A rescue dog really is your best bet though. Some dogs don't like being shut in somewhere, some don't mind. It's really not something you'd be able to judge until the dog was older.

[lucykate]

my mum has a bichon frise. she barked more when she was a puppy but doesn't now she's 3 as much. she loves all the grandchildren visiting. these dogs only have short legs so don't need a huge amount of walking, and she goes out in the car fine.

they did have trouble house training her but i think they did it wrong, didn't take advice etc, so probably would have been easier if it had been done properly. they do need grooming every day, as in a quick comb, their hair can matt and knot as it's curly.

[Semolina2]

Remember BF need plenty of grooming, you really do need to do it every day. Parents had two, one was quite assertive and the other a total la-la. The more timid one lived to 16 despite having considerable problems with his back leg joints, as he got older he was utterly desperate for company, but then most dogs get this to an extent.

[shineoncrazydiam0nd]

I recommend a cavalier king charles. Mine is almost 5 months and she is the perfect family dog.

[BabyReindeer]

A rescue Grehyound would probably be asleep anyway when you massage classes were on, they are not all enormous and are very gentle dogs. I think you need to focus on the character of the dog you want, not a specific breed.

[theothermrsclooney]

Sorry late to the party here but we have has a BF for 5 wks which we got from a rescue centre. She is brilliant with children and due to the type of coat, doesn't molt (is that how it's spelt) which may be a bonus with babies around. There is a dedicated BF rescue centre

www.bichonfriserescue.co.uk/

although ours came from a centre in Chippenham who had 3 adults and a litter of puppies. Our dog is 3 yrs old, hardly barks unless there is someone at the door and is happy to doze in the hall for a couple of hrs when I am working. She hates being closed in the kitchen and howled to be let out when we tried it.

[LordOfTheFlies]

I would agree with BabyReindeer

Greyhounds are an ideal dog ,gentle,good in the house, majority are good with children (you'll get the odd rogue element as with any animal).
Mainly up for rescue because they retire/too slow to race/injured. Some have been in a home but the kennelled ones are used to routine so they would adapt to quiet time in another room.
Non hairy, not as noisy as other dogs.

The ones we meet in the park wrap themselves round my DS like they want to cuddle every scrap of his skin!!

[MmeLindor.]

We have a Maltese Terrier - called Bichon Maltese in French and closely related. She is actually a Maltese/Cavalier King Charles and the most soppiest, loyal, sweet little dog imaginable.

She would be happiest in the room with me, but if I had to put her in another room for a few hours then she would be fine. I would suggest you give her a good walk before you start work, so that she is fine tired out. My Daphne sleeps a lot anyway.

They do need a bit of grooming, but it is less work than the amount of hoovering you would be doing if you have a dog that sheds. She doesn't shed at all - which would be an advantage if you work from home - you don't want clients unable to visit you if they have a dog allergy.

[KnickersOnOnesHead]

I agree with Dooin, an older, rescue staffie.