Bichon Frise vs Miniature Poodle

[BowiesJumper]

Hi,

To give background- we are planning to get a dog in around a years time when our kids are 7.5 and 3.5.

We will be first time dog owners. I mostly work from home (bar one day a week where we would use “doggy day care”), husband is off all school hols. Small but not tiny enclosed garden.

After extensive research we have narrowed it down to either a miniature poodle or a Bichon frise. We’re aware of the intensive grooming needs of both breeds. And we know any puppy is hard work, and that training is ongoing with any breed.

I was leaning towards a poodle as they’re so clever, fun, robust but compact, but then I thought, are they TOO clever for first time dog owners? Will we have the chops to be able to cope with one? I know they’re fairly high needs in terms of exercise and mental stimulation.

The Bichon, whilst slightly smaller, seems a bit easier, perhaps not in terms of toilet training etc, but in day to day demands (bar grooming and not being left alone).

What do you wise people think/recommend?

Thank you!

I have a 16 week old Poochon and he is a dream. So chilled and eager to please.

Have you looked at Coton de Tulears? Similar to Havanese and Bichons and the most adorable smart, affectionate little dogs. Mine is 7 months and she is a total joy.. they love people and dogs.

We had a miniature poodle for 16 years. Don't do it! They are not easy dogs like people claim. He was extremely smart, but that meant that he understood everything, but decided what he wanted to follow and when. He was also incredibly high energy requiring a lot of exercise and entertaining and suffered terrible separation anxiety, so couldn't be left alone. On the plus side, he was beautiful and lived to old age.

I’m biased because I have a mini poodle and think he’s amazing. He was really easy to train and is generally a happy little soul. Happy to go for long walks or just a pootle round the block if the weather isn’t great. My kids have grown up with him and he’s great with them. He’s 15 now and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down!

@Aquafizzle I’d not heard of they breed. They look gorgeous!

@XelaM Yes that’s what I’m worried about, that we’d be outsmarted and run ragged 😂

@BowiesJumper Yes that’s what I’m worried about, that we’d be outsmarted and run ragged

We certainly were 😂I have read on here that a poodle's temperament may depend on their colour and that the apricot poodles are particularly highly strung. Not sure if that's true, but ours was an apricot poodle who turned white over the years. He was gorgeous, understood every word in any language (but used it to his own advantage rather than to please us 😂) and had heaps and heaps of energy. He also had a clear favourite in the family (my grandfather) but generally liked for everyone to be at home all the time and couldn't be alone. He was food obsessed (!) but surprisingly very fit and slim given all the food he managed to steal from tables (once ate 500g of butter and a full baguette that was put on the kitchen table for a few minutes and stole a cheese and ham toastie out of my dad's mouth just as he was biting into it etc etc.)

He knew he was the boss of us and would only sleep on a pillow and under a (human) duvet on our bed. If the bed was not made, he would not jump on it. He would sit and bark at it until we laid out the pillows and duvet. That's when he would plonk his head on the pillow, cover himself with the duvet and start snoring immediately 😴

I must say though that he was good with children. My brother was born when our dog was 1 so they grew up together and our dog was very gentle with him when he was a baby/toddler.