Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Bichon Frise Breed Overview
- History of the Bichon Frise Breed. Where Bichon Frises came from
- What the Bichon Frise Looks Like
- How Much is the Bichon Frise Puppy?
- Best Bichon Frise Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Bichon Frise
- Bichon Frise Growth
- What Colors do Bichon Frises Have?
- The Temperament of the Bichon Frise
- How Long Bichon Frises Live
- Bichon Frise Litter Size
- How Fast Bichon Frises Can Run
- Good Names for Bichon Frises
- How Intelligent are Bichon Frises?
- How Popular are Bichon Frises with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Bichon Frises and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Bichon Frise
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Bichon Frises
- Other Things to Know About Bichon Frises
Bichon Frise Breed Overview
The Bichon Frise is a small-sized dog.
The adult Bichon Frise stands 9 to 11 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Bichon Frise belongs to the Companion Dogs group.
Dogs in the Companion Dogs group, like the Bichon Frise, were bred to be companions for humans. Their main goal in life is to be with people, and they will be very sad if left to themselves for long hours day after day.
The fact that the Bichon Frise belongs to the Companion Dogs group is one of the reasons why Bichon Frises have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Bichon Frise is generally described as:
- Affectionate
- Cheerful
- Feisty
- Gentle
- Playful
- Sensitive
History of the Bichon Frise Breed. Where Bichon Frises came from
The Bichon Frise was the first dog to be named “Bichon,” which means “curly coat” in French.
The breed has four main subgroups: the Bichon Maltais, the Bichon Bolognese, the Bichon Havanese, and the Bichon Tenerife.
Bichon Frise dogs were royal companions and well-liked for their lively yet cuddly personalities when they first arrived in Europe in the 14th century.
It is said that the King loved this breed so much that he owned several of them and carried his favorites around his neck in a basket.
They became performers in the late 1800s due to their charm and intelligence.
.
What the Bichon Frise Looks Like
The Bichon Frise`s fluffy white coat, plumed tail, and bright black eyes display his joyful, jovial disposition.
Despite being a petite breed, they are robustly built and easily maintain a dignified and balanced posture.
A Bichon Frise has double-coated, incredibly dense, velvety fur with a significant feel.
The hairs away from the body and the distinctive trim that follows the dog`s lines give the illusion of poufiness.
Careful brushing is necessary to keep the coat`s beautiful white color and fluffy fur from tangling.
Although the Bichon Frise doesn`t shed much, all animals with fur will shed a small amount.
.
How Much is the Bichon Frise Puppy?
The average price of a Bichon Frise puppy is $2080. The price of a Bichon Frise puppy ranges from $1500 to $2395.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Bichon Frise. These factors include what health records the Bichon Frise puppy has, the lineage of the Bichon Frise puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Bichon Frise based on the many factors that determine the price of the Bichon Frise puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Bichon Frise puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Bichon Frise breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Bichon Frise Breeders
We have researched reputable Bichon Frise breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Bichon Frise breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
XROADS Kennel – Michael Clayton
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Bichon Frise Puppies
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Bundle of joy
Puppy Price: $1500
Barbara Evans
Puppy Price: $1600.00
Galina Lazurkevich
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Adopting or Rescuing the Bichon Frise
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Bichon Frises included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Bichon Frise named Dijon #418 that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Bichon Frises like Dijon #418 on pefinder.com.
Michael is the name of another Bichon Frise (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Bichon Frises that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Bichon Frise Growth
New Bichon Frise owners need to know about the growth of their Bichon Frises. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Bichon Frise will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Bichon Frise early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Bichon Frise puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Bichon Frise at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Bichon Frise
What Colors do Bichon Frises Have?
Bichon Frises come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- White / Cream
- Apricot / Beige
The Temperament of the Bichon Frise
The temperament of the Bichon Frise based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Bichon Frise for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Bichon Frise here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 67.9 percent |
| Excitability | 58.3 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 53.0 percent |
| Energy Level | 51.9 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 50.7 percent |
| Stubbornness | 46.0 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 44.4 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 42.3 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 40.7 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 37.1 percent |
| Prey Drive | 30.4 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 28.1 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 24.6 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 14.9 percent |
How Long Bichon Frises Live
The lifespan of the Bichon Frise is typically from 12 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Bichon Frise. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 34 pet Bichon Frises lived.
From the study, it was found that Bichon Frises have an average lifespan of 12.9 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Bichon Frises to live as long as 16.4 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Bichon Frise to live long.
Bichon Frises live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Bichon Frise to improve your Bichon Frise`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Bichon Frise live long.
Bichon Frise Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 192 different Bichon Frise birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Bichon Frises can have is 4 puppies. Also, the Bichon Frise can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 10 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Bichon Frise will have depends on factors such as the age of the Bichon Frise, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Bichon Frise will have and how the litter size of the Bichon Frise compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Bichon Frises Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 22 different Bichon Frises, the average speed of the Bichon Frise is 16.6 mph (26.7 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Bichon Frise ran in a race is 20.61 mph (33.2 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Bichon Frise is 8.17 mph (13.1 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Bichon Frise compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Bichon Frises
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Bichon Frise ranked by popularity:
- Casper
- Buddy
- Peppi
- Benny
- Alonzo
- Pierre
- Fluffy
- Ronnie
- Max
- Pierre
How Intelligent are Bichon Frises?
| Bichon Frise | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 45 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Bichon Frise has an obedience intelligence rank of 45 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Bichon Frises in the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Bichon Frises tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Border Collie | 1 |
| Standard Poodle | 2 |
| German Shepherd Dog | 3 |
| Collie | 16 |
| English Cocker Spaniel | 18 |
| Cocker Spaniel | 20 |
| Pomeranian | 23 |
| Irish Water Spaniel | 24 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 26 |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 34 |
| American Foxhound | 46 |
| Alaskan Malamute | 50 |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | 51 |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 52 |
| Ibizan Hound | 53 |
| Great Pyrenees | 64 |
| Bull Terrier | 66 |
| Basset Hound | 71 |
| Beagle | 72 |
| Afghan Hound | 79 |
How Popular are Bichon Frises with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Bichon Frise.
The popularity of the Bichon Frise averaged over the years is Number 44 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Bichon Frises and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Bichon Frise is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Bichon Frise puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Bichon Frise breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Bichon Frises for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Bichon Frises here.
How to Take Care of Bichon Frise
To take good care of your Bichon Frise, you need to make sure that you groom your Bichon Frise regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Bichon Frise regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Bichon Frise`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Bichon Frise daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Bichon Frise.
Also, you need to feed your Bichon Frise high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Bichon Frise from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Bichon Frise and how much food to feed the Bichon Frise at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Bichon Frise has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Bichon Frise needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Bichon Frises
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Bichon Frise.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Bichon Frise:
- Cavachon (86 percent match with Bichon Frise). Learn more about the Cavachon here.
- Havanese (86 percent match with Bichon Frise). Learn more about the Havanese here.
- Papipoo (81 percent match with Bichon Frise). Learn more about the Papipoo here.
- Bich Poo (87 percent match with Bichon Frise). Learn more about the Bich Poo here.
Other Things to Know About Bichon Frises
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Bichon Frise that you need to know about the Bichon Frise breed: