How to Care for a Bichon Puppy

Bichon Frises are small, white dogs who love people and animals, and want everyone to be happy. Bichon puppies need care and attention to allow them to grow into healthy, well-balanced adult dogs. Through training, attention, handling, and exercise, your Bichon puppy will become a wonderful adult dog with a great temperament, who loves, and is loved, by everyone he meets!

Things You'll Need

  • Leash
  • Treats
  • Puppy food
  • Clicker
  • Brush
  • Clippers
  • Toys
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Instructions

    • 1

      Begin house training as soon as you get your Bichon puppy home. Bichons can be difficult to housebreak, but with patience, persistence, and treats, your puppy will learn quickly. Take him out regularly̵1;at least every two hours in the day, and at least three times at night, and wait for him to potty. When he goes, congratulate him by telling him enthusiastically that he is a good boy; and give him a treat if you have one handy.

    • 2

      Feed your puppy a good, nutritious puppy food. Puppies need a high-protein food to help them grow. Look for a small-breed puppy food that lists meat, or meat meal, close to the top of the ingredient list. Feed your Bichon puppy a quarter cup, four times per day, every five hours, until he is 10 weeks old. After 10 weeks, cut back to half a cup, three times per day. Each Bichon puppy is different, so your routine and amounts of food may vary. Put the food out for 15 minutes only, and remove any leftovers after that time. Get your Bichon puppy into a feeding routine.

    • 3

      Invest in a clicker, and train your puppy daily. Clickers act as markers to show dogs that they have performed a desirable behavior, and are always followed with treats. Bichon puppies have short attention spans, so build his attention up gradually, and stop your training session before he gets bored. "Small Dog Syndrome" can be a problem for many small dog breeds, and Bichons are no exception. To avoid this issue in the future, train obedience daily.

    • 4

      Take your Bichon puppy as many places as possible and introduce him to as many different people, animals, objects and environments as possible to socialize him. It is especially important to do this before 16 weeks of age, before your Bichon puppy enters into his fear stage around five months.

    • 5

      Brush your Bichon puppy daily to avoid matting, and trim his fur, especially around his eyes, once every month. Get your Bichon used to being handled as early as possible to ensure he will allow himself to be groomed.

    • 6

      Exercise your Bichon puppy at home. Try to avoid walks until he has had his puppy shots to reduce the risk of him picking up a disease. Play with him and introduce him to different toys, or have play dates with other puppies who have had their shots.