Bichon Frise: Grooming

Being the fortunate and proud parents of a Bichon Frise comes with cares and responsibilities. As a Bichon owner taking good care of your cutie’s coat, pads, nails, teeth, and ear and eye is an important task
 

With a regular grooming and bathing schedule coupled with a monthly visit to your professional groomer you can maintain your pet’s white puffball style. It can also be a meaningful and mutually gratifying experience for the two of you. You know how much you enjoy being pampered at your stylist’s or spa? So does your pet. Bichon Frise grooming when done lovingly and gently can be an enjoyable experience for you and your pet.

Bichon Frise Grooming care can be broken down into daily and monthly routines:

Daily:

• Brushing & Combing (daily or 2-3 times a week)
  The trademark Bichon Frise white puffy ‘big hair’ appearance comes with a price.)
  
  Remember how good it feels to have someone brush or comb your hair? Remember how close you felt, how you let your guard down with your hairdresser? Frequent or daily brushing is the perfect opportunity to bond with your Bichon and check for fleas, rashes and general skin health. Your Bichon will enjoy the attention and brushing from you just as much as you did with your stylist. Since Bichons don’t shed and also to prevent dead hair from matting you should brush/comb your little puffball daily or at least 2 to 3 times a week.
  
  Comb your Bichon regularly using a Greyhound comb with med/coarse teeth. Check especially behind the ears, under the legs and at the base of the tail for matting. Then brush with large slicker brush in opposite direction of hair growth. Next the smaller slicker brush in smaller areas. Brush the tail out with the pin brush and follow up with the comb.
  
  * Kay’s Tip: Working in rows Kay uses a pin brush to carefully comb the hair from the base out and gently fluff the hair.
   
• Dental Care
  Brush your dog’s teeth daily to remove excess food and cut down on bacteria. To control tartar and effective cleaning you should brush your dog’s teeth using a canine toothpaste and toothbrush at least two times a week. Check your dog’s mouth regularly for bad breath, bleeding gums, tartar buildup, and any lesions or growths. Follow with an annual dental checkup to keep those pearly whites gleaming.

Weekly:

Using blunt tipped scissors remove excess hair around and between toe pads.
Clip toenails every two weeks. Ask your veterinarian or dog groomer to show you the best way to do this.

Monthly:

Always comb your Bichon’s hair before bathing to prevent matting. Wash your Bichon Frise with a gentle baby shampoo carefully avoiding the eyes. Then follow by blow-drying on a low to medium setting while brushing out the coat with a slicker brush. You also want to protect your dog’s ear canal by inserting a small piece of cotton while bathing.

Using blunt scissors carefully trim excess hair around the eyes. Also remove any unwanted hair from your Bichon’s ears with blunt tipped tweezers. Ideally the earlier in your Bichon’s life that you can establish a regular brushing & grooming routine the easier it will be on you and your pet.

Since your Bichon Frise is high maintenance a monthly visit to a trusted professional groomer is advisable. The Bichon look has a distinctive style unique to its breed. Refer to photographs and drawings to see how the general appearance should look. Usually the ears, beard and mustache are trimmed closely while the tail is kept long and flowing. Remember your Bichon IS NOT A POODLE.