Buying Bichon Frise Puppies

The Bichon Frise has an illustrious history. This purebred all-white, curly-haired dog descended from a mix of poodle, Barbet and lap dog and originated in the Mediterranean region. The breed began as the Barbichon, which dates back to 600 B.C. The Barbichon was an outgoing, bold, small dog about the size of a large house cat. This dog accompanied Spanish sailors on trading expeditions. The name was shortened to Bichon through the years.

Known for its white, curly fur and intelligent, sociable disposition, the Bichon Frise has continued to gain popularity. Today, this breed is often mixed with other purebred dogs to create new designer dogs that have features of both breeds. Mixed breed Bichon Frise puppies are highly desirable due to their resemblance to fluffy white cotton balls.

Bichon, by now renamed Bichon Frise to reference their curly fur, could be trained to do circus tricks like walking the tightrope. From the 1930s to the 1970s, the popularity of the Bichon Frise again rose and the breed was introduced to Australia and the United States. The American Kennel Club (AKC) registered the Bichon Frise in the non-sporting group in 1973.

The American Kennel Club sets breed standard traits for every breed of dog registered in the United States. For the Bichon Frise, some of the breed standard traits include a double coat of fur consisting of a dense undercoat and a curly, springy topcoat, ideal weight is between seven and twelve pounds, ideal height is between nine and twelve inches, disposition is friendly and outgoing, at least ninety percent of fur is pure white, mouth and nose are black, eyes are brown or black eyes and have a "human expression", and fur is groomed appropriately according to the breed standard.

The Bichon Frise breed does not shed its fur as much as other breeds and is hypoallergenic to most humans. However, like most white breeds, the Bichon Frise is prone to allergies. Bichon Frise puppies should be screened for allergies and their parents should be screened as well.

The basis for finding the best Bichon Frise puppies is finding the best and most reputable breeder possible. Eliminate from your potential breeder list any breeder that sells puppies to pet stores or that will ship puppies overnight delivery, sight unseen, all over the country as long as the payment is received. These are signs of puppy mills, places where dogs are bred and whelped in dirty, unsocial conditions.

Some questions that a potential Bichon Frise buyer can ask before purchasing Bichon Frise puppies include whether or not the breeder can provide heritage documentation, health certificates, a tour of the kennel and introduction to the puppies and parents.

Reputable breeders care about the puppies they help to produce and want them to all go to fantastic homes, so buyers should expect to answer quite a few questions also. Bichon Frise puppies bought from a good breeder with ensure that you have a good resource fro which to get advice about the care of your new pet.

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