Average Size and Lifespan: Small, upto 10 kg, 12 years +
Exercise Levels: Bichon are affectionate little dogs that like to be with people more than they need to run around all day. This being said, a good brisk 20 min walk is a daily minimum to keep them well socialised and mentally stimulated.
Grooming: Bichon Frise are described as ‘non-shedding’ breed, but don’t be fooled, all dogs will lose some hair. Bichon fur is naturally curly and prone to matting, thorough daily brushing is needed to prevent any discomfort to the dog and to keep him looking at his best. Bichons are usually clipped to reduce the amount of grooming necessary. Keeping a Bichon as white as possible can also be a challenge if he is often walked in muddy areas.
Temperament: Bichon Frise should be happy, merry and affectionate with everyone. This includes all other animals, children and strangers. Bred as companion dogs, Bichons need lots of interaction with their owners to be really happy and love to play fetch games.
Ease of Training: Bichon Frises look like balls of cotton wool on legs and this often leads to their minds being overlooked by their owners. Bichons are clever dogs, they learn new tricks and commands quickly and can do very well at obedience with consistent training.
Special Training: Historically Bichons spent a lot of time at sea as companion dogs for sailors and a love of water seems to have rubbed of on them. Many can be trained to retrieve objects from the water. Bichons also excel at agility as they are attentive to their handler and bouncy in nature.
Image by
Rocktendo
Average Size and Lifespan: Tiny – The smallest dog breed, 12 years +
Exercise Levels:Owners have a bad habit of carrying the tiny chihuahua every where they go, simply because they look so cute. But these little dogs do need exercise to burn off energy and keep them calm. Being so small chihuahuas do have to work harder to keep up with their owners at a gentle walk, and 20 mins of doing so each day will go along way to keeping them alert and well socialised.
Grooming:Long coated chihuahuas need much more grooming than the short coat. Long coats need to be thoroughly every 2 – 3 days to prevent knots and mats. Smooths coat need only be brushed once a week. Both coat types will shed and regular brushing will reduce this.
Temperament:Chihuahuas are well known for a having a feisty character. They are active alert, dogs which are very sensitive to their owners emotions. People tend to ‘baby’ chihuahuas because of their size, letting them get away with undesirable behaviour and being hugely overprotective of them. This can lead to dominant behaviours and aggression. A chihuahua treated correctly – like a dog not a little person – will be happy, active, friendly and eager to please.
Ease of Training: Chihuahuas are bright dogs and eager to please their owners making them ideal for obedience training and agility. Chihuahua who have been allowed to become dominant on the other hand can be stubborn and willful.
Special Training: Chihuahuas make great dancing partners as there agile bodies and confidence means they can learn some of the most difficult and crown pleasing moves. Dancing training should be done carefully as much as the work is very close and a small dog is easily stepped on.
Image Contributed by
Van Den Born
The majority of puppies are really only attracted to food items and these can hold their attention for much longer than plastic toys. Puppies which do not have their adult teeth, and very greedy puppies, need to be given chews which cannot be pulled to pieces. If a puppy can pull a chunk of food off, but cannot chew it quickly, he will just swallow it whole, often leading to a trip to the vets.
Puppies with adult teeth can still pull chunks off but are more likle to be able to chew the chunks into a reasonable size before swallowing – beware though some dogs will gulp down any size no matter how good their teeth are, these dogs need to be watched for the rest of their lives.
Chews which tend not to be pulled to pieces include:
Raw hide – This needs to be bigger than the dogs m
outh because as soon as the puppy can have the whole chew in his mouth he will be tempted to swallow it. Be sensible – the bigger the chew the better, so long as it’s not so big the puppy can’t chew it at all. A soon as he has chewed it down to being slightly larger than mouth sized, replace it.
Muscle Chews – These are toughened animal muscle and most dogs love them as they smell revolting and go very gooey on the outside while remaining tough on the inside. These are easier to chew than rawhide and so wont keep puppy entertained for as long, but they are also more digestible and so wont do him so much harm if he swallows a bit.
Non Food Chews
Some puppies do like inedible chews and will happily sit and knash on one for hours. It’s a good idea with a puppy to have a couple of these tougher chews around ready for when he starts to teeth as this is the time when he will want something hard to work his gums on. Flavoured chews are more appealing than plain.
New Chews
When getting a new chew for a puppy, always sit and watch him chew it for at least an hour. The chew may feel rock hard to your hands but his jaws are much more powerful and may make short work of it, biting huge pieces off and swallowing them whole. If this happens quickly lure him away from his new chew with something else that he really loves, such as his very favourite special treats. Keep him entertained with these while you dispose of the chew. Never just take the chew without a better exchange other wise he will learn to bolt the chew even more when you approach in fear you are going to steal it.
