Hi there
I am going to pick a bichon frise puppy tomorrow, I have been told that they are 9weeks old.  Can anyone tell me what sort of things I should be looking for?
Also whats best- dog or bitch? or is their temprement much the same.  I am not looking for one to breed, just another addition to our family :-)
What about food, I suppose its best to ask the breeder what he has been feeding them?
Thanks in advance

mo

Guest

Very briefly:

You want to know if they are eye tested and you want confirmation (written) that there is no known history of Slipping Patella, Legge Perthes disease, Hydrocephalus, Cataracts or Epilepsy in the lines.  They MUST  be KC registered (no other registration will do!) and you should be able to see the puppy(ies) with their mother.  You could also ask for the stud's contact details and speak to them about the lines just to make sure.  Make sure that you are happy with the environment that they have been brought up in and that they are well socialised - Bichons are generally a very friendly breed.  Ask what they have been fed on (Bichons are intolerant of any beef product and all good breeders know this) as you should feed what the breeder has been feeding.  At 9 weeks they should have had their first jabs and the breeder should have their vacc record for you to look at.  Ask also to see their worming programme and ask what their support policy is.

Ask if they give a New Owner's pack.  For the one (first and last) litter I had I provided a puppy pack which included breed details, weight charts from birth, worming programme (so the new parents knew where they were with worming), enough wormer and syringes to continue the programme until 3 months, a bag of food, a seven page information pack which covered grooming, feeding, training, support etc, kc documents, free insurance, toys, vet bed.  I also loaned any books that the new people hadn't yet bought and I asked all prospective owners loads and loads of questions (the ones who got past the initial phone test!) so be prepared to be grilled.

I wouldn't let anyone buy on the spot either because I wanted to time to be sure about them and I wanted them to have time to be sure that they understood the responsibility they were committing to.

I would be wary of any Bichon breeder who told you they were suitable for people with allergies (no dog is hypo allergenic) as no decent breeder would categorically claim this. 

I hope that doesn't sound too onerous but Bichons seem to be a hot favourite for the puppy farmers at the minute and I know quite a few people who have bought what they thought was a cute puppy only to find it develops eye, skin or leg problems.

I have a little alarm bell ringing that someone has a litter with a choice of pups left at 9 weeks so be very wary.

Bitch or dog?  Personal choice.  I have two bitches (mother and daughter) and my mother has a dog (the mother's brother) and personally I prefer bitches, however, this is based on nothing specific - just that I love my girls to bits and with the two of them we outnumber my husband five to one!

Good luck and why not join to let us know how you got on?

Andrea

Gosh

Just looked at that and it's not very brief!! Sorry!

Andrea

I would look for which ever one suits you best. The breeder should automatically tell you the diet anyway. I would reccommend a dog in a bichon frise, my friend has one. Due to the time of the month etc..
It is entirely up to you and good luck.
Thanks Claira.