Are you looking for an ideal dog for cities, especially as apartment pets? Bichon Frise is one of them!
One of the world’s renowned personality dogs, Bichon Frise, is small yet firm. Despite its physical features like that of a child’s toy, their confidence makes them unbeatable.
They are a playful breed and also get along well with families and other dogs.
How much does a Bichon Frise cost in India?
Basic price of Bichon Frise puppy is at INR 25,000 to INR 30,000. Specific KCI registered Bichon should cost you somewhere between INR 35000 to INR 55,000. The show quality ones cost about ₹60,000 to ₹90,000. These are the prices of puppies in particular. An adult dog will cost comparatively lesser. Also, there are different costs associated with varieties of this breed in India.
Factors affecting the cost
The gender of the dog, lineage, show quality also matter besides the locality.
We have listed down the factors that impact the cost of the puppy to get a better understanding.
Breeder’s locale:
Breeder’s locality is one of the factors affecting the cost of a Bichon.
The environment of the puppy’s birth and the health conditions of the parents also affect the price.
The show quality needs certain proofs and confirmation, which will fetch the standard price.
A breeder set away from a distant location will charge higher for his dogs. Sometimes, it is also due to the transportation cost involved in sending across the puppy.
The same is the case with well-reputed or trustworthy breeders. They price their dogs higher than the local breeders.
Type of Puppy:
In India, the puppies come in three varied types, based on which the prices are set.
The first level pricing is of the primary category, followed by the KCI registered ones, priced slightly higher.
Then comes the show-quality ones with the highest prices. Kennel Club of India ensures that the quality of canines is up to the mark.
Show quality reflects the breed’s ideal standards.
Lineage:
A good lineage is among the essential factors while choosing a dog. It is what most of the pet parents fail to realize.
Line of inheritance defines dog quality, personality, and temperament. Better the lineage, the higher the price it will fetch.
Miscellaneous factors:
A few factors might seem insignificant yet play a role in determining the final cost of the puppy. They include Champion Bloodline, Microchip, Physical attributes, Age, and Gender and others.
Champion Bloodline is a title associated with the predecessors of the dog. The presence of this recognition will impact the cost of your puppy positively.
Price also increases if the pet you chose to pick has a microchip installed by the KCI. The microchip to your pet provides a permanent ID for him.
An average price of a puppy might get affected by colors and coat types as well.
These canines appear in the shades of Apricot, Cream, and Buff as well. It might seem pretty unbelievable, but physical features also affect the pricing of Bichon Frise.
As per the observations, male dogs cost more than female ones. Similarly, puppies/younger canines are priced significantly higher than the fully grown ones.
A professional breeder will most certainly charge higher for the puppies as compared to a pet mill. It is, however, a better idea to pick your pet from the former.
Now let us get to the monthly cost of maintaining a Bichon Frise.
Feeding
A puppy and an adult Bichon will need calories of 370 and 530 units, respectively. This nutrition must be in balance of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in equal proportion.
A planned diet is a requirement to maintain this balance. Four meals a day for a puppy, three feeds for an adult, and 2 for a senior is an ideal plan.
So, the overall cost of feeding a Bichon Frise must fall within a range of INR 3000-5000/- a month.
Grooming
Maintaining the coat, bathing, brushing, and other grooming essentials have a price attached to it.
A professional groomer will charge about INR 3000-5000/- for a worthy session of grooming.
Vaccination and Medical Costs
Keep aside a good amount of INR 2,000 to 23,000 for the extra care of Bichon.
Various medical expenses will come across from his vaccination to spaying or neutering or any other medical emergencies.
Training supplies
It is always fun and good to be around a well-trained dog. It might include treats or toys and more.
So, you will have to bear a monthly expense of INR 500 to 1000 per month. A similar cost might occur for the toys as well.
About and History
There is no clear picture of the exact place of Bichon’s place of origin. It appears that the species originated in the Mediterranean. Further has made its way through the trade routes into other countries.
Other breeds that originated from the same region with a similar look and disposition are the Barbichon family. It includes Bichon Frise, the Bolognese, the Coton de Tulear, the Havanese, and the Maltese.
Bichons are great companions for apartment living. Companionship was the primary purpose of breeding this dog. The kind soon became favorites among the French and Italian royalty.
Bichons get along very well with families and kids. These dogs gel along in games, sit on laps and enjoy being around the little ones. The intelligence and playful character of this variety get the amateur pet parents excited.
The categorization of the breed has been as the Non-Sporting Group. Bichons used to star in circuses and traveling shows. Yet another reason for their breeding. Hence, the dogs enjoy the attention and are cheerful by nature.
They are inclined towards performing tricks. Teaming with peddlers to entertain passersby was one of the reasons for the breed’s survival.
Appearance
The baby-doll faces, dense bodies, fluffy hair, appearances of Bichons are easily mistaken for white Poodles.
Roundhead hair enhances the large, dark eyes and black leathers of the nose and lips. Bichons are velvety and plushy to touch.
The breed is known to be descendants of water spaniel. They are 9 to 12 inches in height and weigh about 5 to 10 kgs. Bichons are always white although, the puppies may appear cream or yellow.
Lively personality, good-natured engaging temperament are additional features of the appealing breed.
They boast a proud and confident look due to their arched necks. Well-plummed tails add allure to their backs.
Temperament & Character
Temperament is affected by factors such as heredity, training, and socialization. Good spirit makes the puppies and dogs fun to be around.
Bichons are playful, approachable, and curious by nature. They do well at ambiances where someone is present for them.
Bichon is a family dog and does not like being left alone. The breed, in general, has got a history of developing anxiety if left unattended for long hours. Certain undesirable traits may develop. Bichons may become destructive in this case, chewing and tearing up anything in sight.
The breed can turn quite vocal if not trained early, especially with socializing. Plus, the exercise of about 30 minutes a day will keep them active and energetic.
You can vouch on Bichon for the companionship of happiness and enthusiasm. These are alert dogs when strangers are at the door. However, they are friendly with other humans and animals.
Trainability
Bichons enjoy playtime and performing for their beloved ones. Besides the daily walks, play sessions are an essential thing for the breed.
You will find it surprising to learn that Bichons are fast. It might turn into a task trying to get hold of a dog dashing for freedom.
These breeds enjoy partaking in competitions such as rally, agility, and obedience, and they are good at it. Despite the reputation of being hard to housebreak, they are easy to train. Crate training should help in dealing with this issue.
Positive rewards help in training the particular breed, especially when it comes to their responsiveness. Severe methods will only discourage any canine while training.
Bichons are intelligent animals. Therefore, you can commence their training from puppyhood. Canine manners and obedience training are significant aspects of training Bichons
Grooming
Ear infections are some of the most common problems in dogs of every breed, and Bichons are no exception. So a regular ear cleaning is highly recommended.
Bichons shed very little, and the hair stays back in the undercoat. The shed hair needs brushing out. It will otherwise form mats. Therefore, the breed is relatively hypoallergenic.
Every day brushing is supposedly best for the Bichons. If not, brushing at least twice or thrice a week should be ensured. It is most certainly because of the thick coat it flaunts.
Grooming is not hard to manage by yourself. You can check out various tutorials and videos online to get help with it. Books and other instruction manuals are also present for the same.
Visiting a professional groomer once in four to six weeks will also do the work. The sessions will include a bath, brush, haircut, nail trimming, and ear cleaning. Most parents generally choose to get them groomed by a groomer because of the complicated process involved.
Is a Bichon Frise a good family dog?
Bichon Frise is highly playful and yet gentle, therefore considered to be a great pet. They get along very well with other pets and also family members, especially with kids. Snapping at children is something the breed is good with, which a survey has proved. However, it is in the best favor to practice caution around pets and kids.
What problems do Bichon Frise have?
Dogs will have problems related to health that is in particular to the dog breed. Some of the health issues these Bichons are prone to include hyperadrenocorticism, allergies, patellar luxation, etc. Bichon has a good lifespan of 12 to 15 years, similar to other dogs. Legg-Perthes and liver disease may also affect them besides the former ones. The breed may even come across less complicated issues such as cataracts and canine hip dysplasia (CHD).
What is the IQ of a Bichon Frise?
Bichon Frise is a breed with adaptive intelligence known for its problem-solving capability. Stanley Coren states that Bichon Frise is average for working & obedience intelligence. It was ranked 75th among 138 dog breeds. The category of companion dogs need not necessarily be intelligent. The breed has every trait to be a lap dog.
Do Bichon frise bark a lot?
Bichon is not much of a barking breed. This makes them quite appropriate for apartment living. They are highly playful, and gentle dog that doesn’t need much space to wander around. It is known to bark at the strangers at the door. However, Bichons are known to be very friendly and get along with the kids and members of a family very well.
Bichons can be a great choice if you are someone who can be present for your pet. It will match perfectly for Indian dog lovers and novice pet parents. The breed with a lively and friendly personality is always excited to meet new people and make new friends.