dan
Posted : 12/6/2006 6:25:48 PM
Bichons are amazing little dogs. We have one, and he is very unique.
Since we didn't know as much as we should have about breeders and how to choose the right one, we probably didn't get him from the best breeder, so he came with some issues (and every possibly health problem Bichons are known for: skin problems, hot spots, allergies to flea bites, dry/itchy skin, kidney stones within a few months old).
The breeder never took the puppies outside either, except to go to the vet. So he has always been great with other dogs, but he was terrified to be outside at first, and terrified of people as well. He still seems a bit scared of me when my girlfriend is around, and we think it's because the woman who bred the dogs was their only human interaction, and the husband was heard yelling at the dogs to shutup a few times while we were at her house, so we think the puppies may have developed a little fear of men, but we're not sure. He's still very friendly, but acts strange when my girlfriend and I are both around, and he tends to follow her and stay at her feet, and keep my girlfriend between him and me.
He learns tricks within a few tries, and seems to enjoy it. He has no understanding of how to play fetch, but it is just as much fun to watch him run around at the dog park or somewhere else. He loves snow and watching him run through it last night was entertaining (he stays off the sidewalk and in the yards even when the snow is as tall as he is, and watching him hop through it like a rabbit is pretty funny).