Bichon Frise
比熊犬
Updated 2026-09-09
At a glance
The Bichon Frise is a small, sturdy white companion dog with a plush, curly, low-shedding coat and a famously merry temperament. Bichons are outgoing, playful and easy to train with rewards — housetraining aside — and their modest exercise needs and sociable nature make them ideal city and apartment dogs. The coat needs professional grooming every few weeks, and a Bichon left alone for long stretches is an unhappy one.
Facts
| Size | Small |
|---|---|
| Height | 23–30cm |
| Weight | 5.4–8.2kg |
| Life expectancy | 14–15years |
| Breed group | AKC: non-sporting FCI: 9 |
| Role | Companion |
| Coat | Curly coat |
| Shedding | 1/ 5 |
| Exercise | 20–120min/day |
| Can be left alone | up to 4 hours |
| Companionship need | 4/ 5 |
| Trainability | 4/ 5 |
| Barking | 3/ 5 |
| Good with children | 5/ 5 |
| Good with other dogs | 5/ 5 |
| Heat tolerance | 2/ 5 |
| Cold tolerance | 4/ 5 |
Health
This page is general information compiled from published sources. It is not veterinary, legal or purchase advice. Dogs vary within a breed — talk to a vet or a reputable breeder about the dog in front of you.
Health notes are not veterinary advice. Conditions listed are those reported for the breed, not a diagnosis of any dog. Always consult a veterinarian.
Cataracts
Hereditary cataracts are reported in the breed. Ask your vet about eye examinations if you notice cloudiness in the eyes.
Patellar luxation
Patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps) is commonly reported in small breeds; breeders screen for it. Ask your vet if your dog skips or holds up a hind leg.
Skin and allergy problems
Skin problems and allergies are commonly reported in the breed. Ask your vet if you notice itching, redness or recurring ear/skin infections.
Ear infections
Recurring ear infections are commonly reported, particularly in drop-eared dogs. Ask your vet how to check and clean the ears.
Behaviour
Charming, sociable city dog
The CKC calls the Bichon an ideal city companion — stable, outgoing and alert with a delightfully entertaining personality; the AKC says Bichons get on well with other dogs and children, make nice little watchdogs but are lovers not fighters, and operate on the assumption that there are no strangers, just friends they haven't met yet.
Easy to train, hard to housebreak
The AKC says Bichons have a reputation for being difficult to housebreak but are otherwise very easy to train, love learning tricks and respond best to positive rewards; it warns that a Bichon needs to be with its family and undesirable behaviours are likely if it is regularly left alone for long periods. The CKC notes its exercise needs are easily met.
Energy and exercise
Energy level is rated 4/5 (high) on the AKC breed-trait chart. The Royal Kennel Club puts its exercise need at "up to 30 minutes per day".
Training and barking
AKC trait chart: trainability 4/5, barking level 3/5. Individual dogs vary; early socialisation and reward-based training are recommended for every breed.
Official guidance
Summaries of official documents are ours; the source is linked. Breed standards, laws and licensing rules change — check the issuing body for the current version.
American Kennel Club — Bichon Frise
Breed overview, breed-trait chart, history, official standard summary and health notes from the AKC and the national parent club.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
Canadian Kennel Club — Bichon Frise (Non Sporting Dogs)
Origin, temperament, activity level, height/weight, coat and grooming as described by the Canadian Kennel Club.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
The Royal Kennel Club — Bichon Frise
Breed characteristics (size small, exercise up to 30 minutes per day, lifespan over 12 years).
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
FCI nomenclature — Bichon Frise (standard no. 215, group 9)
FCI breed nomenclature entry with the official breed standard PDF in English, French, German and Spanish.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
What owners say
Owner advice is quoted from public community posts and reflects those owners' opinions, not PocketPaw's position. It is unverified and not a substitute for professional advice. Each item links to where it was said.
“The parent club's 'Before you buy a puppy' page reminds buyers that a puppy is like a two-year-old needing potty training, should not be left alone for long hours and then expected to learn everything on schedule, and that buyers should ask to see OFA, eye and CHIC screening certificates — a breeder who says 'I don't test because my dogs don't have these problems' simply does not know.”
— Bichon Frise Club of America — Before You Buy a Puppy via breed clubWorldwide2026-09-09
Sources
- [1]Bichon Frise — Dog Breed Information — American Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [2]Bichon Frise — Choosing a Breed — Canadian Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [3]Bichon Frise — Breeds A to Z — The Royal Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [4]Bichon Frise — FCI standard no. 215 — Fédération Cynologique Internationale (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [5]How do I help my dog adjust to spending time alone? — The Royal Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [6]Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016 (Hall, Carter & O'Neill, Scientific Reports 10:9128) — Nature / Scientific Reports (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [7]Before You Buy a Puppy — Bichon Frise Club of America — Bichon Frise Club of America (public breed information) (Accessed 2026-09-09)
Still have questions?
Ask owners on the PawMunity forum — every breed has its own board.
Breed data compiled by PocketPaw from the sources credited on each entry. Text and layout © 2026 NextPath Solutions Limited. Please link to a page rather than copying it.