The Bichon Frise is a sweet, lively little dog breed that originated somewhere in the Mediterranean around the 13th century. What’s not to like about this fluffy snowball of a dog? A beautifully groomed Bichon Frise is a real head-turner. But maintaining that white, fluffy appearance can take some work. Hence this article featuring a number of Bichon Frise grooming tips.
Even though the Bichon Frise breed is generally non-shedding, a grooming routine is still required on a regular basis. This is because these dogs not only have a beautiful, fluffy topcoat, but a soft and dense undercoat as well. You can read about the difference between double and single coat breeds here.
Table of Contents
How to Groom a Bichon Frise at Home
Prepare Your Bichon Frise Puppy for Grooming
Like every dog, a Bichon Frise should become used to grooming when a puppy. Regular grooming and handling will help with bonding as well as give you a chance to do a health check.
When your Bichon puppy is very young, you can even have her sit on your lap for brushing and combing. But of course, as she grows, you will need a sturdy table for grooming sessions.
When your dog is young, grooming sessions shouldn’t be more than 10 or 15 minutes. If your Bichon is as energetic as this breed can be, grooming sessions should be scheduled after a walk or some strenuous play.
Brushing a Bichon Frise
Brushing dogs usually involves going with the grain of the coat, but the Bichon can be brushed against the grain, so that her fur is fluffed. Starting at the back, preferably with a slicker brush, you can work your way forwards towards the head.
A daily brushing routine is preferable here and definitely works to reduce the chance of matting.
Don’t forget to brush the hard-to-reach areas such as under the ears and tail. I find that matting can creep up on me in these areas.
Combing the Bichon Coat
After brushing, use a comb to see if any tangles or mats remain. If you do find any, gently work them out, using either the fingers, or the end of the comb.
Professional groomers use de-matting combs, which are quite sharp and should be used with care. The groomer can teach you how to use this tool correctly.
Bathing Your Bichon Frise
Bathing frequency can vary here, depending on what your little pooch gets up to on her walk. But you can probably expect at least monthly bathing.
It goes without saying that the right, dog-dedicated shampoo should be used, not ours. It needs to be a gentle shampoo formulated for dogs, one that won’t irritate the eyes. Avoid over-bathing, which can dry out your Bichon’s sensitive skin. Spend some time on rinsing to make sure that all soap is removed.
Blow-drying is optional: If you choose to blow-dry, use a low heat setting and direct the airflow in the direction of hair growth.
Taking Care of Bichon Frise Tear Staining
Bichon Frises, like other fluffy dog breeds, are susceptible to tear staining. Use some tear wipes to gently remove the stain and while doing so check that the offending cause is not some stray hair sticking in the eyes. Follow up with a medicated solution recommended by your veterinarian.
Trimming Bichon Nails
The Bichon’s nails should also be kept trimmed.
This is one task that often frightens many a dog owner, not to mention the dog. It needs to be done with care and certainly with very sharp nail clippers so as not to yank on the nail itself.
If the two of you, your dog and you, remain too nervous when undertaking this essential task, then a trip to the groomer’s if definitely warranted.
Cleaning Bichon Ears
The Bichon’s ears should also be cleaned as part of your grooming routine. You can use a cotton ball or soft material moistened with ear cleanser made for dogs. Very gently clean wax and dirt from the ear, without going too deep. Don’t use cotton tipped swabs because it’s too easy to poke them into the dog’s ear and cause injury. Hair inside the Bichon’s ears can be clipped with scissors, or gently plucked out. I, for one, always let my groomer do this task.
Brushing Bichon Teeth
The Bichon’s teeth should be brushed on a regular basis. There are actually doggy toothbrushes or little finger booties the owner can use to do this, along with canine toothpaste, which tastes like beef or chicken.
Doing this will pay dividends. I am amazed at the number of dog owners who have to face massive dental bills towards the end of their dog’s life. Even worse, is the pain that the dog suffers from dental caries.
How Often Do Bichon Frise Need to Be Groomed?
To keep that trademark Bichon appearance, it is a good idea to have your pet groomed every 6-8 weeks. A professional groomer can give your Bichon Frise a truly neat haircut, one that conforms to their usual fluffy style.
You can also do some basic trimming at home: It pays to trim any hair that might be poking in her eyes. This will alleviate pain and thus prevent tear staining.
It is quite easy to keep the feet nice and tidy by trimming excess hair in between salon visits. But be careful not to trim too short, as this can expose their sensitive paw pads.
Some Bichon Frise owners prefer to master clipping themselves at home. If this is you, it pays to invest in good quality dog grooming clippers.
When to Attend a Salon for Bichon Frise Grooming
A Bichon Frise should have her first visit with a professional groomer between two and three months old. Ask your groomer for a vaccination schedule so that you can make sure your dog is kept up to date with required shots.
A salon visit is also most important if any of the above-mentioned tasks proves difficult to manage.
Bichon Frise Grooming Tools
Groomers generally require a wide range of dog grooming equipment. But the tools needed for Bichon Frise grooming specifically include the following (affiliate links)
- The best brush for Bichon Frise, in my opinion, would be a slicker brush. This is a brush with multiple short wires embedded in a rubber backing. Since the Bichon is a small dog, you might find that a gentle slicker with softer bristles works best.
- A double sided stainless steel comb. This is great for working on those pesky mats or knots that need detangling.
- The right canine shampoo & conditioner.
- Scissors for clipping
- Tear stain wipes
- The best clippers for Bichon Frise that you can afford.
- A video demonstrating Bichon Frise hair cutting. This is a free tool, and one is included for you here:
If you have the right equipment to start off with, you will find grooming a Bichon much more manageable.
Key Points in Summary
- Brushing, preferably with slicker brush, is essential to maintain a healthy Bichon Frise coat.
- The trademark fluffy look of a Bichon Frise depends on regular clipping.
- Nails should be trimmed when approaching too much length. Use the services of a groomer if this task is too daunting.
- Clean teeth daily with a canine toothpaste and finger wipes
Owner of 6 year old Bichon Frise advised curved scissors. I can’t find them anywhere. Please advise.
Hi Anne, I’m so sorry but I somehow missed your comment until now. But in answer to your query, I have updated this post to include some curved scissors that are frequently used in grooming dogs. You can find some excellent pet scissors on Amazon.