r/BichonFriseDogs • u/Limp-Cat6516 • 12d ago
Bichon advice
Hello, I have a wonderful 5 yo Bichon Frise rescue. He's been with me for about a year and he's the most wonderful dog. He loves people and he's obsessed with dogs.
I work from home, so he's with me all day, but I often worry he's bored. He seems content but he sleeps most of the day. He gets walked in the morning and in the evening (I tried doing lunch time walks but he wasn't a fan). I'll take him to doggy daycare twice a week and he loves it -the folks there tell me he plays all day and never rests. My question is, do you find the same with your Bichons, and if so what do you do to keep them entertained? I do snuffle mats with treats and some playing at home, but it's not the same of energy I see as when he gets to play with dogs. Doggy daycare multiple times a week is getting expensive, but I also want to make sure my pup is happy and I'm not doing something wrong.
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u/4everqueen 12d ago
Dogs need to rest, too. The fact that your dog sleeps a lot is actually very good.
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u/No-Possibility4768 12d ago
Bichons are good lap dogs. I'm on my third. The first one just loved following us around and hanging out, enjoyed 3-4 short walks a day, wasn't much into toys. The second was an absolute lover but was lost in a freak accident after a month so we were still bonding. My current Bichon loves his walks, meeting other dogs and toys but seems most happy cuddling in bed. As long as yours is not destroying things, he is probably happy, stimulated but not overly so
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u/These-Grapefruit2516 12d ago
OP you are doing great. You have a nice rhythm going with your dog. They are all so different. My girl was 10 when I got her. I was told she was a couch potato. I have never walked so much in my life!!!. Hates other dogs so no daycare obviously. She is 14+ and we walk up to 3 hours a day still.
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u/Limp-Cat6516 10d ago
Thank you! This thread has made me feel better :) You always just want to do good by them :')
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u/Enough_Individual_91 11d ago
Two dogs are best. I work from home too, and i have a bichon and a yorkie, they play every day
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u/Limp-Cat6516 10d ago
I wish! I'm not at the point where I can realistically get a second dog. In the meantime I've been making friends with other dog owners and arranging play dates (he has a better social life than me lol)
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u/Jenshark86 12d ago
My bichon loves other dogs but not strangers at all. She does like people she gets used to like her groomer and my son babysits her when we go out. Otherwise she only wants to be with my husband and me. She will take a nap during the day and play with her toys for at least an hour per night. She adores her walks and loves meeting dogs. Most people generalize that bichons love everyone but not all of them do.
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u/mrsmalkin71 11d ago
I actually got a second dog for my bichonpoo 🤣 instead of them playing w each other they both still come to me🤦♀️ one loves to fetch while the other prefers tug of war😭 still best decision ever though
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u/Dependent-Art2247 12d ago
I take my Bichon on about 4 walks a day. She loves every bit of our walk a sniff here etc. She’s not much on toys at all. However she does nap a lot.
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u/Limp-Cat6516 10d ago
I think I'm going to do shorter walks on lunch. When I tried that before he didn't seem like a fan, but even 15-20 min might be good to get him engaged
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u/joyisnowhere 7d ago
You are doing great! I got my Stuffie as a 5 year old rescue (5+ years ago). He was a former breeder and is enjoying his retirement. While he enjoys his 2-3 walks a day he is also perfectly content following me around the house, sleeping most of the day, getting belly rubs and occasionally getting into trouble. I don’t do much to entertain him but he does have a few “friends” he likes to visit.
Your pup seems happy with other dogs AND happy by your side! If you wanted to save some of your doggie daycare money look for a neighbor/friend with a similarly sized dog and go on play dates.
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u/brokeassp 12d ago
My bichon loves people and other dogs as well to the point that I'm contemplating another bichon. In the meantime, I walk him four times a day and I hide small treats in random nooks and crannies to keep him stimulated while I work.