i need help with my bichon puppy please?

Question

I have a 10 week old bichon,she of course is adorable but kinda driving me nutz.Are Bichons diggers? She is actually digging the grout on my tile floors!..I also need to know if they are roamers.I am trying to train her and everytime we go outside she is roaming further away from me.Is this just a puppy thing,or do they tend to roam off all the time..This is making me very nervous that she will run into the street or something..I might have to take her out on a leash,but I really wanted her to be trainned to go out ,do her business,play a litttle and come back inside..Any takers,i need help

Answer 1

HEY TJ! that is not cool.Bichons are not brainless, yappy things. They were bred to be highly intelligent, very balanced, very trainable french circus dogs. You need to put as much time into training one as you do a border collie or aussie. My bichon does agility and flyball, she is a canine good citizen, and a therapy dog for nursing home residents. She does not bark all day because I do not let her do so.
Ok. The kitchen tile thing is probably boredom. You need to get her some safe toys like a kong and fill it with peanut butter mixed with kibble. Freeze it for an hour or longer and give her that. When she starts to dig, give her a firm "no" and distract her with a toy. If she persists, give her a few min. in her crate and then try again. You may have to babygate off your tiled area for a while until this habit is broken.
The wandering problem is not a problem. You need to have her on a leash at all times when she is outside. Use an extend a leash and start working on recall games with her. I usually do not even dare try a pup off lead for about a year, and then when I finally do, there is a 30 foot training lead attached to them. When I know that she has the "here" command down cold, that is when I will try off lead in a secure (fenced) area. Even though Lumiere is now 7 yrs old, unless she is actively working, I never have her off lead. If you want a quick in and out off lead, you are going to have to install a secure fence for her. Honestly, if she gets away, if she gets picked up, fat chance of anyone returning her. Bichons are in high demand right now. I would seriously suggest that you get her microchipped as well.
Congrats on your new pup! Please look into taking a puppy class for training as these smart pups can learn to train you as fast as you are trying to train them!! lol! - dd

Answer 2

I have a friend who used to raise bichons. He treated them like an indulgent parent treats a two year old. Expecting the worst, hoping for the best, and getting somewhere inbetween. They were smart but hard headed and determined and would get into anything and everything if not watched or restricted until they were about three years old. Try crating when you can't be with her or run out of steam. Done right, it is not cruel but in fact very useful as a training aid. Keeps you from bouncing her off the walls when you get tired of her bouncing off the walls. They are great friends and companions if you give them lots of time and attention, but don't expect them to be ok if you leave them unsupervised.

Answer 3

Digging is an instinctual action for a dog. When she starts to dig, tell her "No!" firmly, THEN give her something else to do, like a toy. That will indicate to her that having fun is okay, but digging the grout out of your tile floor is not.

As far as keeping her off leash, you need to first teach her (on-leash) what distance is okay for her to wander. It's very dangerous to keep a puppy off-leash, as they are easily distracted. I would suggest purchasing an extendable leash and taking her out on that for a while (perhaps up to a year). When she's learned how far she's allowed to wander, she probably won't venture beyond the reach of the leash, even after you take it off her.

Answer 4

Little dogs are harder to train to be housebroken, just because they have small bladders (and small brains).

This may seem like an odd suggestion, but you might actually want to consider getting a SECOND dog, similar in size, so she has a playmate. Just like kids, sometimes two are easier to handle than one - they keep each other occupied.

The tearing at the tile, although I've not seen it personally, is a digging instinct. She may be bored. Make sure you have lots of little doggie toys for her. It's either a $5 toy or your $500 table - take your pick.

Bichon's are little active brainless yappie things that you need to keep occupied. I also recall that they can be pretty aggressive if not socialized properly, so make sure you introduce her to lots of people.

Answer 5

Bichons have really short attention spans and need to be entertained as puppies. That means lots of interaction on your part. Train, train, train...but keep it fun for the dog. They are great dogs, if you put the time into them. Contact a trainer in your area for assistance. You can't waste money on training your dog.

Answer 6

You must appear round and notice if there are tiny spots of blood anyplace she sleeps. Four months historical is a bit of too early for her to be in warmness, however its viable. It is also that she has a few variety of inflammation there, probably an contamination or impacted anal glands. She could have whatever caught there, you must try to get a appear and notice what's going on in that field. August isn't too quickly to have her spayed.

Answer 7

She needs to be leash trained. The leash is her "safety line" protecting her from becoming distracted and dashing in front of a car.

Answer 8

Why didn't you research Bichon's breed's habbits before you bought one?