Brison Dog, Bichon Frise: Everything You Need to Know [2023]

The “happy-go-lucky” personality and the unparalleled beauty of the Brison dog catch EVERYONE’s attention and keep their eyes glued.

If you are getting a Brison dog, you’ll find plenty of adopting and fostering opportunities. But at the exciting time of getting a new companion, you should conduct thorough research to know what to expect after you finally bring your furry home.

Here’s everything you need to know about the adorable creature.

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Who are Brison Dogs?

First off, let’s know what a Brison dog is.

Brison Dog belongs to the non-sporting group of dogs of the American Kennel Club (AKC). The playful breed is also known as Bichon Frise (pronounced as BEE-Shawn FREE-say).

With their fluffy appearance and beaded black eyes, they almost look like a toy. But, despite their small sizes, AKC doesn’t recognize them as a toy breed because they are purebred dogs. But, with their powder-puff looks, it feels like they were bred to be beautiful. Indeed they are.

They are small, attractive, and faithful little dogs who make great dogs.

Yes, you are not confined to a purebred dog only. In fact, you can also enjoy owning Bichon frise mixes. Such as,  mini Bichon Frise, Bichon Frise teacups, Bichon Frise Poodle Mix (a.k.a the Bichon Poo) and Bichon Frise Shih Tzu Mix.

History of the Brison Dog Breed

Bichon Frises are the descendants of a clan of little white dogs. The Bichon Frise got their name – Barbichon – later contracted to Bichon. And, now, as you would call them, Brisons is a misspelled version of Bichon Frise.

The Barbichon family consisted of Maltese, Havanese, and Bolognese. All the beautiful furry dogs.

Experts say that all these ancestor breeds of the Brisons initiated their modern development on Tenerife – the largest of the Canary Islands. One of these ancestor breeds became popular with the sailors of the island soon. This famous breed was then called Bichon Tenerife, the primary ancestor of our beloved Bichon Frise.

Sometimes in the 13^th century, the beautiful breed was all the rage among the European nobles. Brisons were loved and liked in the royal courts of Spain, Italy, and France. But the fame of the Brisons was not meant to last longer. In 1978, the advent of the French revolution proved to be the end of the popularity of the Bichon Frise.

One by one, all the breeders of the Bichon Frise were imprisoned. This was an abrupt ending to a glorious era for Brisons. They were left in the streets to hunt food for them.

The impossible cuteness of the Brisons soon caught the attention of street entertainers. They found it a golden chance to cash the looks of Brisons and started to use them to grab a penny or two from the passerby.

This wasn’t the right role for Brisons to play, though.

Their high trainability, willingness to perform, and overloaded cuteness made them a perfect fit to steal the hearts in the circus.

Lo and behold!

Bichons were soon found in circuses performing enchanting tricks.

But the odds were still not in favor of these charming dogs. In the 20^th century, due to shortages and austerities of the two world wars, Bichons were again left out in the cold to fight for their lives.

However, a few dog fanciers gathered some Bichons from the streets of France and Belgium. This is how the breed survived. Otherwise, we might have been deprived of seeing a fluffy round face demanding lots of love with their gleaming eyes.

After a long journey of struggling hard and fighting to survive, in 1933, the Bichons were first recognized by the Societé Centrale Canine of France as the Bichon a Poil Frisé—the “Bichon of curly hair.”

The American Kennel Club (AKC) first recognized Brison dogs into the Miscellaneous category in 1971. The recognition as a full breed dog into the Non-Sporting Group happened a year later, in 1972.

Brison Dog Appearance:

Coat and Color

Brison Dogs have a glorious white wool-like double coat that has luxurious locks of curly hair. The plush and dense undercoat and the coarse outercoat give your puffy-pooch a perky look. Their coat is not only hypoallergenic, but it’s velvety soft to touch. Brisons feature a large round-shaped head, black or brown beaded eyes, with a cute tiny nose completes the beautiful look.

Bichons have dropped ears that often camouflage in their snowy coats.

Normally Brisons have a white coat overall. But, chances are you might find some shades of buff, cream, or apricot color in the different areas of your Bichon Frise’s body.

Size, Height, and Weight of the Brison Dog

The compact bodies of the Bichon Frise, covered with fluffy white hair and well-plumed tail at the back, don’t grow too much in size.

Below are the average measurements of a Brison dog:

• Height:  9.5 – 11.5 inches
• Weight:  12 – 18 pounds

Temperament of Bichon Frise

Brison dogs are playful, curious, and peppy by temperament. These smart dogs stand amongst the world’s great “personality dogs.” (Bichon Frise )

It was nothing other than their happy personalities that made Brison’s amazing companions of the sailors who traveled with them from continent to continent. Bichon Frises have a sociable nature. They enjoy doing different ventures with their family. As pets, they enjoy being in the company of other dogs as well.

Are Brison Dog Smart?

Of course, yes. Bichon dogs are small bundles of energy that need a lot of attention and activity to stay happy. However, they are exceptionally smart and quick learners.

Do Bichons Bark a lot?

Naturally, Brison dogs are not barkers. However, it doesn’t mean they would stay quiet all the time.

Bichons can be super yappy only if your dog is dealing with any underlying issue that needs to be addressed. But you can teach your Bichon dog to behave like a good buddy and stay quiet with sufficient training, loads of attention, and behavioral correction.

They might also bark to get and keep their owner’s attention.

Common Health Problems of Brison Dog

Brison dogs are generally healthy pooches.

And, if you are buying your Brison baby from a legit and responsible breeder, they would perform a thorough health screening. But, anyhow, just like other dog breeds, Brison dogs may also experience some health conditions. Like:

They might experience an early tooth loss or complications from gum infection. You can keep the periodontal diseases at bay by taking regular dental care and brushing your dog’s teeth regularly.

Brisons are prone to ear problems. This breed’s most common ear disease is Titus, an inflammation of the ear canal often due to an underlying allergy. Regular grooming and paying attention to ear health are recommended to keep your Bichon Frise healthy.

Brisons are also susceptible to watery eyes.

Below is the list of some more health problems that Brisons may suffer from:

• Bladder stone and infections
• Urinary tract disorder
• Epilepsy
• Skin problems
• Hip dysplasia
• Patella luxation
• Cushing’s disease
• Digestive disorders
• Liver shunt
• Diabetes
• Mitral valve disease
• Cancer
• Sensitivity to flea bites
• Vaccination sensitivity

Brison Dog Requirements

How Much Space Do Brisons Require?

Brisons are small dogs. Hence, even if you live in an apartment, they’ll be okay with it if you don’t leave them alone for long hours and don’t skimp on their regular exercise needs. The wise Brison dog owners leave their pets in a crate before leaving the house, even for a short time!

Feeding Requirements: What to Feed Brison Dogs?

You should feed your Brison dog with 1/2 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry dog food a day.

You can keep your Brison in good shape by measuring his food and splitting the whole quantity into two meals!

Like many other small-sized dog breeds, Brisons are also prone to developing stones in the urinary tract. Albeit, this disease can be managed by taking care of your dog’s dietary needs. For example, you can keep your dog hydrated and feed them with therapeutic diets to prevent it from this disease.

Grooming Needs of Bichon Frise

Bichon Frise have wool-like hair. They are curly and dense. So, they need proper brushing. You can brush your Brison’s coat at least two or three times a week.

However, everyday brushing is the best.

Most Bichon Frises have tear stains. It’s usually a cosmetic issue, but make sure to have your dog checked by a vet to rule out any serious causes. Use dog tear stain remover for cosmetic fixes.

You can bathe and clip the nails of your fluffy at least once a month. First, however, it would help to give your Bichon Frise a haircut to keep them healthy and look gorgeous. So first, you should trim your Bichon Frise along its body line. Then, leave the coat along the body line to give it its signature PUFFY look.

Also, you must visit a professional canine groomer every 4-5 weeks to keep your Brsion baby in tip-top shape.

Do Bichon Frise Shed?

Yes, they do. But the good news is they shed a VERY LITTLE amount of hair.

Their little to no shedding tendency makes them a great fit for dog enthusiasts who suffer from allergies. Bichon Frise has an amazing coat. In addition, their upper coat with curly hair traps the hair the undercoat sheds. So, you can keep calm so that you won’t have to keep vacuuming your carpets all day long.

Moreover, as the shed hair doesn’t keep swirling here and there, this unique quality makes the Bichon Frise relatively hypoallergenic. First, however, you need to brush off the shed hair caught up in the coat to prevent it from forming mats.

Training Brison Dogs

Brisons are always curious and willing to learn. They train nicely and enjoy nothing more than performing for their loved ones. They relish learning new tricks and performing them to receive praise from you.

As with all other dog breeds, Brison dogs also do well with early socialization and training.

While training your Bichon Frise, you need to adopt a consistent but gentle approach. Harsh corrections or scolding your little dog might hurt it.

After all, who likes to scold a cute little creature that gives back nothing but love?

You can train your Bichon for agility, obedience, and rally competitions. Dog walks are a great way for dogs and their owners to develop a bond and spend some quality time together.

Other than this training, if there’s something else that unleashes the amazing personality of a Brison Dog, that’s therapy work. As mentioned earlier, Brisons are dogs who would do anything to bring a smile to their owner’s face. So, they can work wonders if used in therapy work.

If you want to make your Bichon Frise’s training a no-brainer, “How to Train Your Bichon Frise” by Paul Allen Pearce would make a great read.

Are Bichon Dogs Hard to Potty Train?

Sadly yes! Bichon dogs have a reputation of being hard to housebreak.

Brisons are intelligent and fast learners when it comes to agility training and learning other tricks.

But, they have somehow failed to secure a reputation to be quickly potty trained. It’s not like they lose all their intelligence during potty training. The culprit (if there’s any) behind poop and pee accidents is their small bladder.

If you’re considering adopting a Bichon Frise, you shouldn’t change your mind just because they are a little hard to housebreak. It’s hard but isn’t impossible. You can potty train your pooch with a little hard work and lots of love.

You can successfully housebreak your Bichon Frise if you:

• First, start potty training immediately after you bring your dog home.
• Then, proceed further with crate training.
• Next, take your Brison out after every 2-3 hours (if you have a puppy, take it out every 20-30 minutes) and after 10-15 or after it eats.
• Keep a diary to take notes of when and where your Brison went out, and the accident occurred. In this way, you’ll be able to better assess the frequency of your Brison’s bathroom visits.

Soon, your pup will be accidents free. But, till then, you’ll have to keep creating your pup while you are away, sleeping, or busy.

Attention! Mostly your Bichon should be able to sleep soundly in their crate (without peeing and pooping) after 3 months of crate training. However, if your dog still fails to control his bladder, visit your vet in the first place to rule out the medical condition. ~ How to Train a Bichon Frise

Exercise Requirements of Brison Dog

American Kennel Club (AKC) classifies Brisons as a “somewhat active” dog breed.

So, they require daily play sessions and a walk of at least 30 minutes.

You can plan some activities to play indoors with your Brison that will expel the energy of these little energy bombs. Interactive play session with your Brison dog is also helpful in preventing negative behaviors.

Brisons may also enjoy the company of another dog companion. But even if they have another dog buddy to enjoy the play and exercise session, they will still need special attention from their owner to feel pampered.

Brisons really enjoy participating in agility, obedience, and other rally competitions.

Bichon Frise Price: How much do Bichon puppies cost?

The cute little balls of fur are the favorite of many dog-fanciers for their aesthetics and intelligence alike. But, unfortunately, if you want to own a Bichon puppy, you must put in a good amount of $700 to $2,000. But the price will mainly depend on where you bought your Brison from.

Accredited breeders will surely cost you more than home-based breeders. Brison dogs are also priced differently based on their age and purity.

Life Expectancy of Bichon Frise

The Brison dogs enjoy a longer life than most dogs. The average lifespan of Bichon Frise is 14-15 years. (Bichon Frise)

These furballs enjoy a longer life because they are wonderfully small (despite being purebred) and have relatively lesser life-threatening diseases. So you can also play a great role in elongating the life of your Brison dog.

You can enjoy a longer and healthier relationship with your Bichon Frise

• if you follow these steps:
• First, feed your dog with the most nutritious diet you can afford.
• Understand how your dog should look with a healthier weight.
• Third, stay in the loop with your immunization and preventative treatments (from fleas and worms).
• Make healthy lifestyle choices.

Do Bichons Smell?

No matter how badly you want to hear a NO in response to this question. It’s still a YES!!!

But the good news is: Not EVERY Brison smells bad. Even if your dog does, you can turn the terrible-smelling dog into a sweet-smelling fur-baby with regular and proper grooming.

Brisons can smell in different grades.

Sometimes they’d smell fresh, and sometimes they’d stink.

The credit goes to their fluffy double coat. But, besides the poof, if your Brison dog isn’t housebroken yet, they’ll also smell bad.

With the right amount of grooming (either by you or some professional dog groomer) and keeping a keen eye on your Brison to stop it from nibbling anything that comes its way, it will alleviate the bad-smelling concern to a great extent.

Do Bichons Like to Cuddle?

When you look at the cute Brison dog, you can’t wait to take the beauty in your arms and cuddle. Right?

But then you wonder…

Would my Bichon enjoy cuddling or not?

Well, Bichon Frises were bred to be companion dogs. Therefore, Bichons are more likely to develop into one of the best snugglers around. As such, if you’re looking to adopt a dog that enjoys and craves cuddle time, Brison would be a good pick.

Of course, not every Bichon Frise is a born snuggler. But, in this case, you can teach your Brison to enjoy cuddles by making the overall experience rewarding and fun.

Can Bichon Frise Stay Home alone?

Bichons love spending time with their family. Therefore, they are ideal for older owners who have ample time to dedicate their fur babies and are available all the time.

Otherwise, if you keep your Bichon Frise dog home alone for a longer period, they might develop undesirable behavior. Therefore, you must avoid leaving your Brison alone for a longer period.

Pros and Cons of Owning Brison Dogs

Brison ownership is a major commitment but is incredibly rewarding (and spending your time with them will be worth it).

A Brison dog might be the right choice for you if you consider the following advantages.

Pros

• They are highly trainable.
• Bichon Frise are adaptable companions.
• Kids and other pets have no problem getting along with them.
• They adapt well to many different lifestyles.
• They are nice little watchdogs.
• The confidence and the size of Brisons make them ideal city dogs.
• They are great pets for apartment dwellers.
• You can confidently bring a Brison home even if you are a novice dog parent.
• They are very tolerant of the noises.
• They easily make friends with strangers.

Cons

Aside from the multiple advantages of owning a Brison dog, some problems are associated with the breed.

Bichon Frise has a reputation for suffering from separation anxiety. If you have a jam-packed schedule all day long and you’ll have to leave your little Brison alone for long periods, they are not the breed for you. If left alone for many hours, the Brison dog might become destructive and start tearing and chewing everything that comes in sight.

Another downside to owning a Bichon Frise is you’ll have to work harder to potty train your dog. And, if something is annoying them, they can bark a lot.

Moreover, if you don’t groom your dog regularly, it might emit a foul smell.

All Set to Bring a Brison Dog Home!

Have you fallen in love with the appealing looks of Brison dogs?

Mind that, Brisons not only have a charming and adorable personality, but they are also very fun-loving creatures.  If you wouldn’t have to keep them alone for a longer period and can easily give them the attention they need and deserve, Brisons will fill your life with joy. They are sure to steal so many hugs from you. Every day!

Please consider rescues and shelters as your top priority while adopting a Brison. However, if you choose to trust a breeder, make sure they are true to their business and hand you a healthy pup after the proper health screening.