BichonFrise-L
Experiences with One Bichon!
Bichons... Bichons... Nothing but Bichons...
Nikki's Story
Three years ago my husband and I noticed there was an empty spot in our
life and decided we wanted a dog. We read books, talked to people and
thought we did sufficient research to choose the breed that would be just
right for us. Little did we know just how much one tiny scrap of a dog
would change our lives.
She cried the whole way home. I held her in the car and tried to comfort
her, but she whined and cried until I had to doubt our judgement getting a
dog at all. Once at home we played with her in the front yard. That drew
every child in the neighborhood to our home. We have no children so
previously the kids in the neighborhood ignored us. Now we were the center
of attention. Everyone wanted to play with the puppy . . . which soon was
named Nikki. Why Nikki? I don't know. It just seemed to fit her.
House training was a problem for all of us. Some of the problems were
mistakes by us two legged creatures, but some was just willfulness on the
part of Nikki. I had never seen such a stubborn dog. She wouldn't stay
outside by herself. We had to go outside with her. Winter in Minnesota can
be miserable. I have a whole new respect for our winters after spending
Nikki's first winter sitting on our front steps telling her to "Get going!"
She outgrew the need to have someone outside with her in the Spring. Just
when the weather was getting nice.
Even after she started doing her business outside, she would still come in
to finish. I would get so mad at her I'd see red -- until I looked into
those velvet black eyes. Then I'd melt. After three years she is trained,
but will still have the occasional accident. Usually it's my fault. She
stares at me when she wants to go outside. If I don't respond soon enough,
she will go on the floor.
When I read about Bichons being companion dogs, I guess I didn't realize
exactly what they meant. Now I do. This dog wants to be a companion. This
means she is underfoot or glued to one of us at all times. She sleeps
laying next to me or on my head and pushes me into the crack of the
waterbed. She cries and whines when we go somewhere without her, unless
it's going to work. She knows the normal work day. Anything other than
that, she wants to go with. If we don't let her, she gets mad! She sleeps
on my chair when I'm on the computer and sits on my lap in the car.
Nikki loves people and attention and will go out of her way to be the
center of it all. Obedience training was some help for her behavior
problems, but I can't get her to stop jumping on people when they come into
the house. She is just so happy to see everyone and expects everyone to
love her just the same. She has more charm than any dog I've ever met and
other people respond to that charm. She has won over my Mother-in-law, who
is afraid of most other dogs. Mother-in-law will hold Nikki and pet her and
even let her walk on the couch behind her head. When we take Nikki through
the take-out food line she wants to visit with the people taking our money
and giving us food. She doesn't care if she gets a treat. She just wants to
visit.
This is one smart dog. I have watched her reason out a problem and make a
plan to get something she wants. If one plan doesn't work, she tries
something else.
She's adorable and cunning, stubborn and playful, good with people and
overpowering, independent and clingy. I've grown to love this little dog
dearly because of her good qualities and in spite of her faults. How could
I look into that adorable face and do any less?
Submitted by:
Ann Winczewski
annwin@eta.k12.mn.us
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Touch a Bichon and you have touched a bit of heaven...
Hold a Bichon and you have held the world...
Love a Bichon and you will love life forever...
Author Unknown
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