subject: Tips On Housebreaking a Bichon Frise [print this page] Tips On Housebreaking a Bichon Frise Tips On Housebreaking a Bichon Frise
This is because dogs have different personalities. Methods that may work well for one dog may not work on another. This scenario is especially true of the Bichon Frise. Because they can be independent and stubborn, housebreaking a Bichon Frise can be quite problematic. However, there are a few tips that you can follow so that house training can be less stressful.
First of all, once you bring your Bichon home, set yourself up to be the "alpha dog" of your home. All Bichon puppies especially harbor feelings of fear and anxiety when moved to different surroundings. Playing the role of "alpha" helps build up security in your puppy, making it more inclined to obey you.
Secondly, as an "alpha", you would need to establish firm rules that you must impress upon your puppy to follow. For example, in crate training, you want it to learn how to use a large crate or box for its sleeping area. Emphasize the crate as its "personal space" by putting an old blanket and its toys inside. Firmly tell your Bichon puppy "No!" if it pees inside the crate or sneaks up into your room to sleep on your bed. The first few times, you may need to put your puppy back inside the crate in order for it to understand what you want it to do. This same procedure applies to paper or litter box training.
Housebreaking a Bichon Frise to answer the call of nature outside the house would require a different method. Early on, make it a regular habit to take your puppy out on walks. If it pees or poops during your walk, give it a pat on the head or a doggy treat to indicate that this is an acceptable behavior. With time and patience, your Bichon will come to prefer doing its business outside. Of course, this comes with another problem, namely dog scratches on your door. If you don't want your Bichon to ruin your door, build a small "doggy door" that swings forward and back. If your puppy starts scratching to indicate that it wants to go out, gently push it through the doggy door and accompany it outside. Once it has done its business and wants to go back inside the house, again, push it through the doggy door.
