A question often asked by potential or new Bichon owners is how often does a Bichon Frise bark?
You don’t want a dog that barks every night without fail. That won’t do you or the neighbors any good.
By knowing what to expect from this breed and how often Bichons bark, you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into. You can also learn some simple tips to reduce any barking that does occur.
The Bichon Frise barks quite often in certain circumstances given their temperament. Alert barking is common in Bichons for example but with regular obedience training, you can reduce the worst of the barking.
In this article, I’ll explain why a Bichon Frise barks and give you some easy-to-follow training tips to prevent your Bichon from barking too much.
Table of Contents
Ultimate Video Guide – How Often Does A Bichon Frise Bark?
Don’t want to read the full article? I’ve condensed everything I cover in this article into a short video you can watch below:
Does The Bichon Frise Temperament Affect Barking?
The Bichon Frise is a very loyal, affectionate, and sociable breed.
They have a great desire to socialize with other people and animals pretty often. My Bichon likes nothing better than spending time with me. Whether it’s sitting on my lap to watch a movie or helping me tidy up (which involves sniffing everything in sight).
Unfortunately, due to their temperament, when Bichons are left alone for periods of time they will bark if they are not properly trained. This can be a symptom of separation anxiety which we’ll cover in the next section.
Are Bichon Frises Loud Barkers?
As the owner of a Bichon Frise for over 4 years, I can tell you that yes they are loud barkers. If you’re standing too close to your dog when they bark at the doorbell ringing, you’ll have ringing in your ears for sure!
In fact, I’ve had many friends and family members comment on how loud our Bichon’s bark is.
Why Do Bichons Bark?
Bichons, as with all dogs, tend to bark from time to time. In some cases more often than others. But what causes a Bichon Frise to bark?
As we talked about above, a big cause of excessive barking is their sociable and affectionate temperament. The desire to spend time with others is a constant drive for them and when they are left alone, barking is often the result.
As well as this, there are other factors that determine why a Bichon Frise barks. Let’s take a look at these other causes of barking below:
1 Bichons Can Suffer From Separation Anxiety
Bichon Frises can be prone to suffering from separation anxiety.
This can occur when they are left alone for extended periods of time. The main symptom of separation anxiety is barking and whining. As well as this, they will become destructive by chewing the furniture and scratching at doors.
If your Bichon has separation anxiety, you’ll see this any time you are about to leave the house.
Your dog will become agitated, start pacing, and likely bark or whine. When you return home, you are greeted by a dog that is extremely hyperactive and anxious.
Separation anxiety symptoms in your Bichon can be greatly reduced with regular training and plenty of social interaction.
It’s also important to avoid scolding or shouting at your dog for this behavior. This won’t do anything to help your dog and it could make them feel worse.
Instead, remain calm and patient and understand the symptoms and causes of this anxiety.
Knowing how to prevent or manage separation anxiety in your Bichon will lead to a more positive and happy dog!
2 Loud Unfamiliar Noises Can Startle A Bichon
Loud unfamiliar noises are a big trigger for barking in our house.
Our Bichon will bark any time the doorbell rings without fail. Also, any other sounds that are unfamiliar cause her to bark uncontrollably. This watchdog-type trait is common among Bichon Frises from my experience.
Consistent training and patience are needed in this case to prevent the worst of the barking when it starts. We also make sure to exercise her once a day with a good long walk to tire her out!
3 Other Dogs Or Animals Can Make A Bichon Excited
The fact is that the Bichon is a sociable breed that loves to play.
One of the possible side-effects of this sociable nature is excessive barking when excited. This can often happen when playing or interacting with other animals.
You might see this when you are walking your Bichon and they see another dog coming towards you. Your dog may become extremely hyperactive and start to bark frantically.
This is the type of situation that benefits from the early socialization of your Bichon with other dogs.
By ensuring that they interact with other dogs and people from a young age, they are less likely to be triggered by seeing a strange dog in the park.
Also, general obedience training is a helpful tool for preventing this over-excitement.
How To Stop A Bichon Frise Barking?
By now, we’ve established why a Bichon Frise barks. So next, let’s take a look at some simple ways to prevent your Bichon from barking excessively.
But first, I found this really fun video about a real-life Bichon that was barking excessively. Her owners tried everything to stop the barking so the dog trainer they recruited introduced some great training techniques to effectively train the Bichon 🙂
1 How To Stop A Bichon Frise Barking At Night?
Barking at night is common in new puppies who aren’t used to sleeping through the night in a new environment.
Stopping your Bichon from barking at night is something that should be done from their first night in their new home as a puppy:
Ensure you have a bedtime routine
Make sure your Bichon is fed and has gone to the bathroom. Once they are ready for bed, bring them to their crate or wherever they are sleeping then simply head to bed yourself.
Sounds easy right? The next part is the hardest part but is the source of stopping your Bichon Frise from barking at night.
Avoid showing your Bichon any attention when they bark.
If you show your dog attention when they bark you are rewarding this “bad behavior”. This tells your dog barking will get their attention and so they’ll continue to do it.
Remember: You want to avoid praising “bad behavior”, in this case barking.
If you are consistent with this approach and refuse to give in, your Bichon will have no reason to bark. As a result, the barking will eventually stop.
If you’re looking for more advice on your new puppy’s first few days at home, here’s a great informative video to watch:
2 How To Stop A Bichon Frise Barking At Other Dogs?
Barking at other dogs is normal behavior for dogs, especially when they are playing.
However, when the barking becomes excessive you will want to be able to calm your Bichon down to prevent them from getting over-excited.
Here’s what to do to train your Bichon Frise not to bark at other dogs:
- Bring your Bichon to the local park or an area where there are likely to be other dogs.
- If your dog starts barking frantically as a dog approaches, calmly distract them by moving them to face away from the other dog.
- Reward your dog with a treat if they do not bark.
- Continue following this routine until your dog becomes more comfortable and stops barking.
- As they become more relaxed and used to other dogs, allow your dog to get closer to other dogs while continuing to follow this approach.
- Your Bichon will eventually be much calmer and stop barking excessively in the presence of other dogs.
Patience and consistency are important here.
This training method won’t resolve the barking overnight and there will be times when your Bichon will continue to bark excessively. This is where it is extremely important to stay motivated and continue with the training until it has been successful.
Here’s a great video from dog trainer Cesar Millan that showcases the techniques he uses to effectively train your dog when out walking:
3 How To Stop A Bichon Frise Barking When The Doorbell Rings?
Barking when the doorbell rings or when the postman is outside is also referred to as alert barking.
This is very common for Bichons and is something that can be alleviated with consistent training.
Here’s what to do to train your Bichon Frise not to bark when the doorbell rings:
- The key here is to train your dog to get used to the doorbell or whatever it is making them bark. Start by getting them used to the door itself. Step over to the door and as your dog approaches, simply step away from the door and reward them with a treat if they have not barked.
- Once they have become familiar and comfortable with the door itself it’s time to get someone to ring the doorbell. Instruct your dog to stay quiet and sit or lie down. Reward them with a treat if they stayed quiet.
- Don’t show any attention when your Bichon barks. This will reward their behavior and they will continue to bark.
- Continue with this approach consistently until your Bichon no longer barks excessively any time the doorbell rings.
Don’t worry if this doesn’t all go to plan immediately. Remain calm and consistent with your training until your Bichon no longer barks when the doorbell rings.
Need some more info? Here’s a short video on training your dog to stop alert barking:
Conclusion
I hope you were able to find a lot of value and useful advice in this article. Let’s summarize what I covered:
- How often does a Bichon Frise bark?
- Does the Bichon Frise Temperament affect barking?
- Why do Bichons bark?
- How to stop a Bichon Frise from barking
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