Something all Bichon owners want to know is does a Bichon Frise shed?
This is something you are likely to ask yourself before you buy a Bichon Frise to determine if they are the right breed for you. You want to be able to properly look after your Bichon and ensure you can maintain their fluffy white coat.
The answer to this question is that yes Bichon’s do shed minimally, however they shed very little in comparison to most other dog breeds. All animals that have hair shed, this is just part of being an animal.
This article takes that question one step further and looks at why does a Bichon Frise shed, are they hypoallergenic, grooming advice as well as tips for cleaning up dog hair.
Table of Contents
Why Does A Bichon Frise Shed?
Bichons do shed, that’s just a fact of life. Fortunately, they shed very minimally.
The fact is that all animals with hair are prone to shedding.
Shedding happens for several reasons which we will look at below.
1 Shedding Is Seasonal
A common reason for Bichons shedding is due to the time of the year when the temperature changes.
In the Springtime, the Bichon sheds their thicker Winter coat for a lighter Summer coat. This seasonal shedding can also be called “a blowing coat”.
Then when the temperature cools down again in the Winter, their Winter coat returns and their Summer coat is lost.
2 Puppy Coat Vs Adult Coat
Another common reason for a Bichon Frise shedding is as they grow from a puppy to an adult.
When your Bichon is born, they develop their puppy coat. As they grow and develop into adults, their puppy coat will shed and a more established adult coat will replace it.
It can take up to 2 years or so before the adult coat is fully grown. Within that time then, minimal shedding will occur.
3 Health Issues
While the first 2 reasons for shedding we looked at are completely normal and part of being a Bichon, it’s important to know what may be a cause for concern.
If you find that your Bichon is shedding excessively, this could be an indication of potential skin or health conditions.
This is also something to watch out for in older Bichons.
In the case that your Bichon is shedding excessively, it’s a good idea to bring them to a vet for a consultation to make sure everything is OK.
Are Bichons Hypoallergenic?
The Bichon Frise is proudly considered to be a hypoallergenic breed. Every article I read on the Bichon makes mention of this fact.
But what exactly does hypoallergenic mean?
The term hypoallergenic means something that causes fewer allergic reactions for people that suffer from allergies.
This, unfortunately, doesn’t mean that a Bichon Frise is a dog suitable for everyone with allergies.
In fact, a human’s sensitivity to fur or dander will vary wildly.
With that in mind, if you or your family members suffer from allergies, it’s a good idea to spend some time around a Bichon Frise to ensure your allergies aren’t triggered.
This is important to do before considering owning a Bichon.
Bichon Frise Grooming
A great way of keeping your Bichon’s coat healthy and to prevent more shedding is regular brushing.
On top of regular brushing, bringing your Bichon to a professional groomer regularly will help you to keep their coat in tip-top condition.
Benefits Of Regularly Grooming Your Bichon
Here are just some of the benefits of regularly grooming your Bichon Frise:
- Regular grooming removes loose hair and dander that builds up over time.
- It prevents the build-up of mats which can be very difficult and painful to remove.
- While grooming, you or your groomer can check for skin issues, irritations or fleas.
- Your Bichon’s coat will look much better and feel better. They’ll be beaming with pride with their new coat!
- Regular grooming also ensures your dog gets used to the process and doesn’t mind it. Dogs that are scared of the grooming process may need to be sedated.
How Often Does A Bichon Frise Need To Be Groomed?
It’s important to schedule your Bichon for an appointment with a professional groomer about every 2 months on average.
This is the period which we have found to be the best over time. As our Bichon Scully begins to become unable to see out of her eyes, we know to make an appointment immediately!
It’s a good idea to set a recurring calendar reminder to schedule your grooming appointments so you don’t forget. Groomers can often be very busy so booking well in advance is a must.
How Often Should You Brush A Bichon Frise?
Regular brushing of your Bichon is important in addition to regular grooming.
This is the key to a healthy coat and also prevents more shedding than necessary.
Due to the curly medium length hair of the Bichon, weekly brushing is highly recommended to keep on top of tangles and mats.
Regular brushing from a young age also ensures your dog gets used to the process.
This will make your life a heck of a lot easier and you both won’t dread the process every time.
What Is The Best Brush To Use On A Bichon Frise?
When it comes down to the actual brushing of your Bichon’s coat, there are generally 2 recommended types of brushes to use:
- A Slicker Brush
- A Pin Brush
Slicker Brush
When we first got Scully, the breeder recommended we invest in a good slicker brush. Up until now, this is the only brush we’ve been using.
With that in mind, I had never actually looked into the different types of brushes until researching for this article.
The slicker brush often has a rectangular head that holds a number of fine wire bristles.
This brush is suitable for dogs of all sizes and with all lengths of coats.
Its main function is to remove tangles and dead hair as well as help to break up mats that can develop.
This makes the slicker brush a perfect brush to use on your Bichon’s coat.
The one piece of advice I would have is to learn how to properly brush your Bichon’s coat. This sounds silly I know but this brush can scratch their skin if you’re not careful.
Unfortunately, I’ve managed to scratch myself more than once with this brush so just a word of caution.
Pin Brush
While I had seen a pin brush before, I never actually knew what it did in comparison to a slicker brush.
It turns out that the pin brush is most commonly used for show dogs with longer length coats.
It is used for light brushing as the brush’s structure prevents the dog’s coat from being damaged.
This means that the pin brush is gentle on the dog’s skin. With that said though, the pin brush is less effective at detangling hair or removing mats.
This is why it is recommended to own both a slicker brush and a pin brush. The slicker brush is used to detangle and break up mats while the pin brush removes any loose hair and finishes off the coat.
Best Ways Of Cleaning Up Dog Hair
Now that we’ve talked about why a Bichon sheds and how you groom your Bichon, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of getting those pesky dog hairs out of your life.
How To Get Rid Of Dog Hair In My House?
Dog hair in the house is something that I had lived with for a good 10 years of my life when I was younger.
My childhood dog was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that would shed morning, noon and night.
Unfortunately, Holly is no longer with us. Thankfully, she lived a long and healthy life. But because of living with a high shedding dog for all those years, I’ve been able to pick up some tips to remove dog hair from the house.
1 Brushing Your Bichon’s Coat
The old adage, “prevention is better than cure” definitely applies here when it comes to dog hair around the house.
By regularly brushing your Bichon, at least once a week, you are ensuring any loose hair is being removed from their coat and in turn from blowing around your house.
It’s a good idea also to regularly clean your brushes after each use to ensure stray hairs don’t make their way to your carpets and curtains.
2 Vacuuming
Regular vacuuming is the next best way to remove dog hair from your house.
Breaking this chore into smaller chunks certainly helps me. For instance, I’ll vacuum the upstairs on Saturday then downstairs on Sunday.
Super fun I know, but try and get into the habit of regularly vacuuming around the house for the best chance of removing all dog hairs from your house.
It’s also worth investing in a good vacuum cleaner that is specially designed to remove pesky pet hair.
There are a ton of vacuums out there so it’s worth researching to make sure you get the most efficient one. This article should help you out: The Best Vacuums For Pet Hair.
3 Wash Pet Bedding
Another simple thing you can do to remove dog hair from your house is to regularly wash pet bedding.
This ensures that any loose hair that falls off of your Bichon and into the bed is removed entirely.
We have at least 2 pet beds around the house so it’s a good idea to have one spare so it can be used when the other one is being washed.
Be sure to carefully read the washing instructions that come with your pet bed to ensure it doesn’t disintegrate in the washing machine.
A good tip I found online is to run the bedding through the dryer for about 5 minutes before washing to loosen up any pet hair.
4 De-Clutter Your House
Whatever about regular vacuuming, this is a tip that causes me dread, but when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.
By having a lot of clutter around your house, especially on the floor, you are just inviting dog hairs to come and rest on them.
By taking some time every so often to clean up and declutter your home, you’re removing any potential resting ground for pesky dog hairs to settle.
How To Get Rid Of Dog Hair On Clothes?
Having dog hair on your clothes can be a living nightmare.
This is especially true when you’re about to attend that important review meeting at work. The last thing you want is to seem like a crazy dog owner who can’t be bothered to clean their clothes. Maybe that’s just me?
Regardless, we all want our clothes to remain dog hair free so here are 5 ways to get rid of dog hair on clothes.
1 Lint Rollers
Lint rollers will become your friend by the end of this article if nothing else does.
These are sticky rollers that you brush over your clothes to remove dog hair, or your own hair.. again maybe that’s just me.
Though these things have a limited number of uses, they are relatively inexpensive to buy at any shop.
They are great to keep in various places around the house, in your bag or the car in case of emergencies.
That way you can quickly brush down your clothes and not worry about that important meeting.
2 Clothes Steamer
Investing in a clothes steamer was one of the best purchases we ever made. Mainly because we don’t really need to use the iron anymore.
The great benefit of the clothes steamer when it comes to dog hairs is that the steam will loosen up the hairs and they can then be easily brushed away with a lint roller.
3 Fabric Softener
Using fabric softener with your clothes wash has the added benefit of loosening pesky dog hairs from your clothes.
That is of course in addition to leaving your clothes smelling and feeling great.
4 Use The Dryer Before Washing
An excellent tip that we mentioned above is important to repeat here.
Before washing your clothes, pop them into the dryer for about 5 minutes to loosen dog hairs from your clothes.
That way the hairs will simply fall off into the lint trap of your dryer and in the washing machine when you subsequently wash your clothes.
5 Clean The Lint Trap Of Your Dryer
This tip ties into the previous one but definitely deserves its own spot.
Regularly cleaning the lint trap of your dryer is essential to removing dog hairs from your clothes.
Over time the hair, lint, and god knows whatever else falls off of your clothes and into the lint trap of your dryer and can build up over time.
In some cases, this could even cause your dryer to catch fire which is extremely dangerous.
So with that said, for several reasons, it’s highly important to clean the lint trap of your dryer regularly.
How To Get Rid Of Dog Hair In My Car?
Having dog hair in the car seems pretty inevitable when you’re bringing your Bichon to and from the vet, doggy day care, the beach, etc.
With that in mind, here are 5 simple ways to remove dog hair from your car.
1 Wet Rubber Gloves
This trick has to be seen to be believed.
Simply take a slightly wet rubber glove and brush down the car seat and just watch the dog hair fall away from the seat.
After trying this at least once, you’ll definitely consider adding rubber gloves to your dog hair removal kit.
2 Vacuum With A Bristle Brush Attachment
The trusty vacuum as well as being helpful in your house is also very helpful in the car for removing dog hair.
This is particularly effective when you use a bristle brush type attachment.
The brush allows you to brush away tough hairs from the seats and on the mats.
A smaller brush head attachment will also allow you to get into the cracks and crevices of the car to give it a deep clean and remove any dog hair that has built up.
3 Lint Rollers
Lint rollers are back again for another mention. As we looked at, lint rollers are a super way of removing dog hair from your clothes.
The same can also be said for removing dog hair from your car.
Keeping one or two of these lint rollers in the glove box of your car allows for quick and easy removal of dog hair whenever you need.
4 Packing Tape Or Duct Tape
Let’s face it, sticky things attract hair and dust. It’s as simple as that.
So if you have some duct tape or packing tape lying around the house for whatever reason, tear off a few strips and use it to remove pet hair from all around your car.
5 Squeegee
I actually had to go out and buy a squeegee after hearing about this tip to try it out for myself.
By simply running a squeegee down the seat of your car, this will grab up any loose pet hairs making them easy to remove from your car.
Conclusion
We covered a lot of useful information in this article so let’s summarize it all to close things off.
- We answered the question: Does A Bichon Frise Shed?
- Next, we talked about why Bichons shed and what does Hypoallergenic mean?
- After that, we looked at the benefits and ways of grooming your Bichon, as well as the best brushes to use.
- Finally, we covered some great tips for removing dog hair from your house, your clothes and your car.
I hope you found this article helpful.
If you got some value from the information here, please consider sharing this article on social media as it helps other Bichon owners like you find this great content.
If you have any questions about any of the content in this article, please leave me a comment below.
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