Are you thinking of getting yourself an adorable little Bichon Frise as a companion? Or perhaps, you already have one and due to shifting routines, are wondering how long you can leave your friend alone?
Whatever the reason, it’s important to understand which breeds are easy to leave alone at home and which aren’t.
Otherwise, you might have to deal with a fearful, anxious, and aggressive pet.
Is It Possible To Leave Bichon Frise At Home Alone?
Bichon Frise belongs to the group which may find it hard to be on their own. So, unless you cannot help it, it’s better not to leave them unattended for an extended period.
Bichon Frise was bred for companionship and tactile love.
Your Bichon Frise may suffer from separation anxiety in your absences, especially if you are gone for more than 6 hours. It may also start to bark excessively and express unusual behavior.
They don’t take being let alone well. Sure, some breeds can handle it better, but unfortunately, Bichon Frise isn’t one of them.
But nothing is impossible, and if you can’t help leaving them unattended, then there are training and desensitization methods that can help.
How To Go About It
Sometimes, mainly due to job duties and other personal responsibilities, it will not be possible to be around your Bichon all the time.
It’s healthy to teach your friend some independence and get them accustomed to alone time in such situations. Doing so will help him adjust well and also leave you stress and concern-free about your furry friend.
Otherwise, you both might be nerve-wracked messes during your separation. Proper separation training will not only benefit your Bichon but also give you peace of mind too.
Ways To Go About It
There are ways to teach your Bichon to rely on toys and other forms of entertainment so that he’s not anxious when you leave.
Your pet must be appropriately housebroken. Bichon Frises are notoriously tricky to housebreak, which is why a lot of caution and patience needs to be exercised.
It will also be necessary to correctly potty train your Bichon Frises as one of the things that can be most concerning is their small bladders.
They may not be able to hold on for longer due to their small size, and due to various health issues, they can even suffer from bladder stones.
To determine the proper steps for training and explore other options, it’s also useful to understand everything about the Bichon Frise breed.
All You Need To Know About Bichon Frise
Bichon Frises are cute little fluffy breeds of dogs. They have soft curly, snow-white fur on their body which gives them their toy-like look.
The AKC even declared them as a toy breed.
Despite their tiny size, they’re very sturdy and are smart, intelligent pets. That’s why they require extensive obedience training so that they can be well mannered.
They are softhearted and can be sensitive to harshness, so always deal with Bichon with a lot of patience and TLC.
Both male and female Bichon Frises can weigh up to 12 pounds and are generally around 9-11 inches tall.
What Makes Them Such Good Apartment Dogs?
They were bred to give companionship, and that is why they gravitate towards people. They are fairly manageable and do not require heavy exercising and outdoor routines.
They will be happy with a daily walk, once or twice throughout the day, and can thrive on just half to one hour of exercise.
This is why they’re a top preference as in-house apartment pets.
They are also preferred as pets for the elderly and children, are incredibly affectionate, and socialize well with other breeds and, surprisingly, even cats!
Additionally, they’re also hypoallergenic- which means they’re unlikely to cause extreme allergic reactions. Part of it is because they do not shed their fur excessively, although it does require a lot of maintenance.
So really, if you want a cuddly, extremely friendly, and happy friend to drive away from some loneliness, Bichon Frise is a perfect choice.
Also Read: Can Bichon Frise Swim?
Factors To Consider Before Leaving Your Bichon Frise Alone
You may not want to leave these snuggly and heartwarming creatures alone, but sometimes, you can’t ignore the demands of life. In that case, if you are planning on adopting them, it’s essential to understand what leaving Bichon Frise alone would entail.
There are important things to consider before you can decide if they will be a good fit for you and your home. Or if, more importantly, you will be a good fit for them.
The Number Of Hours
Before you decide to leave your Bichon Frise at home, it is first good to understand how long, exactly can they be left alone.
If your friend is properly potty trained, then leaving them on their own for 4-6 hours might be possible. Sure, they will initially be mellow and even express their displeasure by excessive yapping and barling, but with consistent training, that should go away.
If your Bichon is a puppy and not potty trained, then it might be tough to leave them alone without coming back to a smelly mess. Younger and untrained Bichon Frise can maybe hold their bladder for a couple of hours unless trained.
Separation Anxiety
Since Bichon Frises are very needy for attention and companionship, they can often get intense separation anxiety.
This will manifest in the form of many symptoms that will tell you that your dog is feeling fearful, scared, and extremely distressed. You will want to prevent that, so it’s good to keep an eye out for symptoms like:
- Destructive behaviors like scratching walls and excessive biting, breaking things
- They may even exhibit signs of being physically sick like vomiting, peeing everywhere, crying, and whining
- They will tend to excessively bark and howl
All of these are symptoms that point towards separation anxiety. Yes, sadly, their anxiety is so troublesome that it may even have physiological consequences for your fluffball.
How To Deal With Separation Anxiety
Without first dealing with your pet’s separation anxiety, it will not be possible to leave them unattended and alone. More so if you will be away for several hours, although it’s better to minimize the time as much as possible.
Some untrained Bichon Frises might even start to get anxious after spending mere 15 minutes alone. So if you’re away from home for hours, it’s a must to train your puppy and take some steps to reduce their anxiety.
Here is what you can do.
- Don’t keep a scheduled leaving time, or else your pet will begin to show symptoms as the time for you to go nears
- Keep the routine changing and leave at different times; it will be good to leave at different intervals of times for varying durations
- Minimize shocking their sensory world, like sudden loud noises or bright light around them that can startle them to distress
- If your Bichon Frise didn’t exhibit symptom before and is now showing them, it could be due to their old age, which is entirely normal
- Leave them with a sitter or friend so that they’re not alone
- Use the facilities of doggy daycares. These will ensure your dog’s ample socialization, too.
Training
The level of training your furry friend has received also plays a significant role in determining how they will deal with separation. Make sure that they’re sufficiently housebroken and are potty trained.
How well they deal with socialization also matters. If Bichons are not trained in socialization, they might be fearful and shy.
Before leaving them for a few hours, make sure you have trained them not to fear your leaving. Do this by avoiding saying goodbye or behaving differently than usual when you return.
If they’re trained to bark less, then rewarding them when they’re quiet will reinforce positive behaviors.
Let them learn to deal with some anxiety on their own, don’t be quick to soothe them. It will only lead to negative reinforcements.
Also Read: Do Bichon Frise Get Along With Cats?
How To Help Bichon Frise To Stay Alone
Even if you have to leave them alone, make sure it’s not for more than 4-6 hours at most. Longer periods, like, say, eight or more hours, will be downright cruel to them.
In such cases, you should carefully weigh your options of owning a Bichon Frise. If not, then a dog sitter, companion, or someone who can look over them might be ideal.
Doggy daycares are also very useful in such situations.
You can also take some other steps to ensure they’re comfortable and not anxious when you leave them.
Leave something that smells like you with them. You can also leave some TV or radio on for their entertainment or get them new toys.
It’s ideal if you don’t give them repeated toys. Change them up. Crate training is also beneficial in such situations. Invest in some doggy gates to limit their movement.
You can also play with your dog enough to tire them out before you leave.
With these steps, you will be able to leave your Bichon Frise for some hours without causing them too much stress.
Wrap Up
Bichon Frises are lovely companion dogs and are not made for leaving unattended.
That is why if you must, then make sure you train them appropriately and take measures to make their stay as comfortable and easy as possible.