Keep a Bichon on the ground and in charge of the pace
The most common mistake in Bichon Frise introductions is managing them from someone's arms. A Bichon who is carried into a greeting cannot approach, retreat, or use normal dog body language, and a dog who is scooped up the instant things get exciting learns that other dogs make the world turn chaotic. This is a cheerful, sociable breed, but it is also a small white dog whose confidence is easily swamped by a big, bouncy greeter. Ground-level meetings, at a distance your Bichon chooses, let the breed's natural friendliness do the work while keeping fear out of the picture.
Start with a parallel walk sized for a small dog
Meet on neutral ground and walk in the same direction with a gap your Bichon is comfortable with; watch the small signals, because a Bichon who is coping keeps trotting, glances at the other dog, and takes treats, while one who is worried starts lagging, pulling to the end of the leash away from the other dog, or freezing mid-path. Close the distance in small increments as the walk settles. If the other dog is much larger, position the handlers so the big dog's enthusiasm is absorbed by its own handler's direction changes rather than by your dog's nerves. Two or three short walks teach more than one long one, and they end before a small dog's social battery runs flat.
Curate the first partner and keep greetings brief
A Bichon's first new friend should ideally be a calm, dog-savvy adult, close in size or at least gentle in style, who will exchange a sniff and move on rather than launching into wrestling. When the moment comes, let the dogs meet on a curve for a few seconds, then call yours away with a treat and genuine praise for leaving politely; that recall-away is the skill that will protect your dog in every future encounter. Bichons can be vocal when excited, so do not mistake happy barking for a problem, but do walk on and reset if the barking tips into frantic lunging, because arousal that high stops being social. Avoid introducing your Bichon to several new dogs in one outing; one new relationship at a time is plenty.
Protect the coat less and the confidence more
Owners of a freshly groomed Bichon sometimes avoid sensible introductions because the white coat shows every muddy paw print. A muddy dog can be washed; a frightening first meeting takes weeks to undo, so choose the quiet field over the clean pavement when you need space. What genuinely needs protecting is your dog's sense that greetings are optional. If an off-lead dog rushes yours, step between them, scatter treats on the ground for the rushing dog, and move away rather than lifting your Bichon skyward, which tends to intensify a chaser's interest. Practising a quick, rewarded recall in low-stakes settings beforehand gives you a real tool in that moment.
Progress to play only when walking stays easy
Move to closer contact and eventually a secure off-lead space only after the walking meetings look frankly dull: soft bodies, easy sniff-and-part greetings, and a Bichon who chooses to trot nearer the other dog. In early play, watch that your dog gets breaks; small dogs often keep playing past their comfort because leaving a game is socially hard, so call rest pauses yourself. A Bichon who comes home from meetings relaxed, rather than wired or clingy, is telling you the pace was right. Introductions go better when nobody is juggling two dogs and a phone, and in KinsLe Care Teams lets you confirm beforehand who is handling each dog and who is watching for the moment to call a break.