The Bichon Checklist Starts With the Coat
A simple weekly care checklist for a Bichon Frise is really a coat-management plan with a few health lines attached. That white, curly double coat does not shed loose hair the way most breeds do; instead the hair stays in the coat, tangles against itself, and mats close to the skin while the surface still looks presentable. Every other item on a Bichon's list — skin health, comfort, even how often professional grooming is needed — depends on whether the brushing actually happened. So the checklist gives coat work the most slots, spreads them across the week so no single session becomes a wrestling match, and treats the remaining jobs as fixed companions rather than optional extras.
Daily Lines for a Small, Social Dog
Feed measured meals twice a day; a Bichon Frise is a small dog with a large-dog conviction that more food is always available, and his waistline is measured in hundreds of grams, not kilos. Exercise him daily through a mix of walks and indoor play, because a Bichon left unentertained becomes a Bichon inventing entertainment, usually involving barking at the window. Wipe the face after meals and once more in the evening — tear staining builds on a white face within days, and a daily ten-second wipe prevents the weekly session becoming a restoration project. Refresh water, and run fingers through the coat during cuddles; the daily touch finds a tangle while it is still a tangle rather than a mat.
The Weekly Jobs, in the Order They Matter
Brush and comb properly at least three times across the week, and write the sessions onto named days. Brush first to lift the coat, then comb down to the skin in sections — neck, chest, legs, tail, behind the ears — because a comb that glides through proves the job is done, while a brush alone skims the top. Any mat found gets teased apart with fingers and a comb now, never left for next week. Once a week, check ears for wax or redness under the hair at the opening, and wipe around the eyes thoroughly, noting any increase in tearing or discharge. Teeth deserve a weekly look in a small breed whose crowded mouth builds tartar early; note bleeding gums or a changed smell from the mouth for the vet. Finish the week with a skin once-over under good light as you part the coat — redness, flaking or a patch he keeps nibbling at is worth recording with its location, since skin complaints in this breed reward early, specific information.
Keep the Grooming Cycle on the Same Page
A Bichon Frise checklist that ignores the professional grooming cycle will drift, because home brushing only works between proper clips. Put the next grooming appointment on the checklist itself, count the weeks since the last one, and raise home brushing frequency as the coat grows longer toward an appointment. Read the week's ticks back before the new week starts: missed brush sessions two weeks running is the single most reliable predictor of a matted dog at the groomer's, and it is fixable in the schedule long before it is a problem on the table. Change emphasis as he ages — a Bichon puppy needs the sessions kept short and pleasant while he learns the routine, and a senior needs the skin and teeth lines watched more closely. Organised in KinsLe, Care Teams lets you hand your Bichon Frise's brush sessions, ear check and face wipes to different family members as named duties, so the coat never waits on one person's memory.