How Long Do Bichon Frises Live? 11 Facts You Need To Know
The average life span of a healthy Bichon Frise is between 12 and 15 years.
This is the average, but anything can happen to anyone.
Your dog might get cancer and die too soon, which is sad. On the other hand, she could be the longest-living dog ever.You never know.
If you’re looking for a purebred Bichon Frise and want to make sure she’ll live a long time, you should know that life doesn’t make promises.
You should also remember that a mixed-breed Bichon Frise’s lifespan can vary depending on how long its parents lived.
On the other hand, the life expectancy of most Bichon mixes is the same as that of a purebred.
How Long Do Bichon Frises Live?
The Bichon Frise could be the right dog for you if you want a fun friend who will be there for you in the long run.
Here’s everything you need to know about why Bichons live so long and what you can do to help your dog do the same.
Converting Bichon Frise Years to Human Years
Most people think that one year for a Bichon Frise is the same as seven years for a person. It’s not like that!
Bichons get old just like cats do. In other words, each year of a Bichon’s life is equal to a different number of human years, depending on how old she is.
By the time a Bichon Frise puppy reaches her first birthday, she is about 15 years old in human years.
The AKC suggests the following way to figure out how old a Bichon is:
- By the time she is 1 year old, she is 15 in human years.
- By the time she is 2 years old, she is about 9 years older, so 24 in human years.
- Each year after that, add on another 5 years. So she’s 29 in human years when she’s 3 years old in dog years, 34 in human years when she’s 4, and so on…
Location, Location, Location
But, and this is something most people don’t know, where you live affects how old you can think your Bichon is in human years.
For example, the average life expectancy in Japan is about 84 years, which is longer than in the U.S. (around 79 years).
To figure out how old a Bichon is after her first birthday in Japan, you would have to use the average age of people who live there instead of the average age of people here.
Why Do Bichon Frise Live Such A Long Time?
Bichon frises live a lot longer than other types of dogs. On the other hand, many giant breed dogs only live for about ten years.
Small
Most of the time, small dogs live longer than big dogs. In fact, it appears that the smaller a dog is, the longer it lives.
Bichons only weigh between 12 and 18 pounds, so it’s no surprise that they are one of the dog breeds that live the longest.
We don’t know why small dogs live longer than big dogs, but it seems to be because of their genes.
Sturdy
Some dog breeds have changed a lot more than others from how they looked when they were first made.
At first glance, the Bichon may appear to be one of the dogs most distantly related to its wolf ancestors.However, this breed has not changed as much as many other dogs.
The size of the Bichon Frise’s nose matches the size of its head. They don’t have a flat nose like a pug or French bulldog.
The Bichon’s body is strong and square, not long or short. This means that the Bichon is less likely than breeds like the Dachshund or the Basset Hound to have neck or back problems.
Bred As A Companion
The Bichon Frise and other small, low-shedding breeds like the Maltese and Havanese developed on islands.
They were never made to do anything special, like hunt pests or other animals, track, herd, protect, or anything else.
Because Bichons were made to be pets, they may be less likely to get sick as a result of breeding.
For example, dogs that track scents have long, floppy ears that make them more likely to get ear infections. Dogs that have been bred to run fast have long, wiry legs that are more likely to break.
Not Prone To Many Serious Health Conditions
Bichon Frises are generally healthy dogs.They can get eye problems, luxating patellas, allergies, and bladder infections, but they don’t get cancer or heart problems as often as many other breeds.
Responsible breeders check their animals for breed-specific health problems. This makes it more likely that you’ll get a healthy pet.
Even though every breed has some problems, the Bichon is one of the healthiest and least likely to have serious health problems because of its genes.
Largely Free Of Dangerous Instincts
The Bichon Frise is less likely to get sick and less likely to get into trouble than other breeds. Dogs with strong tendencies to roam, chase, fight, guard, and do other things that are more likely to hurt or kill them may live shorter lives.
The Bichon is a small, happy dog that rarely wants to do anything else besides eat and play. This is not a dog that will chase a prey animal into traffic, run away until it can’t find its way back, or do anything else that could put itself in danger.
How To Help Your Bichon Live A Long Life
You’re probably happy to hear that the Bichon Frise breed is generally strong and lives a long time. You want your dog to live as long as possible, no doubt. You can help your dog live a long and healthy life by doing the following:
Maintain An Ideal Weight
One of the most serious issues with Bichon Frise is that they become overweight.Even if you don’t notice, these small puppies can easily put on weight.
Keeping a healthy weight makes it less likely that you’ll have problems like a kneecap that slips out of place. It makes it more likely that your Bichon Frise will live a long, healthy life. Here are some ways to make sure your Bichon Frise stays in good shape:
- Use food-delivery gadgets. Food distribution toys make your Bichon Frise work for each kibble, so they can move around while they eat and feel full on less food overall.
- Choose food that is good for you. Your Bichon Frise might like a vegetable just as much as a commercial dog treat, which is often fattening and more expensive. Teach your Bichon from a young age to enjoy healthy snacks so that it will be full without getting fat.
- Every day, work out. The Bichon Frise is a great dog for people who don’t do a lot and live in apartments because they are small and don’t have much energy. Even if you don’t want to walk your Bichon every day, make sure they play fetch, tug of war, hide and seek, or anything else that gets their heart rate up.
Train Them To Enjoy Grooming
For a dog like the Bichon, who is usually healthy but has a coat that needs a lot of care, behavioural problems may be more likely to end their lives early than physical problems.
Bichons may get aggressive when groomed if they aren’t used to it from a young age and aren’t given a lot of positive feedback.
In very bad cases, dogs may need to be put to sleep so they can be groomed. Without regular grooming, your Bichon is much more likely to get irritations and mats, which will make their life less enjoyable and could even lead to an infection that could kill them.
Feed A Healthy Diet
Everything a Bichon Frise or other small dog eats is very important. Pick the best food you can afford.
Don’t let things like the grain-free diet and other marketing tricks and trends sway you. Choose a dog food that has a good track record of not causing health problems or being recalled and that has real meat and healthy grains among the first few ingredients.
If your dog is not overweight, you don’t need to choose a diet to help him lose weight. Instead, you should choose a diet for small breeds. The food needs of small dogs are a little different from those of larger dogs.
Because the Bichon Frise is prone to getting bladder stones, its diet must be low in certain minerals. Talk to your vet about what kind of food your dog should eat.
Choose A Great Breeder
One of the best things you can do to make sure you have a healthy Bichon Frise is to buy it from a reputable breeder.
Most big problems can be avoided by choosing a line of dogs that have been checked for health problems.
You may pay more up front for a dog whose health has been checked for many generations, but the dog will be healthier in the long run.
How to Boost Your Bichon Frise’s Health
Aside from trying to make your dog live longer, there are many things you can do to make her healthier.
Even if she lives the average life people expect, you will have made her time on Earth the best it could be.
Start by making sure she gets the exercise she needs. The bichon only needs to walk for 20 to 30 minutes a day, which should be easy to do.
Bichons can get diseases like depression and malaise, just like people can. When you go out of your way to make her happy, she’ll know you love her.
You should also talk to your vet about whether or not you can give your Bichon any vitamins.
For example, if she has hip dysplasia, which is a common illness in Bichons, you might be able to give her nutrients to make her feel better.
Since her hip doesn’t hurt as much, she doesn’t have to depend on her other bones and ligaments as much, which makes them less stressed.
Signs of Aging in a Bichon Frise
If you have an older Bichon Frise, you may have seen the first signs of aging in her.
Usually, a Bichon’s face and snout are the first places where her fur starts to turn grey.
She will move more slowly and may need your help to do things she used to be able to do on her own, like jump up on the couch or bed.
If an adult Bichon doesn’t answer you, it doesn’t mean that he or she is ignoring you. She might have Alzheimer’s or be losing her hearing.
And, believe it or not, a dog’s brain gets smaller as she gets older. So, she might take longer to answer you because she isn’t getting messages as quickly or clearly as she used to.
Make sure you and your Bichon Frise have fun.
If you have a pet, you will definitely have to say goodbye to your friend at some point.
Don’t forget to show your Bichon Frise love every day while she is still with you.
This is better for both of you because you’ll be able to spend more time together enjoying life and feeling happy.
Remember to Enjoy Your Bichon Frise
Of course, none of us, not even the dogs we love, can live forever. You can do everything right, but when it’s time for your Bichon, you can’t help it.
Losing a pet can be one of the hardest things to deal with, mostly because most people don’t really understand it.
Don’t let someone dismiss your grief over a pet. Most people don’t treat us as well as our pets do. They’ve been with us for a long time, through good and bad times.
Pets are both friends and members of the family. And our pets, like our human companions, deserve our sorrow.
Coping with Loss
- Your Bichon should have a funeral. After all, funerals are for those who are left behind, and they can also be a chance for people who knew and loved your Bichon to grieve with you.
- Joining a support group for people who have just lost a Bichon. You can remember your Bichon forever by planting a tree, making a photobook, or putting up a memorial in your yard in her name.
- If you have other pets, take good care of them. They notice when you’re sad, and when a friend dies, they feel sad too. Keep up with their normal routines and give them more exercise, playtime, and love to help them deal.
Dog Breeds Who Live the Longest
If you’re worried about how long a Bichon Frise will live, you might want to look into other breeds that live longer.
But keep in mind that health and other factors, like heredity, can have a big effect on how long a dog lives, no matter what breed it is.
Here are the five dog breeds that tend to live the longest:
- Chihuahua (15 to 20 yrs.)
- Dachshund (around 15 yrs., with some living into their 20s)
- Toy Poodle (up to 18 yrs.)
- Jack Russell Terrier (up to 16 yrs.)
- Shih Tzu (upwards of 15 yrs.)
All of these dogs are small, and that’s no accident. This is because a small dog’s body isn’t as hard on its organs as a large dog’s is.
Dog Breeds Who Live the Shortest
If you don’t want your pet to die young, you shouldn’t get one of the following breeds:
This is, of course, just an average. The Bichon, on the other hand, lives several years longer than these five breeds.
- Bernese Mountain Dog (only around 7 yrs.)
- Irish Wolfhound (only around 7 yrs.)
- Mastiff (only around 8 yrs.)
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (only around 8 yrs.)
- Great Dane (only around 8.5 yrs.)
Again, you can see that bigger dogs tend to live the shortest lives.
This is important to know because, no matter what breed of dog you want, inbreeding can have a big effect on how long each dog lives.
If you choose a Bichon Frise with only one parent, she may only live half as long as experts say she will.
Enjoy Every Day With Your Bichon Frise
Bichons live for a long time, which is great for Bichon Frise lovers who never have enough time to spend with this cute, loving little dog.
You can keep your Bichon Frise for a long time if you make sure it stays at the right weight, feed it good food, and make sure it doesn’t get bad habits, especially when it comes to grooming.
I have been working in animal shelter for the past six years and I have been raising the puppies of different breeds. I have had experience in training the puppies in obedience, agility, and other dog sports.
My main objective is to train the puppies to become good family pets. They should be well-behaved and trained to be loving, loyal, and obedient.
Contact me:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (912) 634-3631
Address: 102 Village Way Crk Saint Simons Island, Georgia(GA), 31522
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