INTRODUCTION TO BUFFY

Hi Bichon Frise Fans:

I decided to write this blog about Buffy.....our little Bichon Frise who is already 5 -1/2 years old! We love her dearly and don't know what we would do without her. She's adorable, loveable, mischievous, unrelentless and the cutest little dog in the world (as far as we're concerned), but I guess everyone thinks that about their own pets, don't they!

She came into our world at 7 weeks of age as a little white furball; weighing about 4 or 5 lbs. and you could hold her in one hand. It didn't take her very long though to take over the house and start to own us! We didn't care, she made us laugh again after going through several years of some unexpected losses in our family and she brightened our days again!

We'd previously had a miniature poodle for 16 years, also named Buffee, that we adored and loved dearly. After we lost her, we vowed we didn't want another dog, as it was so hard to have to put her down when she became very ill. We didn't want to ever have to go through that pain and sadness again with a pet. I'm sure anyone who has had to go through the same ordeal  knows what that feels like.

Over the years though, you forget what you went through and we started missing all the fun we had with our poodle. We changed breeds so that we didn't feel like we were replacing our most favourite pet.  I had worked with someone who had owned 3 different Bichons over the years and told me what a loving, sweet dog they were and that she would buy no other.  She showed me a picture of hers, and I couldn't get over how cute he was, and how much the breed looked like our previous poodle.  In fact, Bichons are a cousin to the poodle family. So, the search was on one day to find one. I kept looking at the ads in the paper and nothing, all kinds of other small breeds, but not a Bichon Frise. Then one day a few weeks later an ad finally appeared: 4 Bichons for sale, 2 male & 2 female. I called the number right away, and the lady told me there had been 5, 1 sold, and someone was coming that night  for 2 more. I quickly made an appointment to go see them at 4:30 that day.

When I walked in the door, 2 little boys about 3 & 5 were racing around the house with all these puppies chasing after them.  It was sheer chaos!  Then the puppies' parents came over to greet me. One little puppy came right to me as if to say: "Save me" .... so I picked her up. She wanted to snuggle right away and didn't want down. I now think, she was probably glad to get up & away from all the noise on ground level. It was a female, which is what I wanted. The lady told me all about them, etc. and said I could have my pick of the four. I knew right then I wanted to keep the one I was holding and said: "I think I'll keep this little one, she seems to have taken to me and doesn't want down".  I made out a cheque; got the details of her feeding schedule; and a can of the food she was on; and away we went out to the car!!!

On the way over, I had stopped at a pet store and bought a little pink sweater for her as it was January and cold. I got the smallest size available, but it was still way too big for her, she kept putting her little head through the arms, but she looked so cute in it.  I had taken my Dad with me, so he could hold her on the way back home, and she took to him right away too. I made another stop at the pet store, bought dishes, leash & collar and a kennel cage and of course, toys....lots of toys!  Forgot, how much this was all going to cost and it sure added up! Took her in to show the staff and then on we went home.

She never  really made strange at all at home.  She was quite happy to get in her cage after playing for quite awhile, fed her, pottied her, and she was ready for sleep. To this day, she still sleeps in the same cage at night.  I really don't remember her whinning, or crying much at all for her mother and litter mates that night; not like our other puppies had over the years!   I really think this little one was glad to be away from all the noise. We gave her lots of cuddles and she was spoiled from then on!!!  And so here starts my tale about Buffy our Bichon Frise.

I'll just start my topics going down the alphabet for now....that's the easiest way to remember what to touch on!     DON'T FORGET TO LOVE YOUR PETS!