Bichon Frise – Rosepoint Publishing

My Pet Tag – Our Bichon Frise – The Perfect Pet Partner

I saw this tag over at LFBooks and just loved her post. She got the tag from Carla at carlalovestoread and heaven knows I have a little cutie, too, though thankfully is NOT a fart machine! So why not share?

What is your pet’s name? Frosty, though her full name is Frosty Dancer Nampa Dandy. (She is AKC registered. They seem to love long names.)
What kind of pet is it and what breed? She is a Bichon Frise, considered a “companion” dog (but according to the AKC, is a non-sporting breed. A Bichon won the Westminster Best of Show this year! We call her a thigh buddy, cause if we’re sitting where she can snuggle next to us–she will). They must have black eyes, black nose, and black pads, and thick, curly white double layered furry ringlets. Yes, she requires grooming (which I do), but, hey, she is non-allergenic (for my husband) and non-shedding (for me). I searched a long time to determine what breed I wanted and discovered that Bichon rescues want you to have a dog in the home–so no, I only wanted one dog.
How long have you had your pet friend? We got her at 7 1/2 weeks after she was weaned. She was barely as big as my hand and fit under my chin when she lay down with me. She is now twelve.

5 weeks

7 weeks

9 weeks
How did you get your pet? My husband and I were moving to Idaho, but he had not yet closed down his business in California. So after a number of months visiting once every month or so, I decided I needed a dog. It had been more than seven years since we’d had to part with our last dog, Muffin, who died at age 13. (He was thrilled that I was talking about another dog–said he needed another hunter.) Frosty was one of two females in a litter of five.
How old is your pet? She was born January 24, 2006–just turned twelve.
What are some quirky things about your pet’s personality?

She’s a back sleeper, so it is not unusual to see her roll over and get comfy. Smart as the dickens and has the memory of an elephant. She knows where she left all her toys. Knows what time it is and uses a herding instinct to guide us wherever she wants to go. She likes to tuck whichever toy she wants to play with under her chin and if so inclined, offer to play with you. Thinks she’s a retriever–just throw the ball–she’ll bring it back. Learned a number of tricks very quickly and knows which will trigger your interest faster. Hide her treat anywhere in the house–she’ll look until she finds it. What a nose!
What does your relationship with your pet mean to you? Having retired and no children at home, she is now the focus. Gives us a purpose, an incentive to exercise, makes us laugh, commiserates when we’re sick or sad. She goes most everywhere with us–good as gold in the car–has never torn or ripped anything. She just waits patiently and watches for us to return (not a barker). It is difficult to imagine being without her.
What are some of your favorite past times with your pet? We do a lot of walking with her, have hiked all over parks. When we lived in an RV for two years, she was easy to live with and at 13 lbs., she’s a great no-fuss traveler, although she’ll let you know when it’s time to stop.
What are nicknames that you call your pet?Her nickname is Frost, but we also call her Woofy or Woof.

Can A Bichon Frise Handle a Polar Blast?

Obviously, we’ve gotten out of the habit of being prepared for cold winter weather since leaving the Treasure Valley of Idaho. There, we had doggy coats and sweaters for our Bichon Frise and carried emergency equipment in the car. Now, one hour south of Chicago and facing a major Polar blast this weekend, the weather forecasters are warning people to dress in layers, cover the head, ears, nose, mouth and wear heavy gloves. Can you say Sasquatch?!

I got to thinking about my little dog who loved the Idaho snow–bounding around in it and digging to see what treasure she could find under all that cold, white stuff. I did put a coat or sweater on her depending on how cold or wet it was outside, but didn’t worry so much about her feet. Now, she is almost eleven (January) and I’m thinking fleece, earmuffs, and booties. Continue reading “Can A Bichon Frise Handle a Polar Blast?”

Walking Is Good For The Mind

Walking Is Good For The Mind

Really, I miss riding. You could get in the breeze with nothing but the sound of the rushing air and the occasional major diesel engine whizzing by. It was the solitude, with nothing but your mind generating random thoughts–which was great until you had something you really wanted to remember–but couldn’t stop to write it down.

So now, I’ve substituted walking my 12 lb Bichon Frise–that fluffy little white faced dog with the black eyes that look up and grin at me. I can see she is enjoying the air as well–never mind smelling every bush, shrub, or tree.

Interesting how other dog walkers approach you–either knowing their dog will behave or won’t–and tugging them tightly to the side. My little girl, Frosty (actually Frosty Dancer Nampa Dandy–Frost for short), exhibits a mild interest unless the opposing dog becomes aggressive. On the walk today, I was struck by how many little white tailed bunnies were about–noteworthy because one block away my little dog and I met with a coyote just a few days before. No, we aren’t out in the country–merely greenbelts and golf courses.

The walks give me the same pleasant drop in blood pressure, leaving the cares of the world back home, and while not “in the wind” at 75 mph, still the quiet privacy of alone time. Thinking; making those mental lists, generating ideas, blog prompts, and snapping those mental pictures of scenes to be remembered.

Well, that is, until the advent of the smart phone. Damn.

Isn’t modern technology grand? To aid in my walking goals, I discovered the sport apps. Two in particular, because I couldn’t find one to do everything I wanted. Mind you, both are multi-purposed and will calculate everything except your decreasing checkbook balance. They will monitor your heart rate, total your miles, check your weight loss, scrutinize your running, accumulate your burned calories, keep the history, suggest exercise partners, and propose challenges. However, the “S Health” app on my Galaxy 5 won’t chart my route. Rats! The purpose was to walk 10,000 steps per day–that would equate to approximately five miles. Sure it became too much in the oppressive heat of Phoenix. So I revised that to 7,000; also a bit much. Endomondo will do much of the same, including the benefits of calculating your average speed, duration, and distance AND follow you via GPS on your route. Great! You can even note your favorite routes and “share”. (uh oh) Here’s the rub–even set to walking–Endomondo won’t calculate the steps. If I have a monumental thought, it can be recorded on that whiz-bang machine. Or, if I really don’t want to think, I can have music the entire route with both apps. What??!