Bichon Frise pet styles

Because curly coats are so much fun to scissor, I have ended up with quite a few Bichon Frise clients over the years. Most pet styles are based on show grooming but are modified to suit the lifestyle of the dog owners. Bichon Frise show clips have changed quite a bit since I began my grooming career. The style has gone from a huge bell type head with long ears to a round head with invisible, incorporated ears, a "bubble" of hair over the eyes, and a neck crest. The current Bichon clip accentuates the expression of the breed by highlighting the dark eyes and nose. It is also a lot of hair for the owners to maintain. As a result, most clients request the Bichon look but without the hair. That can be a challenge.

Hairstyling preferences are also a question of taste. Some owners simply prefer long ears, or want short faces to avoid drippy beards. Some groomers are very rigid about breed styling, and are determined to groom only to the breed profile. I have always felt that my job is to do my best to provide the owners with the clip they want, as long the coat is in the condition for me to do so, and provided it does the dog no harm. The real trick is in interpreting exactly what the owner wants, as their definition of "short" or "long" and mine may not jive. I like to suggest to people that if they see a photograph of a style they like, they should show it to me just as you would your human hairdresser. A photograph at least gives us a visual mutual starting point. This has always worked well for me, with the exception of one time where the lady brought me a photograph of a West Highland White Terrier and wanted her Bichon's head to look just like it. I'm still not sure what my goal there was supposed to be, but it reminded me of the time I brought a photo of Meg Ryan to the hairdresser and the rib-cracking sigh he gave me.