If you have decided to bring a Bichon Frise into your family, one of the many things you will have to consider is how you are going to obtain the dog. In practise there are three basic options: adoption from an animal shelter, buying from a breeder, or rescuing from an animal rescue centre.

Each method has its pros and cons. While buying from a breeder guarantees that the puppy will be well bred and come from healthy parents, it is also quite expensive. On the other hand, adopting from a shelter may be much cheaper, but you may not be able to know if the dog is pure bred or if there are any behavioural problems.

Your final option is to rescue a dog from a rescue centre. Rescue centres come in many forms. General animal rescue shelters will rescue many different breeds of dogs, and possibly many different species of animals. At the same time, it is also possible to find Bichon breed specific rescue facilities. The type of rescue centre will vary based on location as some areas may have a breed specific shelter, while others do not. In this article we will address some common questions about rescuing a Bichon from a shelter.