1.

A Bichon's coat naturally grows in the opposite direction to other breeds so you should brush and stroke your Bichon from tail to head.

2.

New owners often make the mistake of thinking that they can just brush a Bichon.  Unfortunately the Bichon's coat is more like wool than hair and it can be extremely thick.  It is therefore important to make sure that you groom the coat right down to the skin.  First of all use a slicker brush to groom your dog, then go over all of the coat using a comb.  The most commonly used comb on a Bichon is called a Greyhound.  It has both wide and close teeth.

3.

Never, ever, bath a Bichon unless you have all of the tats (matted coat) removed first.  All that happens is the tats become tighter making it even more difficult to remove.  The best way to remove a tat is to hold the tat between your fingers and gentle tease the tat out of the coat.  Also always ensure you have washed all the shampoo out of your Bichons coat.  Any left will irritate your dogs skin and cause the coat to be greasy.

Stick to a routine so you don't miss any areas and so your Bichon knows what is happening.  For example start with your Bichon lying on his side, groom his legs and chest then turn him over to do the other side.  Once this is done sit him up facing away from you to do his neck, back and his tail.  Finally turn him around to face you while you do his chest, head and chin.

As a Bichon is generally white, a blue based shampoo will help keep the coat pure white rather than grey white.  You must use a hairdryer to dry your Bichon after he has been bathed.  Again brushing his coat from tail to head whilst drying.  It might be worth investing in a hairdryer stand (see example below) to enable you to have both hands free.  They retail at around £15.00 and are widely available.