Holly is such a sweet, little dog. Years ago, I researched various dogs, trying to figure out which one would be the best fit for our family. I already knew how great golden retrievers are, but we were initially thinking that a smaller dog might be better. In my research, I came across the bichon frisé. Bichon frisés make excellent family dogs and are great with children and other animals. 

Fast forward several years to 2021, when my third oldest son decided that he wanted a small dog for his birthday. We always tried to avoid giving pets as presents and so he did not get a small dog. In 2022, prior to and after his birthday, my family was trying to process or deal with a lot of emotions and feelings. I decided to give my son a small dog. I started to look around and found Holly. She was a 15-week-old, 6 pound, shichon who was being rehomed by an elderly couple. I looked up shichons and was happy to learn that they are a mix between a bichon frisé and a shih tzu.

We decided to make a phone call and then a drive up north. When we arrived, Holly greeted us at the door; she kept jumping and wanting to lick my son’s face. Her owner told us that she had turned previous people down, but felt that we would be a good fit for Holly. 

I usually like to get recognized breeds, but I am so thankful that we got a shichon. Today, Holly weighs 9 pounds, has the beautiful bichon frisé temperament, and is one of the sweetest dogs that I have ever come across. She gets along well with people of all ages and with other animals, including our cats and chickens. Of course, it might help that she is similar in size to both of them.