Once your dog knows basic bichon training commands, you can then expand his education by teaching him some tricks. A trick can be fun to teach, and fun to learn for your pooch. Bichons in particular enjoy these activities as they are both a comical and smart dog. In fact, he was once used as a circus dog, so goofy behavior is not unnatural for this breed.

If you are finished with teaching your dog general commands (I.E. - sit, down, stay, come, heel, etc.) and would like to engage in more amusing bichon training, the following are three tricks you can introduce to your pal:

Crawl - Have your pet go into a down position. Hold a treat in one hand, and place the other hand on his shoulders. Using short movements, move the treat holding hand up and down. While moving the cookie, say "Crawl" to your dog. When he attempts to come forward, your hand on his shoulders will prevent him from getting up.

As he moves toward the reward, draw it away from him so he must crawl forward to reach it. As soon as he makes the first crawling maneuver, give him the treat and praise him. Each time you do the trick, have him crawl a longer distance.

Note: If your bichon frise dog has difficulty understanding this trick, have him go under something small that will force him to craw in order to get the treat, such as a small table, footstool or a person's legs.

Hide Your Eyes - The first step to this bichon training is to tell your pet to sit. You will then say "Hide Your Eyes" to him while you take one of his paws and place if over his muzzle. Instantly reward and praise him, and release his paw. Another idea is you can give the command and then lightly blow air on your dog's muzzle to encourage him to move a paw to his face. If this works, praise and reward him. Continue to repeat your method of teaching until your pooch associates the movement with being rewarded.

Play Dead - The goal of this particular bichon training trick is to be able to point your finger at your frise, say "Bang" as you pull your hand up, and in response to the sound, your pooch will lie down on his side, or on his back with his legs in the air.

To achieve this, first give the bang command, and then place your dog in the down position you want him in. Follow with immediate praise and a treat. Continue repeating the lesson, until your pooch understands that as soon as you saw the word, he lies down flat.

Remember, as with any bichon training, you need to make certain you give your dog lessons in a quiet area with few distractions, and be sure to take plenty of breaks so you don't lose his attention. Also, do not reprimand him when he does not perform a command properly, as you will only confuse your dog and take the fun out of the experience.