What is a Cavachon puppy?
Cavachons are small furry dogs, making them the right choice for people who live in small apartments or houses. If you are looking for a real watchdog, the Cavachon is not the right choice for you. Instead of a natural watchdog, the Cavachon is a friend to everyone. They are friendly and enthusiastic. The Cavachon is the right choice for families with children, but also families with other pets.
Cavachons are one of the most popular hybrid dog breeds due to its stunning appearance, the Cavachon. It is a mongrel dog that arises from the crossing of a bichon frize and a cavalier King Charles spaniel, two of the most recognized dog breeds worldwide.
Due to its parents’ characteristics, the cavachón is a dog that enjoys a stunning physical appearance. However, its benefits go much further, since we are dealing with a hypoallergenic dog with a happy character and, above all, very energetic. If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog like this, read on to discover everything about the Cavachon dog, its characteristics, care, and possible health problems.
The cavachón and its particular personality
Loving and kind, the cavachón is the pet that every family would like to have. It gets along great with children, although it is advisable never to leave them alone since being a small dog could be injured. They are also usually excellent friends with other dogs and even cats.
They are likely to bark at unknown people, but they cannot be considered guard dogs due to their size. Training them is simple; they tend to learn quickly and enjoy pleasing their owner or coach. It is an active dog that enjoys the outdoors and requires at least one walk a day.
The cavachón adapts quickly to life in an apartment or small flat, as long as you take it out daily for a walk. They do not usually tolerate the cold in the right way, so it is advisable not to leave them outside in winter or walk when the temperatures are shallow.
This wonderful breed had its origin in the United States, more precisely in 1966, and since then its popularity has been growing due to its adorable appearance and way of being.
Origin
The cavachón is one of the so-called designer dogs since they arise to meet expectations generated by the characteristics of the original breeds. In this case, a dog was sought to combine the physical and psychological aspects of the cavalier King Charles with those of the bichon friz.
For this reason, the breed emerged in the United States, specifically in Pine, Arizona, where breeders, advised and assisted by geneticists and veterinarians, created a unique breeding program. As a result of this program, the first Cavachons emerged in 1996. In this way, we can verify that the history of the cavachón is very recent, which is why it is considered a genuinely new mongrel dog.
Currently, the breed does not have an official standard registered in the leading international cynological organisms, since it is only recognized as a hybrid, not as an independent breed.
Characteristics
Before discussing the inherent characteristics of dogs of the Cavachon breed, it should be clarified that not all puppies are the same since it depends on which of the two original species predominates in the puppy’s genetics. For this reason, mixed breed dogs are always unique, and it is practically impossible to find two identical or very similar specimens.
Now yes, focusing on the characteristics of the cavachón to general features, we can say that they are small dogs, weighing between 4 and 9 kilograms and have a height at the withers of between 23 and 33 centimeters. They have a complete body, like their back, with legs of developed and powerful musculature. Its shapes, in general, are rounded and smooth.
The tail is thick and dangles, standing tall when alert, as are its ears, which are medium and rounded. Likewise, the head is medium, round, and with a long snout and a small, dark nose, although there are variations between the different specimens. The eyes are large, dark in color, usually brown and round, characterized by being highly expressive.
The fur of the cavachón, of great length, is too soft and silky to the touch. The coat differs between specimens because while some have curly hair, others have it straight or wavy. This variation in the skin is explained, once again, in the dominant genetics, since the frizé birchón has a curly coat and the wavy King Charles cavalier. Whatever the type, they always have a soft coat undercoat, and the skin grows extremely fast when they are small, knowing what kind of coat they will have when they are barely a month old.
Cavachon colors
Not having an official standard, we cannot speak of accepted colors, but we can mention the most frequent ones: brown, white, and the combinations between black and white or with tan or white spots combined with apricot stains.
Puppy Cavachon
Cavachons are remarkably energetic and nervous dogs, which is exacerbated when they are in their puppy stage. At this point in their development, the Cavachons tend to be restless, hyperactive, always wanting to play and explore. These furry balls barely weigh about 2 kilos when they are puppies, so between that and that their body is not fully developed, we have to be attentive to blows or falls, as they can be fatal to their delicate little bodies.
As it happens with the adult specimens, it is tough to establish some characteristics of the puppy cavachón, since each one is different. In general, they are puppies with a lot of furs, curly or wavy, so their appearance is adorable. Also, they are very expressive since childhood.
Character
The Cavachons stand out for their energy; this means that they are restless dogs and need to be continually running, playing, and jumping. Some specimens can even become hyperactive, something that we must consider before adopting one. If this dynamic character is not channeled well through play and exercise, it can be destructive due to the accumulated energy. Also, they are usually entirely barking, always alert to everything new, or seem dangerous.
They need constant care and affection, as these dogs do not tolerate loneliness. For this reason, we only have to adopt a Cavachon as a companion animal if we are entirely sure that we can accompany it long enough. If we spend too much time away from home, the cavachón can suffer quite emotionally severe disturbances, developing separation anxiety or depression.
Of course, this does not mean that they are not able to learn to manage loneliness. It is possible to teach them to be alone but, being a general trend, it is recommended to do it with the help of a canine educator or an ethologist.
Apart from the above, cavachón’s temperament is characterized by being affectionate, affectionate, and attentive. It is the ideal dog for everyone, both for people who live alone, because it provides love and company in abundance, as well as for families with children, with whom it gets along wonderfully, and for older adults, to whom it will give infinite affection and joy. It is also ideal for those who already share their home with other animals, as the cavachón is usually sociable.
Care
The Cavachon mainly needs to stay active by doing physical exercise regularly and frequently. This is essential so that it maintains its balanced character and does not present physical or mental changes. For this, we can resort to games, circuits, or long walks. Likewise, we can resort to the ingenuity and intelligence games, which will favor the correct intellectual development of our cavachón and keep it entertained.
About the previous point, we must not forget the care needs that this mongrel dog demands. Remember that it does not tolerate loneliness, so toys become even more critical when we go out. Thus, we can buy food dispensing toys or the intelligence above games.
Another care of the cavachón resides in its cloak. It is necessary to brush it daily since its length tends to become tangled if it is not brushed regularly. Also, it is recommended to trim the hair every two or three months to keep it even and prevent it from accumulating dirt.
In terms of food, cavachón needs a balanced and quality diet. We can achieve this by feeding them with feed made with natural foods and suitable for human consumption, which entirely covers their nutritional needs. Now, if what we want is to establish a diet as natural as possible, we can also opt for homemade food. For these cases, we recommend consulting this article: ” Natural dog food. “
Education
Cavachons are attentive dogs, always alert, and ready for activity. This facilitates their training because when an animal is predisposed to act, it is easy to reward it when it does it well, promoting this to happen again, which is known as favorable reinforcement. This training technique has proven to be very useful with all animals because it allows them to be motivated and want to continue learning.
Punishments or screaming do not get good results with any dog breed. When discussing the education of the cavachón, it is essential to comment that these techniques have an even more negative impact on this hybrid dog than other dogs. Thus, in the face of these negative stimuli, the Cavachon can develop stress and anxiety, but also depression due to the dependency bond that it usually creates.
We have to combine respect, patience, and above all, perseverance in training the cavachón. Otherwise, if we relax, consent to it, and are not constant in its training, we will only get it to become capricious and not respond to our requests.
Given their playful nature, we can use educational games, through which they learn basic notions such as where they can play and where to urinate or defecate when they are puppies and others. In this way, using the game, he gladly learns almost everything we set out to do, enjoying both himself and the training process.
Finally, whether we adopt a puppy Cavachon as an adult one, it is essential to socialize it to ensure that it learns to relate to other animals and people. Although we face a friendly dog by nature, it is convenient not to leave out this part of the education process.
Health
Dogs of the Cavachon breed do not usually present the parent breeds’ anomalies with great frequency; however, they can occur in them. Some of the most frequent are eye problems, among which conjunctivitis or cataracts stand out. To avoid complications, it is recommended to keep your eyes clean and go to the vet for alarming signs such as irritation or abnormal secretions. They can also develop hearing problems such as otitis, for which it is also recommended to keep your ears clean and watched.
Other diseases of the Cavachon that may be a cause for concern are cardiac pathology that affects the mitral valve. We must be vigilant if symptoms of cardiac malfunction occur, such as lethargy, excessive tiredness or shortness of breath, going to the vet urgently.
On the other hand, it is necessary to keep our vaccinated animal, identified by microchip and dewormed, following our trusted veterinarian’s recommendations. If we offer the cavachón all the care it needs and carry out good preventive medicine, its life expectancy usually ranges from 12-14 years.
Where to adopt a Cavachon?
If we have fallen in love with this mongrel dog and want to share our home with a cavachón, we must first be sure that we are prepared for it. We must take into account the characteristics indicated in this article, such as its high energy level or its tendency to bark, as well as the need for affection and company.
If taking all of the above into account, we are determined to share our life with a cavachón, we recommend going to shelters and animal associations in your area, as perhaps one of these dogs is currently looking for a family. By adopting an abandoned animal, we help save a life and fight animal abuse, allowing him to enjoy a happy home and to give us all the love they keep.
The cavachón and its particular personality
Loving and kind, the cavachón is the pet that every family would like to have. It gets along great with children, although it is advisable never to leave them alone since being a small dog could be injured. They are also usually excellent friends with other dogs and even cats.
They are likely to bark at unknown people, but they cannot be considered guard dogs due to their size. Training them is simple; they tend to learn quickly and enjoy pleasing their owner or coach. It is an active dog that enjoys the outdoors and requires at least one walk a day.
The cavachón adapts quickly to life in an apartment or small flat, as long as you take it out daily for a walk. They do not usually tolerate the cold in the right way, so it is advisable not to leave them outside in winter or walk when the temperatures are shallow.
This wonderful breed had its origin in the United States, more precisely in 1966, and since then its popularity has been growing due to its adorable appearance and way of being.