What is a Cavachon?

What is a Cavachon?

The Cavachon is a fairly recent addition to the large family of canines loosely referred to as designer dogs.  Cavachons are the offspring of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a breed renowned for their loving and gentle natures and the comical non-shed and hypoallergenic Bichon Frise.  Also, described as "Hybrids" Cavachons are becoming immensely popular for a great number of reasons.  

Cavachons are eager to please & easy to train

Cavachons are very intelligent and unlike many Toy breeds, not at all aloof or independent in nature.  Dogs that are eager to please are simply easier to train.  Cavachons love to earn your praise and quickly learn to repeat behaviors that make their owners offer it.  That same desire to be praised and loved will keep your Cavachon on a fast track to complete house-training and the other basics of good canine citizenship.  They respond best to firm but loving leadership and though it's easy to spoil these lovable clowns of the canine world, like any dog Cavachons will thrive when there are loving but firm boundaries and structure in their daily routine.  

Cavachons excel as family pets

Exceptionally loving and affectionate, Cavachons happily join in with just about any family activity and are dependable and gentle with children.  The Cavachon surged in popularity after appearing on an Animal Planet Dogs 101 episode, and suddenly, the word was out!  (Animal Planet contacted Foxglove Farm and requested that they film that episode here actually.  Foresight made us turn that offer down but it was an honor nonetheless).

Described as the "Perfect Dog" with good reason, a gentle but sturdy small dog who is still quite sporty and joins happily in just about any family activity.  A dog who combines both the beauty and quiet non-barky nature of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the people loving, hypoallergenic qualities of the Bichon.

Are Cavachons Hypoallergenic? 

Families that struggle with dog ownership because of allergy issues are often quite happy to find that the Cavachon is very allergy friendly.  After a decade of raising Cavachons, we are happy to report that they are routinely very hypoallergenic and well tolerated by individuals with allergies.  

Do Cavachons Shed?

Cavachons are typically low to completely non-shed.  It is very important that the Bichon Frise has exceptional coat quality, without that part of the equation, Cavachons are sometimes not as reliably non-shed.  We have found that to be the single most important factor in raising low to non-shed puppies.  Cavachon puppies can only inherit super coat quality if their parents have it too!  Abundant coat with the right texture is step one in raising puppies who don't shed!

Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

"Although designer dogs are often selected by owners for their novelty, reputable breeders sometimes use crossbreeding in an attempt to reduce the incidence of certain genetic problems found in the purebred breeds, while retaining their more appealing traits. 
Jon Mooallem in The New York Times writes, "Given the roughly 350 inherited disorders littering the dog genome, crossing two purebreds and expanding their gene pools can be 'a phenomenally good idea,' according to one canine geneticist."

MANY DOG BREEDERS HAVE FOUND TO THEIR DISMAY, 

AS THE GENE POOL GETS SMALLER WITH EACH NEW GENERATION OF PUREBRED DOGS, 

MORE AND MORE HEALTH and TEMPERAMENT PROBLEMS ABOUND.  

why Designer dogs?

For example, the much loved CKCS (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) can be troubled with various health issues.  Also, their abundant coat sheds with abandon.  As a result, about a decade ago,  some Cavalier loving dog breeders began crossing them with the heart healthy Bichon Frise in an attempt to not only retain the beauty and delightful disposition of the Cavalier but add the allergy friendly coat and sturdy constitution of the Bichon.  The result was the Cavachon, an extremely loving and social small dog that typically enjoys robust good health as well as the sought after hypoallergenic coat qualities of the Bichon side of the family tree. 

Cavachons were an important part of the advent of the Designer Dog movement.  Frustrated dog breeders began to recognize that it was entirely possible to raise not only healthier puppies but offspring that combined the better traits of their purebred parents and often avoided the bad.  Also, they found other benefits such as a hypoallergenic coat, could be introduced in as quickly as one generation, good news for dog lovers who found that allergy sufferers well tolerate hybrids like the Cavachon.

It's no wonder that the Cavachon is quickly becoming one of the most popular choices for families wanting a small dog that has the brains and sensibilities of the best sort of companion dog.  Cavachons are excellent with children and other pets and are known for their outgoing friendly personalities.  Typically Cavachons are quite fond of the water and swimming, and enjoying everything from floating around the family pool on a doggie raft to boating and even being .