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Cavachon: Breed Temperament, Exercise Needs &
Health

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About Cavachon

Country of Origin, History of Cavachons

There is no known date or person who started the Cavachon breed, but it is believed it may have existed naturally over the years. However, it was only in 1996 that designer dog breeders in North America mixed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise to develop Cavachons to have an intelligent, affectionate, companion dog. They were bred to minimize the health issues each breed was prone to having.

As demand for mixed breed dogs kept increasing, Cavachons became more and more popular.

Cavachon Tools

Breed Selector Tool - is the Cavachon the right breed for you?

Is the Cavachon the right breed for you and your family?

Find out by using our Free Dog Breed Selector Tool

Check Your Cavachon's Learning Style

Are you aware dogs also have a learning style that can greatly affect their ability to housetrain as well as be trained correctly. Evaluate your Cavachon's learning style and personality using our free Learning Style tool so that you are better able to provide him with the proper Cavachon training methods.

Is your Cavachon dominating over you?

Does your Cavachon bark unnecessarily? Does your Cavachon come to you when you call? Download a FREE Report on Dog Dominance for you and your Cavachon and learn how to control your dog.

Do you make these mistakes with your Cavachon?

Are you inadvertently snow-balling bad behavior in your Cavachon? Evaluate your Dog Training Style from our Free Tool and learn how best to deal with your dog.

Cavachon Calorie Calculator

Do you know how many calories your Cavachon needs every day and how many cups of food you should be giving it every day? Click here to use our Cavachon Calorie Calculator.

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A General Appearance of the Dog

The Cavachon is a mix of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Bichon Frise. As such, each dog can have any combination of traits of the two breeds, so there is no set way a dog will look or behave. Therefore, any puppy or dog of this breed may have any combination of the characteristics of either of those breeds. Be sure to learn about those breeds to better understand your dog.

These small dogs are happy in a home with one person or a family and can adapt to children, apartment living, or a large yard. They are energetic, affectionate, and easy to train. It is considered hypoallergenic, but that will depend on what coat it inherited.

Coat

Most Cavachons are multi-colored rather than solid. Colors can be white, tan, apricot, and black. Their coats can be more curly and medium length like a Bichon or more long and silky like a Cavalier King Charles. They do shed, but not excessively, and you will want to brush them twice a week and have them groomed 3-4 times a year to keep them looking their best.

Cavachons are fairly hypoallergenic (not completely).

Weight:

15 – 25 pounds

Height:

12 – 13 inches

There are Toy Cavachons which are less than 12 inches in height and under 10 pounds.

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Cavachon Personality Traits

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Temperament of the Dog

The Cavachon is a friendly, fun-loving, owner-pleasing dog. Unlike many small dogs, they are not snappy with children and they get along with other pets, so make a good family dog. They are intelligent and like to use their active minds.

Cavachons are gentle and friendly. Cavachons love to learn and please their owners, so start early and continue throughout their lifetime to train them in etiquette, obedience, and tricks. Training sessions should be short and there should be rewards for positive reinforcement. They will not react well to negative feedback.

They are friendly to people, and love to be lap dogs. They may bark to warn of visitors or strangers.

Better suited to an indoor or outdoor lifestyle?

They are an indoor dog, but love outdoor playtimes and walks when the weather permits.

Are they suited to homes with kids?

If they are well socialized with kids from a young age, they will love having all the attention from all family members.

Training

Cavachons love to learn, so start early and continue throughout their lifetime to train them in etiquette, obedience, and tricks. Training sessions should be short and there should be rewards for positive reinforcement. They will not react well to negative feedback.

Start crate training early because Cavachons are not fond of being left alone and can become destructive if not well trained. It is important to give them something positive to do and keep their minds stimulated.

Cavachons are not hard to housetrain as a puppy. However, if you are adopting an adult, be aware that trouble with housebreaking could have been the reason for the dog needing a new home.

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Free Cavachon Training Secrets

Free Course on Cavachon Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

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Cavachon Activity Level

How active is the breed?

Cavachons have plenty of energy and are happy to go places with their owners and meet and greet people. They love to sit with you or be in your lap and will nap with you.

They will bark to let you know there is someone at the door. While both parent breeds can be barky, you can train your Cavachon to bark and to stop on command.

It is important to get your dog exercise every day because they can easily become overweight. Indoor play with you and toys and a couple of nice walks a day will keep him trim and happy.

Grooming

Brush your dog once or twice a week. Check ears for debris when you brush your dog. Because they have hanging ears, they are prone to debris in the ears which should be cleared frequently and may need medication. Brush the teeth at least three times a week. Clip the nails monthly.

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Free Cavachon Training Secrets

Free Course on Cavachon Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

Sign Up Here

Health and Care

While the SWD seems to be a very healthy breed there are some issues that the SWD have, just like all other breeds. There are cases of Hip Dysplasia in the breed, so choose your breeder carefully.

All breeding dogs should have their hips tested, either by OFA or PennHIP. There have been a few cases of PRA reported in Europe so it is advised that all breeders should test their breeding stock for PRA and other such genetic eye diseases with a yearly CERF exam. A responsible breeder will be able to produce the results in writing.

Like other Water Dogs and related breeds, they grow hair in their ear canals and can be prone to ear infections. The ears must be kept dry and clean. . Because these dogs are (as a general rule) so active and energetic as puppies, they may seriously injure themselves from too much running and jumping when their skeletal structure is still developing.

National Breed Clubs

National Breed Clubs: none at this time

Other Recognition:

ACA = American Canine Association Inc. (Cavashon)
ACHC = American Canine Hybrid Club (Cavachon)
DDKC = Designer Dogs Kennel Club (Cavachon)
DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
IDCR = International Designer Canine Registry® (Cavachon)

Group: Mixed Breed

AKC Popularity Ranking: Not recognized by AKC

Also Known As: Bichalier, Cavashon, Cavalier-Bichon, Bichon-King Charles

Train Your Cavachon To Listen To You

Get Instant Access to Your Training Now - For Free

Sign up for our Free Cavachon Mini Course to have a housebroken, obedient dog that happily comes to you every time you call.

You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.

You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:

  • How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.

  • 3 dangerous mistakes that most Cavachon owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.

  • The 2 main reasons why your dog barks excessively and how to control its excessive barking.

  • How to obedience train your Cavachon to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.

  • A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.

  • How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.

  • Getting Pro help fast - how to get access to our expert trainers when you need them most.

  • One hidden psychological trigger that all Cavachons have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.

  • Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.

Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Cavachon information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Cavachons have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.

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Our Dog Experts

The Cavachon training information you will read here was developed by a panel of renowned dog training experts whose combined wisdom represents nearly 100 years of specialist experience training dogs.

Here are a few of our experts:

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