In this ‘ Pets Feed ‘ article, we’ll talk about one of the most popular Cross breeds dog for its dazzling appearance, the Cavachon. It is a hybrid dog that emerges from the cross of a Bichon Frise and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, two of the most recognized dog breeds in the world.
Due to the characteristics of its parents, the Cavachon is a dog which has a very beautiful physical appearance. However, its benefits go much further, because we are faced with a hypoallergenic dog of a cheerful nature and above all very energetic. So, if you are considering adopting a crossbreed dog like this, read on to learn all about the Cavachon dog, its characteristics, its care and its possible health problems.
Cavachon photos
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Physical characteristics
Before talking about the characteristics inherent in dogs of the cavachon breed, it should be clarified that not all puppies are equal, because it depends on which of the two primitive breeds predominates in the genetics of the puppy. For this reason, hybrid dogs are always unique and it is practically impossible to find two identical or very similar specimens.
Now, focusing on the characteristics of the cavachon with general characteristics, we can say that they are small dogs, which weigh between 4 and 9 kilograms and have a height at the cross between 23 and 33 centimeters. This small dog has a broad body, like its back, with legs of developed and powerful musculature. Its shape, in general, is rounded and smooth. The tail is thick and dangles, upright when alert, like its ears, which are medium and rounded. Likewise, the head is medium, rounded and with a long snout and a small dark nose, although there are variations between different specimens. The eyes are large, dark in color, generally brown and round in shape, which are characterized by their great expressiveness.
The long cavachon fur is extremely soft and silky. The coat differs according to the specimens, because while some have curly hairs, others have straight or wavy hairs. This variation in the coat is explained, once again, in the dominant genetics, since the Bichon with curly hair has a curly coat and the rider King Charles Spaniel has a wavy. Regardless of the type, they always have an undercoat of soft fur and the coat grows extremely fast when they are small, knowing what type of fur they will have when they are barely a month old.
Cavachon Colors
Having no official standard, we cannot speak of accepted colors, but mention the most frequent, which are: brown, white and combinations between white and black or with associated tan or white spots. apricot stains.
The Cavachon puppy
The cavachon is a remarkably energetic and nervous dog, which is exacerbated when it is in the puppy stage. At this stage of development, the cavachon tends to be restless, hyperactive, always eager to play and explore. These hairy balls weigh barely about 2 kilos when they are puppies, so between that and that his body is not fully developed, we must be careful with blows or falls, because they can be fatal for their delicate little bodies.
As with adult specimens, it is very difficult to establish the characteristics of the puppy cavachon, because each one is different. In general, they are puppies with a lot of hair, curly or wavy, so their appearance is really adorable. In addition, they have been very expressive since childhood.
Character and behavior
The Cavachon is distinguished by its energy, which means that it is a restless dog and must constantly run, play and jump. Some specimens can even become hyperactive, which we need to consider before adopting one. If this active temperament is not well channeled through games and exercises, it can be destructive due to the accumulated energy. In addition, they usually bark enough, always being attentive to anything new or which seems dangerous to them.
They need constant attention and affection, as these dogs do not tolerate loneliness. Therefore, we should only adopt a cavachon as a pet if we are absolutely sure that we can accompany it long enough. If we spend too much time away from home, the cavachon can suffer from fairly serious emotional disturbances, developing separation anxiety or depression. Of course, this does not mean that they are not able to learn to deal with loneliness. It is possible to teach them to be alone but, being a widespread tendency, it is advisable to do it by the hand of a dog trainer or an ethologist.
Apart from the above, the temperament of the cavachon is characterized by being affectionate and attentive. It is the ideal dog for everyone, both for people living alone, because it offers love and companionship in abundance, as well as for families with children, with whom it spends a lot of time, and for the elderly, to whom it will give infinite affection and joy, It is also ideal for those who already share their home with other animals, because the cavachon is generally a sociable dog.
Health
Dogs of the Cavachon breed generally do not exhibit abnormalities of the progenitor breeds with great frequency, however, they can occur in them. Some of the most common are eye problems, including conjunctivitis or cataracts. To avoid complications, it is recommended that you keep its 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 its ears clean and monitored.
Other diseases of the cavachon which may be of concern are the cardiac pathology which affects the mitral valve. We must be alert if symptoms of heart dysfunction, such as lethargy, excessive tiredness or breathing difficulties, go to the vet urgently.
On the other hand, it is necessary to keep our animal vaccinated, identified by microchip and dewormed, according to the recommendations of our trusted veterinarian. If we provide the cavachon with all the care it needs and we perform adequate preventive medicine, its life expectancy generally varies from 12 to 14 years.
Life expectancy
The life expectancy of the Cavachon generally varies from 12 to 14 years.
Care
The cavachon must mainly be active by exercising constantly and frequently. This is essential so that it retains its balanced character and does not present physical or mental alterations. For this, we can use games, circuits or long walks. Likewise, we can resort to games of ingenuity and intelligence, which will promote the good intellectual development of our cavachon and will entertain him.
Regarding the previous point, we must not forget the attention needs that this hybrid dog requires. Remember it does not tolerate loneliness, so toys become even more important when we go out. So, we can buy food distribution toys or the aforementioned intelligence games.
Another care of the cavachon resides in its coat. It is necessary to brush it daily, because being long, its fur tends to become tangled if it is not brushed regularly. In addition, it is recommended to cut the hairs every two to three months to keep them uniform and prevent them from accumulating.
History of the breed
The Cavachon is one of the so-called designer dogs, because it arises in order to cover the expectations generated by the characteristics of the original breeds. In this case, a dog was sought which combined the physical and psychological characteristics of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with those of the Bichon Frise. As a result, the breed first appeared in the United States, especially in Pine, Arizona, where breeders, advised and helped by geneticists and veterinarians, created a special breeding program. The fruit of this program appeared with the first cavachon in 1996. In this way, we can say that the history of the cavachon is very recent, so it is considered a truly new cross breed dog.
Currently, the breed does not have an official standard registered in the main international cynological organizations, because it is recognized only as a hybrid, not as an independent breed.