DESIGNER PUPPYS: Everything you wanted to know about raising designer or mixed breed dogs,
featuring The BOYZ: Prince Alvin His Cuteness (on left) and Sir Simon The Sad, Cockapoo pups.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Bichon or Cockapoo traits or both?


Did you know – A Bichon Frise is a cross breed?



This post is the second of two posts about looking at Prince Alvin's Cockapoo and Bichon traits. First post is Designer Dog - “Luck of the Draw”. Breed information in this post is from puppyfind.com.

Wow – Alvin, a Bichon Cockapoo, did get the “Luck of the Draw,” at least in appearance. He shows more Bichon than Cockapoo characteristics in this area. But when it comes to certain types of behavior, I wish he had more of the Cockapoo attributes.

Here’s the Bichon (puppyfind.com) traits Alvin displays:
  • Bichon Frises have long, elegant necks, strong chests, short muzzles, and a scissors bite. They have a dark halo around the eyes and a dark nose and lips, giving an inquisitive facial expression. This inherited facial expression is what makes Alvin such a handsome pup (in my opinion).
  • The Bichon Frise is highly hypoallergenic and does not shed, making it a good breed for those with allergies.
  • The Bichon Frise is sensitive, responsive, affectionate, and abundantly playful. It is a perky, jumpy, happy dog that loves companionship and is happy to cuddle up.
  • Bichon Frises have an easy, happy disposition.
  • Bichons may bark frequently or tend to nip when playing. Alvin has become increasingly vocal, usually when it’s not appropriate (from the human viewpoint).
  • Like cats, Bichons have sudden spikes of energy which cause them to run wildly around the house. It’s called Frise Frenzy and looks like pure craziness!
  • The Bichon Frise is highly intelligent, making training a fairly simple task. Bichon Frises can be difficult to house train (ain't it true!).
  • The Bichon Frise is an active dog that needs daily exercise. It is eager to play vigorous indoor games, romp in the yard, or take short walks on the leash.
  • Bichons may have allergies or be sensitive to flea bites. Alvin appears to be allergic to something – we’re trying to figure out the allergen.
  • The Bichon Frise’s coat needs to be brushed and combed every other day and trimmed every two months.

In retrospect, when looking for a dog breed, I should have had second thoughts about the "difficult to housetrain" and grooming characteristics that show in both the Cockapoo and Bichon lists. But the positive traits outweigh the negative and besides - in general, we are happy with our Bichon Cockapoo. We know he needs additional training, but that's a whole new topic of discussion!




Kingdomofpets.com
Best selling dog training package!
Click here for more info.






Tired of your pup pulling on the leash,
chewing everything in the house,
biting you, jumping up on everyone,
barking incessantly?
Click here to find the solutions to these behavior problems!

No comments: