Sidewalk Maze Confuses Bichon Cockapoo Alvin

Poor Alvin was frustrated by the sidewalk maze created by shoveling out the results of Nemo. At least he couldn't escape to China!

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!

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Designer Dog - “Luck of the Draw”

Did you know – Cockapoos were bred as early as 1940?

When people mention the term “designer dog,” they typically are referring to the more common mixed breeds such as Cockapoos, Labradoodles, and Puggles. When you are looking for a mixed breed, you need to look at the characteristics of each

breed in the mix.

In Alvin’s case, we looked up Bichon Frise and Cockapoo. We were able to find a “breed description” for Cockapoo on puppyfind.com as well as for Bichon Frise (puppyfind.com>Find a Puppy>Enter Breed>Find My Breed>Click Breed Name).

Now that it’s a few months after we brought him home, I revisited these descriptions to see how what well they fit Alvin’s physical and behavioral characteristics today.

Here’s the Cockapoo (puppyfind.com) characteristics Alvin displays:

• The Miniature Cockapoo weighs 12-20 lbs, with a shoulder height of 14-15”. At 5 months, Alvin is already 12 lbs and about 12” tall.
• The Cockapoo can be a wide variety of coat textures and colors such as white, cream, tan, or a mix thereof. Alvin is mostly white with buff/cream, and a little black. His coat is straight.
• Cockapoos are outgoing and eager for human companionship and attention. The Cockapoo will grow unhappy if it is left alone too often.
• Cockapoos enjoy the company of all living things, including other dogs and pets.
• Cockapoos do not shed much, however the coat does require extensive grooming. Alvin doesn’t shed at all, needs to be brushed every day, and needs grooming every 6–8 weeks.
• Cockapoos are intelligent and eager to please, which usually makes training a simple procedure. House training the Cockapoo may be difficult (Yes, yes, and yes!).

Wonder what Bichon characteristics apply in Alvin’s case? The answer was a wee bit surprising. I’ll continue this discussion with the next post.

First Steps to Finding a Designer Pup

What designer pup combo best fits your needs?

Designer pup or rescued mix breed?
The biggest difference is that you'll know the background of a designer dog purchased from a reputable breeder. You won't know anything about the background of a rescued dog (unless you know the dog's prior owners). "Mutt" is a four-letter word when you talk about designer dogs.

Got a family and small children?
A small dog may not be the best choice. Some of the smaller hybrid pups will not tolerate children and/or may be injured by a child.

Need to leave a dog home alone all day while you work?
A lot of dog people would ask "Why do you want a dog if you're going to leave him/her alone all day?" But realistically, this is the only way some dog lovers can have a dog. Get a breed that's easily trained so that your living space isn't trashed. And do take time off to train the pup!

Think you may be allergic to dog fur?
Find a designer combo that's likely to be hypoallergenic (for example, a Cockapoo or a Bichon mix). These dogs have hair, not fur.

Live in an apartment? Will the pup need to exercise?
Then get a small designer dog (not more than 10 - 20 pounds as an adult). Also, if the pup will need a lot of exercise, make sure you can find an area where the dog can run - every day. Alvin needs to run frantically in circles to release pent-up puppy energy, so we set up up a big playpen for him in the back yard.

Is maintenance an issue?
Some designer pups require little combing, brushing, and grooming but others require daily maintenance. Alvin (Bichon Cockapoo) needs to be brushed every day, else he resembles Raggedy Andy. Also, it appears he'll need grooming about every six weeks. I may learn how to groom him because it sure is expensive to use a groomer! Here's Alvin before and after grooming:





Can you handle the vet bills?
If a dog comes from a breeder, it's possible he may arrive with internal/external bugs. Make sure you're prepared for the standard vaccinations (Rabies, distemper) as well as monthly heartworm and flea/tick control. Also, some hybrid dogs, like their parents, are subject to health problems.

More about bugs later. Alvin arrived from the breeder with three types of bugs!

Defining a Designer or Hybrid Dog

What's a designer pup?

Here's the recipe for a designer or hybrid pup:

Take two purebred dogs - the most popular combos are Cocker Spaniel and Poodle (Cockapoo), Pug and Beagle (Puggle), and Labrador and Poodle (Labradoodle) - and breed them. The resulting litter has (hopefully) the best characteristics of both breeds, although that's not always the case. The web is full of variations on this recipe - just google "designer dog" or "hybrid dog."

You can see live examples of the three most popular types of designer dogs on YouTube: Designer Dogs on "Mornings with Kerri-Anne," an Aussie program.

A slight variation on the original recipe is a cross between a designer dog and a purebred. Case in point - Alvin the Bichon Cockapoo. Here's his picture at 8 weeks from Puppyfind.com. Note the eyebrows - I wanted to call him Groucho, but that name didn't work for his co-owner.

Alvin is a handsome pup with prominent black eyes and the colors of his parents and grandparents – a white Bichon Frise mother, a Cockapoo father, and black Toy Poodle and buff American cocker grandparents. Also, he’s an easily trainable (house and otherwise) and friendly pup with a stubborn steak. I’m not sure about the stubbornness, but the other traits are inherited.

And oh yeah - he's hypoallergenic, a trait that's absolutely wonderful for people who are allergic to dog fur.

So, that's the definition of a designer dog. More on Alvin and how to find a designer pup in a future post.