Neither Lee nor I can remember quite who, how or when we agreed to get a Cavachon puppy. Somehow the children took Lee not saying no as a yes! Then their excitement began and before we knew it we were looking for a Cavachon puppy. I did some reading, as I have never been a dog owner and decided a Cavachon puppy would be a good choice for us as they have a friendly nature.
Cavachon’s are a cross between a King Charles cavalier (also called a cavalier king charles spaniel) and a bichon frise. They are often referred to as designer dogs and are totally gorgeous to look at. Cavachon dogs are small dogs and are sometimes referred to as a designer breed, because are the result of controlled cross-breeding between two purebred dogs.
Tips For New Owners of Cavachon Puppies
We searched for a few weeks looking at litters of Cavachon puppies online as knew we couldn’t bring one home until after our holiday to Crete. The timing was going to be important as we knew that to be 12 weeks in August we would need to start looking at who was breeding a litter of Cavachon puppies. My tip here is to not make any quick decisions, you should take your time and consider when in the year is best for you to invest time and training into your puppy. Cavachons make great family pets, but like all puppies you need to spend time training them.
If you want to understand the personality of a cavachon then this post has it all covered!
We found a Cavachon breeder and drove the three hour round trip to see if one of the Cavachon puppies was suitable. Of course, Erin fell in love and picked the one she wanted. Coming home from a holiday, to a puppy was certainly one way to get over the holiday blues!
It is really important to find reputable breeders when buying a puppy to ensure that they do not come from puppy farms and that they have been well treated. You should always see the puppy with the parent and it is a good idea to see them a couple of times before you bring your puppy home.
Our cavachon is now 5 and she is the best small size dog ever and very much a loved family member!
Here I am sharing what we have learnt about having a Cavachon puppy in the first week we had her and I’m also now reflecting on that experience as she is now 5! I had no idea about puppy training and have made some mistakes along the way, but it has been great fun and we are so in love! There are some golden rules for time first owners which is worth considering and understanding before you bring your puppy home.
Naming your cavachon puppy
Firstly choosing a name was really tough, really tough! When we chose our babies names that took the full nine months and there were only two of us choosing the name. Five of us choosing a name was challenging with everyone having different ideas! We decided on Lilly. Although then agreeing on spelling was another discussion! Here are some great puppy names that could help you decide!
Do puppies sleep a lot?
Puppies DO NOT always sleep through the night! I honestly didn’t realise having a puppy was similar to having an actual baby! The first four nights were really tough and the Cavachon puppy whined. She whined when we went to bed, she whined during the night and I had to get up to her. Finally, on night five she settled. Fingers crossed this is now sorted! I asked on Facebook for help and it was suggested I put a top of mine in her crate, and this has worked for us. Again similar to how you sleep train a human baby.
Update 5 years on: Cavachons are known for being very affectionate and might not like to be separated from you at night. We learnt this as our Lilly now sleeps upstairs in our room and inevitably she ends up sleeping at our feet, it’s a good thing that she is a smaller size! We preserved keeping her downstairs for about six months but she was much happier once upstairs with us.
She sleeps in a soft basket but when we wake up she is at our feet! She is happy to have a lie-in now and generally doesn’t move until I get up. My husband goes off to work and she doesn’t move!
What to feed Cavachon puppies?
What to feed the puppy is also a minefield. you can feed raw, wet food, dry food which can be grain-free dog food there are so many choices. When you bring your puppy home you need to keep them on the same food that the breeder had them on. They need time to adjust. Adding dog food to the shopping is something I need to remember although as it is heavy I think I will go for repeat delivery dog food so I don’t need to carry it far.
Update five years on: Lilly now eats twice a day and she has a mix of wet food and kibble. If I am cooking meat she invariably gets the scraps which she enjoys she has got better with food and was quite fussy in the early months.
Grooming tips for a Cavachon
Cavachon’s can have a really curly coat and I have read lots about grooming and how to keep them in tip-top condition. Our Lilly luckily has a silky coat and loves having a brush and we are using Mikki Matt Breaker for Removing Knots and Tangles from Dog and Cat Coats which seems to do the job well. Going forward we will need regular trips to a groomer. It is suggested that this starts early with a cavachon puppy trim which we will do.
Update five years on: We have got into a good routine with grooming. One of the reasons that we went for a cavachon is because I read that they are good for allergy sufferers as they have a hypoallergenic coat. My daughter has asthma and it was one thing I worried about but the cavachon’s coat suits her and has caused her no health problems. Lilly does not malt unless I am brushing her out and she isn’t too curly. She goes to a local groomer every 8 weeks or so for a bath and groom which helps and this is an additional cost to factor in with owning an f1 cavachon.
As a note, the more interbreeding that takes place the less reliable you can rely on no malting. an f1 means that the parent breeds are a bichon parent and a King Charles cavalier (easily distinguishable by their floppy ears)!
The style of the groom that we have is called a teddy bear cut which means she stays mid-length and her face looks like a teddy. We have gone a little shorter in the summer if it is very hot.
Puppies love shoes!
Lilly loves feet and shoes. Poor Lee has lost his sleepers as she literally drags them off his feet. She also loves to sit on our feet whenever she can. In the early stages Lilly did chomp down on shoes and we lost a few pairs! She also chewed through our Christmas tree lights and my hairdryer cable!
Update five years on: This was definitely a teething thing and stopped after a few months. These days she does not chew anything that she shouldn’t, house training is hard going at the time and you question whether you have done the right thing but it does end eventually!
First walk
Taking a new puppy for their first walk, well we planned a nice trip out and a walk along the river. At last minute we changed plans and went to the park instead. We were glad we did as Lilly refused to walk! I popped on the extra small harness we had bought and nothing. Our walk ended up being a carry as Lee carried her around the park! She did get lots of attention though from other people who couldn’t believe how adorable she is. She was exhausted afterwards and slept for hours. Do not expect that first puppy walk to be far or for long. You need to build up the time your Cavachon will walk for.
Update five years on: Lilly loves spending time outdoors now and is still really active off the lead. She loves a good run about in our local park. Cavachons are very affectionate dogs and want to say hello to everyone and meet new people!
Toilet training!
Poop and wee watch is the same as when potty training a toddler. We have become ninja masters at sussing her movements and taking her outside. I think she is doing really well but it is time-consuming. Never have I spent as long in my garden as this, certainly not at 7am and 9pm. I tried using Mikki Puppy Toilet Training Pads – Pup-pee Pads but mostly we just go outside. You will also want to consider using disposable or reusable training pads.
Update 5 years on: Lilly literally had no accidents in the house once trained and she is a great overnight when staying with my parents or friend if we have a night away. Lots of positive reinforcement and treats after being in the garden helped get her house trained at a young age.
The crate
Changing the crate. We have been using the car carrier and now she is settled in it I am scared to use the crate but know in a few week’s time she will certainly need more space. I have spoken to my lovely friend Jane who is a dog owner and she made me persevere with the crate after the first few bad nights. I’m glad we did as it will make life easier in the long run, especially when we have a houseful of children.
Update five years on: Well the crate didn’t last for us! It was useful in the early weeks and months when she was in her chewing phase or needed space to calm down. But long term she didn’t like it! Cavachons’ are really friendly dogs and many get separation anxiety when away from their family. Lilly certainly follows me and if I am upstairs she wants to be too!
Health Considerations when getting a Cavachon puppy
Cavachons like all dogs can have health issues especially when cross-breeding, thankfully for us we have a very healthy pup. There is no health guarantee with a mixed breed dog but things to be aware of in Cavachons are heart murmurs, ear infections and patellar luxation. We make sure that we have good pet insurance but so far haven’t had to use it. We use a regular flea and worming treatment and ensure that she had all her injections as a puppy.
Barking
Lilly is a bit of a barker! She can get small dog syndrome on walks and barks if she feels threatened, this generally occurs if she is on the lead. Once off lead she doesn’t bark and has a good energy level. Lilly barks in our garden if she can see bugs and birds! She will also bark occasionally when she can hear other dogs being walked past our house.
That being said cavachon’s make a wonderful companion, she enjoys long walks now… I never thought I would become a dog person. But I have. She is already well-loved and fits into family life easily. They are loving dogs and make great family dogs! I would definitely recommend a Cavachon puppy if you are considering which breed to go for.
For more posts on getting a puppy, I found this post Tips for a first time dog owner and really useful.
3 Responses
Lols. I am a dog lover and not a great fan of puppies. They look cute but are more work than a baby. I had to get one this time around as he had to learn to grow up with cats. He is now 18 months and we have just got to the point where I can go to the loo without him chewing something up. Chewing included my bespoke kitchen cupboards, £20 notes, Kindles, walls, iPad, destroying puppy toys in minutes, a new handbag… I could go on. Then I took in a 5-year-old who gets on with cats and she has taught him far more than I ever did. He is slowly turning into a sensible little dog 🙂
Definitely keep going with the crate, it is worth it in the end! We have a cockapoo puppy who is full of mischief but very cute.
I agree I have never spent so much time in the garden either, not looking forward to it when it gets colder and darker!
Hi did your puppy shed a lot when it was small my pup is nine weeks and is shedding like crazy,,