Okay, I understand why some of us want a dog who’s absolutely adorable, smart, friendly, hypoallergenic and not yappy. I understand that because Izzy is one of those dogs. When I started looking for a pup to keep me company and to replace my recently departed and very old cat, I wanted one that would be all of the above. There were several breeds that fit my criteria: Cavachons, Shichons, Shipoos, Cavapoos. You get my drift. They were all what could be considered hybrids. Poodles, Cavalier Spaniels, Bichon Frises, and Shih Tzus in various combinations/iterations, all creating the same little ball of fluff with personality, smarts, friendliness, and a tendency to be less yappy than other small dogs (like Yorkies or Chihuahuas). And who could resist their teddy bear-like appearance? (Shichons, especially, which is what Izzy is).
There are positives and negatives to this type of dog breeding, and depending upon whom you talk to, you’ll get bits and pieces of both. One of the positives is that people who might be allergic to dogs can actually own one. That’s a huge point to make. On the down side, by breeding these “designer dogs,” lots of shelters aren’t seeing people walk in to adopt the dogs that fill those kennels to the brim regularly. Negative to the nth degree. Nothing is more heartbreaking than the numbers of dogs who are euthanized because they are not considered “adoptable.” Pitbulls, once considered the American dog, are currently the breed that is least likely to be adopted — and cities/counties don’t help that phenomenon by allowing regulations that allow certain areas/cities/housing developments to outlaw owning a dog from the Pitty family.
Ironically, designer dogs are garnering higher and higher price tags, normally reserved for those purebred dogs that are never inter-breeded with another species. Dogs like the German Shepherd are now selling for less than the hybrid dogs like Cavachons.
Yesterday, I read an article from the Huffington Post entitled “Is the Cava-Poo-Chon the World’s Most Perfect Puppy?” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/cava-poo-chon_n_4311387.html Naturally, there’s a photo of an absolutely adorable pup, and the article extols the virtues of the mix of breeds, even commenting on the breed’s long life (though I don’t know how they can know the lifespan since this is a new hybrid). What amazes me is the price this breeder is asking for her pups. This is basically what we used to refer to as a mixed breed . . . translation: mutt. But because it’s cute and well-behaved, it’s also more expensive.
I don’t know about all this hoopla about the Cava-Poo-Chon, but I can tell you one thing. Izzy’s a Shichon (Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise mix), and I think he’s pretty perfect. But I might be just a tad prejudiced.
Living with Izzy 