Table of Contents
Introduction
Bichon Frise mix breeds, or crossbreeds as they are also known, have become very popular and sought after over the last number of years.
Having recently compiled a list of the top Bichon Frise mix breeds, this made me wonder about the most important advantages and disadvantages of a Bichon Frise mix breed.
With this question in mind, I set about doing some research into this area to learn more.
The main advantages of a Bichon Frise mix breed would be the health benefits in addition to the unique appearance and higher availability.
The main disadvantages of a Bichon Frise mix breed are the unpredictability of size and temperament as well as potential birthing difficulties.
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What Is A Bichon Frise Mix?
Simply put, a Bichon Frise mix is the resulting puppy that is produced from breeding a Bichon Frise with another breed of dog.
These mix-breeds often inherit the no/low shed coat of the Bichon which is a popular trait. As well as this, the resulting puppy will likely be healthier than their purebred counterparts.
Some popular examples of Bichon Frise Mixbreeds include:
- Poochon – Bichon Frise Poodle Mix
- Yorkie Bichon – Bichon Frise Yorkshire Terrier Mix
- Maltichon – Bichon Frise Maltese Mix
- Cavachon – Bichon Frise Cavalier King Charles Mix
What Is Crossbreeding?
Crossbreeding is the process of mixing 2 different breeds of dogs together to produce a new breed of dog. This new crossbreed will then inherit the traits and characteristics of its parents.
Crossbreeding is something that has been ongoing for as long as there have been dogs; or wolves. This can be a controversial topic among purebred dog breeders. They can consider this to be a disadvantage to the quality of a breed.
Conversely, there are those who believe that mixing dogs of different breeds will result in generally healthier offspring.
Whatever the opinion, one obvious result of crossbreeding is the incredible variety of dog breeds that we can see today. From the tiny Chihuahua to the big old St. Bernard and the variety is pretty amazing.
Historically, new breeds of dogs were created to serve specific purposes. For example, the Bichon Frise is descended from the Poodle and the Barbet (a water spaniel). The Bichon was originally used as a sailing dog and spent long periods of time at sea.
The popularity of “designer dog breeds” has rapidly increased in the last 15-20 years. This has resulted in most if not all of the crossbreed dogs that you see today.
In particular, Bichon Frise crossbreeds are very popular due to their various health benefits and inherited attributes.
Considering the advantages and disadvantages of a Bichon Frise crossbreed can be a very important step in deciding to own one for yourself.
A lot more detail can be found on the topic of crossbreeding in this article: Crossbreed
Advantages Of A Bichon Frise Mix Breed
We have already briefly summarized the most important advantages of a Bichon Frise crossbreed. Now its time to look at each of these points in more detail.
1 Better Health
A big advantage of a Bichon Frise mix breed is improved health. Generally speaking, the resulting mix-breed dog is less likely to inherit the health issues of its parents.
This cannot be said for certain, however. It is not always the case but with crossbreed dogs, the chances of inheriting these health issues are reduced.
Take the Cavachon as an example. This is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frise. The Cavalier King Charles breed is unfortunately quite prone to heart conditions and other related issues during their lifetime. By crossing this breed with the Bichon Frise, the chances of encountering these conditions are drastically reduced.
That is not to say it is impossible for the Cavachon to develop heart conditions but just that the rate of developing issues is much smaller.
2 A Low Shed Hypoallergenic Coat
A huge positive trait of the Bichon Frise is their low-shed ‘hypoallergenic’ coat.
This makes the breed an ideal choice for people with certain sensitivities to dogs. Plus there is the benefit of less hair floating around the house.
By crossing the Bichon Frise with a breed that has a very high rate shed coat, this will produce a mix breed that has a lower shed coat which is easier to maintain.
3 A Unique Appearance
Bichon Frise mix breeds, as with almost all mix breeds will have a very unique appearance. They have a mix of the physical traits and characteristics of each of their parents.
This will depend of course on how much is inherited from each parent but the result will be almost one of a kind.
Popular Bichon Frise crossbreeds such as the Bichpoo or Poochon (Bichon Frise, Poodle Cross) are highly sought after due to their unique and cuddly appearance.
Let’s face it, this mix breed often looks like a cute teddy bear which can seem irresistible to someone looking for a new companion.
4 High Availability
Due to the high popularity of Bichon Frise mix breeds, there is, in turn, higher availability of these breeds.
These mix-breeds/crossbreeds have become much more prevalent over the last 20 years or so which has lead to an increase in the number of breeders.
It is much more commonplace to see dog breeders that specialize solely in breeding these sorts of mix breeds. This means that generally speaking these mix-breeds are easier to acquire.
Having said that, it is important to know that the dog breeder is reputable so as to ensure that the puppies are produced in a responsible way.
Disadvantages Of A Bichon Frise Mix Breed
While there are some really great advantages to a Bichon Frise mix breed, there are also some disadvantages that should be considered.
Let’s take a look at these disadvantages in more detail.
1 Unpredictable Temperament
Due to the fact that purebred dogs have been bred for many many years, it is easier to predict what the resulting puppy’s temperament will be.
This is due to the lack of variation of the breed from litter to litter. You pretty much know what you are going to get.
The same cannot be said for Bichon Frise mix breeds. As it is impossible to predict the number of genes a puppy will inherit from each parent, so too is it difficult to predict the temperament the resulting puppy will possess.
This can be a challenge for new owners looking to own a puppy that will be friendly with children or well suited to interacting with other dogs for instance.
As these mix breeds have been around for the last 15 – 20 years or so, it is getting easier to discern the temperament of each breed. However, there is still no guarantee.
2 Birthing Difficulties
Due to the different sizes of breeds, if they are to reproduce this will potentially result in a larger dog than expected.
In the event of a larger dog breeding with a smaller dog, this can result in birthing difficulties.
This is why it is extremely important to bear this in mind when creating different mix breeds.
3 Unpredictable Size And Appearance
In a similar way to having a very unpredictable temperament, the size and appearance of the resulting dog will also be very unpredictable.
Depending on how much is inherited from each parent, the size and appearance of a Bichon Frise crossbreed can look completely different.
Even down to the level of each individual litter, a very different looking result can be found.
Again, as these mix breeds become the more commonplace it becomes more easy to determine the resulting appearance but this is not set in stone.
Buying A Bichon Frise Mix Breed
A word of caution here and this goes for mix breeds as well as pure breeds. Always be sure that the breeder you are buying your puppy from is legitimate and registered.
All dog breeders are required to follow stringent rules to ensure the welfare of the dogs is looked after.
You also don’t want to buy your puppy from a puppy farm, or puppy mill as they are also called. At puppy farms, conditions are less than desirable and the dogs can be mistreated.
For more information on puppy farms, here is an article from Cesar’s Way that I highly recommend reading: How To Avoid Puppy Mills.
Conclusion
Taking into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of a Bichon Frise mix-breeds is an important thing to do. Especially if you are considering owning one for yourself.
I hope you were able to find some useful information in this post. If you can think of any additional advantages or disadvantages I would love to know more. Please let me know in the comments below.
If you have any questions about any of the information covered in this article, please let me know in the comments below!
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