A Cavachon Review
While doing some research before deciding to get my Cavachon, I found that it was very hard to find any real reviews or other information from actual owners of Cavachons. In order to help others better understand what to expect from the Cavachon breed, I have written a review based on my personal experiences with my own Cavachon!
My male Cavachon, Kasey, has been a joy to own from the very beginning. In this review, I’d like to describe the transition from the breeder to my home, his overall temperament, his physical characteristics and how housebreaking went. Most reviews don’t cover all these things, so I want to share as much as I can. I hope some of you will also share your reviews on this page as well. As you know, general breed characteristics can be the same, but each dog is special!
TRANSITION FROM BREEDER TO MY HOME
I’ve had him since he was eight weeks old and he’s just over a year old now, so I’ve watched him grow up! From the start, he has been easy going and lovable. As a case in point, I had him shipped via Delta Airlines from Iowa to my home in Ohio. The trip did not bother him in the least – in fact, when I opened the carrier, he happily scampered out to lick my face with his tiny tail wagging. He was relatively quiet during the first couple of nights when I first brought him home and it didn’t take too long before he was completely quiet during night (about 2 weeks). I kept him in a cage in my room during the night and occasionally, he would yelp to let me know to take him outside. During the day, I would block off the doors to my kitchen and move his cage there. That way I could keep an eye on him and not have to worry too much if he had an “accident” on the vinyl floor. I would leave the door to his cage open and he would “nap” in it when he was tired. All in all, the transition from breeder to my home went very smoothly.
OVERALL TEMPERMENT
Kasey is a lovable companion. He follows me around the house and enjoys being with me. When I sit on the couch, he jumps up and curls uponto my lap. I go to sleep at 10 every night and if I am late, he is there waiting for me (a creature of habit, I guess !). Yes, I do let him sleep in my bed. He is generally quiet until he sees a squirrel in the back yard, then he’ll let out a loud string of “hey, get out of my yard” barks. He has a hilarious repertoire of grunts, moans, and growls that he uses to get my attention or beg for a treat. He is very intelligent. In fact, he knows the difference between some of his toys. When I say “Go get your ball”, he actually brings the ball back! He knows several commands including: sit, lay, paw and dance. Finally, he loves getting his belly scratched.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
As I mentioned earlier in the review, Kasey is just over a year old now. He weighs about 18 pounds and he is 14 inches tall at the shoulder. He has mostly white, curly hair. I take him to the groomer roughly every other month because his hair will grow quite long (3″) if left uncut. I like to keep his hair about 1″ long on his body and 2″-3″ long on his tail. He has very expressive dark brown/black eyes that just melt you when he looks at you. His ears are very long – an attribute from the Cavalier – that tend to drag on the ground when he is sniffing about.
HOUSEBREAKING
Despite the fact that Cavachons are very smart dogs, it still took Kasey quite a while to get the knack of going to the bathroom outside. It probably didn’t help that I moved when he was 6 months old. But now, at just over a year, he is almost completely trained. I taught him to ring a bell attached to the door when he wants to go out. A little warning for you…this is a great trick to teach your dog, but if you aren’t around to hear the bell, you will run into problems. You may just want to teach your dog to bark! I taught him to go outside by first taking him out regularly and giving him a treat when he went to the bathroom. If he had an accident in the house, I would immediately take him outside and reward him if he went out there.
Overall, this is an excellent breed – these dogs make great companions who have tons of energy. I hope this review is helpful to you. Please feel to let me know if you have any questions.
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My 4 month old cavachon, Leo, is extremely playful and I want to thank everyone here whose offered advice – most of it has been very helpful. My big issue is with Leo’s walks around the neighborhood – I have him on a fairly short leash but he continues to pick up every object that will fit in his mouth- this includes small rocks and cigarette butts and everything smaller than a golf ball. I’ve tried walking him with a non-edible chew bone in his mouth but have to retrieve it every 20 feet or so as he drops it immediately just to pick up a leaf. He loves chewing on plants as well, especially ones that are flowering. I live in a crowded beach community so 90% of our walks are on concrete or asphalt. Any suggestions as to how I can correct this behavior- worried that he’ll swallow something poisonous. And do you think he’ll outgrow this habit as he gets older?
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My cavachon, roxie, gets real hot when it is above 70 degrees. She will walk about five minutes and then just sit or lay down. Is this normal for cavachons
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Lori Replied:
April 8th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
I don’t know, we don’t really have that happen with temps in the 70’s. Once we get in the 80’s, I would say Kasey is not too into walks and does pant alot. Make sure Roxie has water available to her when that happens.
I would say the best thing to do would be to ask your vet.
Does anyone else have any comment to this?
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I have a cavachon who is 11 months old and his name is Cinnamon. We decided on this breed because my oldest son has allergys and my two youngest kids wanted a dog so bad so after doing some research we came up with this breed. We heard that Cavachons are extremely bright and great with kids. He went through a chewing faze but not as bad as I’ve read from some of the other comments. We attend puppy classes which have been very helpful because at the classes he gets to meet and play with other dogs. Cinnamon was never much of a barker but in the last couple of months he will let us know when there is somebody in the yard such as strangers or other animals. He will bark when he hears somebody come home and is very protective when your in the car and somebody he doesn’t know approaches quickly or tries to stick their heads in your window. Cinnamon has been trained to stay in a crate at night and when I go to bed early because of work, he will jump on the couch and lay on my wife’s lap or at least most of it because he’s 18 pounds. He is trained to ring the bell when he needs to go to the bathroom but on a very rare occasion he will have an accident and usually it our fault because we didn’t put him out in time.
Im writing all of this because I feel that he is the best dog in the world! He’s made our lives better and I’d say he’s truly a great friend. I would encourage anybody who wants a beautiful dog and a best friend to look into getting a cavachon
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Lori Replied:
April 8th, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Thank you for your “testimonial.” I so enjoy reading stories like yours! I feel that this is such an awesome breed and that I was blessed to find our Kasey.
There are the same puppy issues with this breed, but with the right training and loving owners, they grow in to an amazing family member.
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Lori Replied:
April 8th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
You need to send us a picture for “Kasey’s Friends” page! We would love to add Cinnamon (cute name by the way!)
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I was recently very interested in getting myself a Cavachon, but I have a general question about it’s personality. Will this dog bark if it hears a strange noise in the yard or will it greet any stranger? I heard these dogs are too loving to be a watchdog which then might change my mom’s perspective of this little dog.
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Ray Replied:
April 6th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
My Cavachon Milo is just a year old and is very quick to bark at any intruder in the area around the house including his own shadow! However I would not call him a guard dog! He loves people and other dogs and runs to greet everyone. Other than the pesky bird that sometimes eat his food he wouldn’t really scare away anything that can see him. He can sound quite scary from the otherside of a door if you didn’t know, as he has an impressive bark but in general he just wants belly scratches. They really seem to be people dogs. Milo is as gentle as a lamb.
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I agree, I have a cavachon also and he is total opposite of what sharon is describing. They are NOT over-rated, they are wonderful. Definitely the problem is with this owner, and not the dog.
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Is the cavachon hypoallergenic? It has fur, so I’m not sure how it can be. But I met someone who said it is.
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Lori Replied:
February 15th, 2012 at 10:19 pm
I have heard that it is as well. I was told it has to do with them having “hair” and being low or no shedding.
Someone just left a comment in another section that said her Cavachon sheds quite a bit (Kasey does not, but I do get lots of hair in the comb when I comb him.) She had gotten this breed due to allergies, but did not comment if she had problems as far as allergy symptoms go. I hope to hear back from her.
I have heard of a few people that had a child in the home with allergies and chose this breed because of that and were doing fine. No one in our house has a dog allergy, so I cannot speak first hand. I can only you tell you what I have read and heard.
Perhaps see if you can find a breeder to answer this for you, they should have a more definitive answer.
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I am very interested in getting a cavachon for my family. My problem is finding a reputable breeder. I don’t want to support a puppy mill and get a dog with health problems. On the other hand, I don’t want to spend my children’s college fund on a dog. Where did you get your puppies and how would you rate the breeder? I am considering Briarthorn that is linked on this site, but I haven’t seen any testimonials about them independent of their website. Thanks for any help.
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Lori Replied:
February 19th, 2012 at 12:49 am
If you are close enough to visit them, I know they would welcome that, like they did me. When I found out here was a breeder of Cavachons close enough for me to visit, I called them like anyone else would. That is how I met the couple/family at Briarthorn .
They were just a wonderful family truly dedicated to breeding puppies, giving them a great start, and placing them in the right home. Yes, they do care about where their puppies are going.
If I had known about Briarthorn 3 1/2 years ago would I have gotten my puppy there instead of having him flown in from Iowa? Yes. Do I have any regrets? NO! We love our Kasey and would not change a thing <3
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Should I worry about my beautiful new hardwood floors if I were to get a cavachon?
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Lori Replied:
February 15th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
I think you need to worry about with any dog! We also have hardwood floors throughout our house, and the house was brand new when we moved in. I was very worried about it in the beginning. Truth be told, our floors are now filled with scratches! Most of them from Kasey, but lots that aren’t, too! They are surface scratches, no deep ones or anything like that, but they are definitely there. I partly chose a Cavachon because they do not really shed – Kasey is mostly white and all that hair would really show up on our dark wood floors (especially in the corners, lol.) THAT would drive me nuts!
The scratches are not that obvious and I have learned to live with them. If it gets too bad, we’ll rent a buffer!
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My Cavachon, Sophie, will be two years old in a few months. I have had dogs my entire life, and she is by far the best I’ve had so far. Her personality is amazing, she is smart, and trains fairly easily. Animal Planet did a mini bio on Cavachons (which can be found on youtube), and emphasized that it is important to expose them to as many things as possible at a young age, as they may not adapt so well as they get older. I live in a home with a fenced in yard, and had no reason to put a leash on her until she was about 8 months old, which she was pretty scared of. All I had to do was have her wear a leash around the house and yard for short periods of time for a few days, and now gets excited when I bring her leash out. She is fantastic with young children and dogs of all sizes. She loves to play with my friend’s three year old daughter, and plays just as easily with a teacup Yorkshire Terrier as she does with a Great Dane. She doesn’t bark too much, only occasionally when she is playing, or when she feels threatened. Everyone she meets falls in love with her. She does shed some if I don’t stay on top of her grooming, but not nearly as bad as some of the dogs I’ve had in the past. The only “bad” habits she has formed, she learned from our other dog who has proven to be much more difficult to train (Bichon/Westhighland Terrier mix). He is almost four years old, and practically refuses to cooperate. Once shown that she has done something wrong, she usually does not do it again. She does love to rip apart toys, so I usually just give her bones, which she loves. Overall, a fantastic dog. I would recommend a Cavachon for anyone.
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Lori Replied:
February 15th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I agree with everything you said – although I cannot compare Kasey to past dogs since he is our first.
The part about ripping toys apart is so true! Kasey gets a squeaker out of a toy like it is his job! I really have to keep an eye on that. It is amazing how much stuffing can come out of one little toy!!!
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My Cavachon Tater is a now 1 1/2 years old. He’s been a wonderful addition to our growing family. He’s great with our newborn, some jealousy issues but has never manifested as aggression. As a puppy I found him to be easily house trained. The one thing I wish I would have known how high energy he would be. I’m not sure if it’s just mine, but if he is not taken for a long walk daily he is pretty annoying. Overall he is a wonderful dog, very smart, very kind, and wants nothing more than to be a part of the family.
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Lori Replied:
February 15th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
We don’t take Kasey for long walks daily at all (especially since we live in NE Ohio.) But we always play catch or run around the basement for a while every day so that he gets some exercise. Even if we don’t do that, he is content. Tater is still pretty young, he will probably settle down alot this year.
Congrats on the new baby! I am glad Tater is good with him/her! I had a niece that a baby and Kasey was around him alot from the very beginning. I was very nervous at first, not knowing how he would react, but he could not have been more gentle and kind! If my niece laid the baby on the floor, Kasey just wanted to lay down next to him. Even when the baby would grab at him, he did nothing! I would still never leave a baby and a puppy alone without supervision. My nephew is 1 1/2 now and there has never been one problem – quite the opposite. They really love each other! 🙂
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Hi! I am looking into getting a puppy for a new house 🙂 we have been looking at numerous breeds and I fell in love with cavaliers! The only issue I had with them was the shedding, so when I found out about this breed I was overjoyed. From what I was told they barely shed. Also I was looking into a toy dog breed. These dogs aren’t toys, correct? How tall and how much do they way? Do they do well being left alone, like if I was to go to work? Are they sweet lap dogs like cavaliers or rowdy and energized? Thanks!
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Lori Replied:
February 15th, 2012 at 10:48 pm
I will answer this as best I can. From my research when I was looking into this dog, I think they can be anywhere from about 10 pounds on up to 25. Kasey is 19 pounds.
I would ask the breeder what size the parents are and how big they think a particular puppy might get. They should have a pretty good idea. Our breeder had said they thought Kasey would be about 15 pounds, so they were off a bit.
I really don’t know about the being left alone part. I work mostly from home, so have not had to deal with that. When we do go out, we try to have it not be for more than 5 hours or so and Kasey stays in his bed (crate). We are lucky in that he loves his crate and sleeps in there sometimes even when we are home!
Kasey is both a sweet lap dog but will play catch with you as long as you keep going! I would not call him rowdy at all – he is 3 1/2 and still sleeps – alot! I always say I finally learned where the saying “I wish I had a dog’s life” cam from! When we bring Kasey places, we always get comments about what a good dog he is!
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Mary Replied:
March 25th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
My husband and I work and our nine month old Cavachon Sarge dose fine. After he came home to us we took a week off to be with him and then we had to go back to work and no problems. He has run of the house. The ony negative I can think of is we thought this breed was not a real barker but our little guy likes to everyone to hear him.
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We have a 4 1/2 month male Cavachon named Sarge. In the first two days he used the doggie door, potted in the area we preferred and learned his bed so we took down the kennel and pet pen. He is doing great but we are having problem with walking him on the leash. I would like to knw how long did it take your puppy to learn to walk on the leash?
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Lori Replied:
February 15th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Wow – sounds like sarge is doing great.
We didn’t put Kasey on a leash until he felt very independent outside and would run too far from us. It was probably at about Sarge’s age (when you wrote this – sorry I missed it for so long).
I imagine Sarge is doing fine by now, but I thought I would answer for the benefit of others……
It took a while. I don’t remember exactly how long. I think he thought he was being punished or something because he would just stand still. Once he did start walking, he would try to pull and end up gagging himself. He still does that alot. He is fine being on a leash, and waits for us to put it on when it is time to go outside, even lifts his head to help me find the collar ring. But if we are walking any kind of distance, he pulls. I have to make him “stop” and “sit.” Sometimes he learns, sometimes he doesn’t. I have a small harness for him, but I need to get him used to that. He tends to turn into a statue as soon as I put it on him!
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Hi there – great site! Any suggestions on how much a four month old Cavechon should be fed. We are giving him about half cup of dry food three times a day. Thanks! Also, any details on how to start the bell training for the bathroom would be so much appreciated! thanks, CC
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Lori Replied:
October 30th, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Thanks for the compliment!
That kind of sound like alot to me. I would imagine it depends on the dogs activity, too, though. I think the best judge is how his weight is doing. You vet will tell you about that at your check-ups.
I currently feed Kasey twice a day, about 3/4 cup of dry food total.
I wrote an entire article about the the bell training that should help you out with that – it works great for us!
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Hi-I am considering having my 8 month old male cavachon castrated – your experiences would be appreciated on this subject – especially if it has improved the evening humping & male odour !? Thanks
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Lori Replied:
October 30th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
We had Kasey “fixed” when he was 6 months old which is what our vet recommended. Thankfully I never had the problems that you talked about. I do think that neutering is supposed to help, you can check with your vet.
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I just found this site so my response may be helpful for new people though too late for you 🙂 Cavachons are part Bichon – Bichon’s are notoriously difficult to potty train – because they are so smart, they have dominance issues which people don’t expect because they are small – WRONG! I have a cavachon now 5 years old – he is an absolutely perfect companion dog but, I do need to stay on my toes in terms of reminding him who is boss. He loves everyone and everything, he has energy for long walks/jogs and enjoys every experience you offer him. He is very sweet and gentle with small children – sometimes boisterous with older kids who encourage him. He loves to perform and shakes hands with people who approach him correctly. He took a while to housebreak – about 6 months – just when I was reaching the breaking point. He has rarely had accidents since then and I honestly can’t think of one that wasn’t my fault – leaving him for too long. He also had chewing issues as a small puppy – books and flipflops I left lying around – since then, he has never chewed anything except his toys. I don’t let him off leash except in enclosed areas because he did rabbit a couple of times when something caught his attention – the spaniel part of him. Chasing him makes it worse because that becomes a game to him. Because it happened a couple of times, I don’t give him the chance any more because I am afraid for his safety. I live in a southern city and he goes many places with me – he will sit calmly for as long as I need him to in outdoor restaurants with lots of other people and dogs. He is just a terrific dog in all respects – sweet, loving, lively, smart, friendly, and cute as the dickens! He has full run of the house – never crate trained – he does like to pick up dirty socks and take them to his stash under my bed – he just nuzzles with them – weird but no damage 🙂
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Kate (UK) Replied:
October 24th, 2011 at 5:29 am
Hi – Likewise i have just found this site. Louie is just 8months & would agree with everything that Tricia says about this breed, having had many different breeds over past 30 years!
Re your socks-they have a lovely strong smell of you so they take them to comfort themselves or just keep your smell close -a very useful tool if you need to leave something with them while you are gone -the spaniel thing!
Just wondering-did you have your dog castrated as we are experiencing toy humping & smellie dog rather a lot & wondered if your cavachon went thro this -or grew out of it?
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Any suggestions on to teach the bell trick for going outside?
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Lori Replied:
July 16th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
I finally got my bell technique training tips up! I had numerous requests for this, so to all of those who want to train their doggy this way, I hope sharing our experiences helps you out!! Let us know how it goes (and be patient — it works great!)
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Just wondering what others do with their Cavachons that bolt. Tex is now just over 1 year old and takes off everytime he’s given the chance. If we follow after him, it becomes a game for him and we end up going for miles. We have too big of a yard to be able to afford a fence. I feel bad always having him tied up to a stake in the ground. I don’t really agree with invisible fencing and again, our yard is so big we would have to buy several invisible fence kits ($$). Any ideas on how to train him not to run away? The “come” command doesn’t seem to work once he’s made up his mind to run.
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Thanks for that.I have had her since nine weeks old and she slept first few nights with me on the sofa. After that she settled happily in her crate in the kitchen. I think she is getting older and maybe realises we sllep somewhere and wants to be there.She loves her cuddles during the day and is rarely lft alone any longer than 2 hours.I might try leaving her longer during the day. What do you think? Thanks a lot Mary
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Wow I only got half way thru it really is good to hear other owners experiences and really makes me appreciate my lovely Lulu a 7month old Cavachon. She is house trained, with a lot of input from me but very successsful is sweet natured and doing really well with visitors. She has been successsfully crate trained up until the last week or so.She is now waking in the night, really wimpering and then barking’ I avoid taking her out because I know she has pooed and weed before settling and even when I do she does not go.She is waking everyone and it is very disruptive for school work etcwakes at 3or4am then awake again at 6am and will not settle at all HELP
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Lori Replied:
May 3rd, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Where is Lulu’s crate?
If it is in the same room as someone, my guess is that she wants to be out and with them. If that is the case, I would try moving it to a room with no one in it. We had Kasey in a spare BR until he was about 1 and absolutely sure about his potty habits then let him in our room at night, outside the crate. He ended up in our bed.
If Lulu is away from family, maybe try moving her crate into your room and that may satisfy her.
Does anyone else have any ideas or experience with this?
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Sandy Replied:
May 15th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
My cavachon Izzy is 7 months old, crate trained, crate is in kitchen, at night we move crate into our bedroom she likes being with us, and everyone gets a good night sleep.
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Anonymous Replied:
November 8th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
November 8th 2011.
Hi
We live in Wales,UK,we have a new Cavachon called Megan who is now 11 weeks old.Megan sleeps in a crate downstairs in the dining room,we have a doggie play pen attached to the crate and leave the crate door open.In the playpen area we leave pads for Megan to wee on.We have been very lucky as Meg sleeps all night and wees on the pads.We feel that the playpen area makes a difference as she can stretch her legs if she wants to .
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I have not heard this about the breed either. Sounds like she has never liked the dog and the dog knows it and is acting out . The probable may not be with the dog but the negative environment that it is in
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Exactly what I wanted to post as well. I dont think the breed has anything to do with potty training! I have friends & family that own different breeds of dogs and it seems like when they are puppies they will ALLLL have accidents if you aren’t on top of them. Consistency and TREATS have helped potty train my 6 month old Cavachon, Khloe. She is 95% wee-wee pad trained at this point and now slowly Im transitioning her to go outside. When we got her in the winter we basically had a snowstorm every other week so it was alot easier to train her on the pads. For all those who aren’t sure of owning a Cavachon, all I can say is that my fiance and I are sooooo happy with her. She is lovable, friendly and so well behaved for a puppy. Friends, family , and even strangers comment on how behaved and calm she is. This I would say has ALOT to do with her breed and this is definitely a positive side to getting one. All in all puppies will be puppies. Chewing, having accidents, and being curious are normal behaviors of any puppy and no matter what breed you get you must be on top of them or they will get away with anything you let them get away with. Once they start maturing it all gets easier. One quick question to anyone who can help…did anyone teach their pup the bell trick with going to the bathroom outdoors? If so, how did you attempt it. Thanks!!!
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Lori Replied:
May 3rd, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Hi Nicole-
We did do the bell technique with Kasey – I am going to write a post on it ASAP. It was quite easy and he caught on pretty quickly. Kasey will be 3 at the end of June, and still rings the bell then waits by the door if he needs to go out and I have neglected that duty for too long!
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Anonymous Replied:
May 9th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Ok thanks Lori. I would be curious to know how you did it bc Im eager to start. But I have another question. We just got Khloe spayed a little over a week ago. Im very upset to say that shes been having many accidents since this happened. If I show her to the pad and remind her she does fine. But if I lose track of her in the house for too long she ends up having an accident (mostly bowel. )I feel like all my hard work is erased and I have to start over. Is this normal? My vet said it could be behavorial bc she did a test and she doesnt have a UTI and her scar is healing perfectly. Supposedly puppies tend to go backwards at times when you think they are housetrained and then you have to re-start? Please help with any advice or similiar stories. THANKS!
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I totally agree with everything in the above post! Well stated!
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We have just expanded our family to include our new Cavachon named Abbie. We have a 6 and 4 year old. She is truly a delight. Housetraining has gotten better as she has only been with us for one week. She is ten weeks old. I would have to say CONSISTENCY is key. You can not expect a puppy to not have accidents if YOU are not watching them. There are definately CLEAR signs when ANY puppy is about to potty. As soon as you sense it you pick them up and take them outside. We have rewarded with treats when they go on command. Our new girl is very smart. She has not messed in her crate. You can not classify a dogs potty habit by breed name. It really is OUR job to teach them. So far so good. She has been a delight and is exactly what we needed in our family. She is excellent with the kids. She does have a puppy chew, but a simple redirection has taught her that she has her toys for chewing. I would not allow my Abbie off of her leash as she has spaniel blood in her. They are known for running once they have their mind on something. A dog is only as good as it’s teacher chooses to teach. That really goes for ANY breed, whether it is full or not.
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I am a new puppy mommy to an 11 week old cavachon which, I have named Maya. This is my first week and would like to know if peeing, what seems like, every 10 minutes is common. Should I control her water intake? Lots of conflicting info on this. Some say water should be accessible all day and others say to control the water. I live in Florida and the weather is generally hot and humid.
As well, I would like to know:
How long should I talk Maya out for walks, she is so young and little.
How do I balance the treat quantity with her meal allowance, Maya is an insta-pig! LOL
Is it healthy to keep her in her crate, alternating between play time. (This one is for my own sanity) By the way her crate is opened and sectioned out with puppy barrier and pee-pee pad.
Thank you.
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Hi C.D,
Yes, consistency is key for quicker training – although I think that would be true of any breed of puppy.
I can certainly understand you and your boys wanting a dog in your lives. They do bring the unconditional love, not to mention lots of fun!
You asked how a Cavachon has changed our lives, well, that could take forever to answer because in the last 2 1/2 years since we have gotten Kasey, my husband and I have literally commented to each other over and over how much happier we both feel and how much joy he has brought to our lives. You can’t help but smile (and melt) when he looks at you with those eyes no matter what else is going on. He is always there to keep you company or greet you with overwhelming joy when you get home.
The difficult question you have to answer, and only you can, is if you can handle a puppy in your life right now. Sometimes it is better to get a dog that is a little more mature when you live a very hectic life and may not have the time to devote to consistent training. I truly liken getting a puppy to bringing a new baby home. They need a lot of care and attention, and it does get tiring at times. A new puppy really cannot be left home alone for very long, especially at first. So that is a problem for many people.
I can’t comment too much about the poisonous plants. We do not have a fenced in yard, so Kasey is just about always on leash when we are outside. It is easy to keep an eye on him. When we are running around playing with a ball or something, he is more interested in that than anything else. When he does pick up and chew something from the yard, it almost always mulch!
Best wishes to you with whatever you decide to do, I am sure that you will make the right decision. It sounds like you are really thinking it through. Let us know what happens!
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Denny Replied:
March 21st, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Wow what a great website.I wish we would have found it two months ago.Bella is seven months old and sounds like a sister to Kasey.
Bella was 5 months old when we got her from the breeder( who only breeds first generation) Since day one she will go to the door if she has to poop usually within ten minutes after she starts eating sometimes not finish her meal.BUT her peeing is something else we take her out anywhere from 20 minute intervals to 45 minute intervals and she will pee everytime.The problem is her frequency.She is crated and will sleep all night without issue.
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We have a lab (whom we trust not to run off) and our male cavachon.. my husband has let our cavachon out w/o a leash many times thinking that he can trust him not to run off..
Our cavachon cannot be completely trusted not to run… sometimes he stayed, sometimes he ran (we always got him back). Luckily he’s so friendly that he’ll pretty run to the 1st person he sees.
So in our case – better to be safe than sorry.. I wouldn’t trust ours near a busy street.
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Hi, thank you for this forum.
I am a single-parent who is raising two school age boys full-time along with working too. My oldest is an animal lover and both are begging for a dog. The cavachon seems to meet all our needs: athletic, smart, sweet, small, and non-shedding. I even have a deposit on a little one. However, I am getting cold feet. Hearing about some of your difficulties leads me to worry that I may not have the energy to be consistent with training in the first year, though I can be pretty determined if I need to. What I would like to hear from you is how the benefits may outweigh the costs. I, myself, don’t at this point need more commitments but the unconditional love and affection that a dog can bring is always welcome. But more importantly, if it makes a difference in my kid’s life, then almost anything is possible.
How has a cavachon changed your lives? Am I nuts to take on the training of a little pup, along with everything else I have on my plate? Some of these questions may be too difficult to answer though I throw them out to see what some of you have to offer.
Thanks in advance… 🙂
ps I heard that poisonous plants are dangerous obviously. How do you handle this in your own yards?
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We have a 5 1/2 month old Sophie whom we got from a breeder. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. We have four children ages 8-14 that have been begging for a dog for years and we were finally ready. We did our research as my husband is allergic to a lot of things and Sophie rarely sheds. She just got all her puppy hair cut off so she is quite short now but it did get long and had to keep her combed and brushed a lot. She is the most lovable, adorable smart dog. She has been quite easy to potty train although she is a little confused with the snow melting as that is all shes known. Once in a while she will go on this certain carpet in our basement but we try to keep that gated off for a few more months. Crate training has been a breeze and sleeping at night has been great. Although, like a baby, they definitely learn what they want if they cry! Cavachons are a wonderful breed for any age!
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