How to Groom Your Cavachon: Haircuts and Combing
Haircuts
If you have had your Cavachon for at least 6 months……probably 9 or more in most cases……your puppy has probably had a haircut by now or in need of one. I originally thought I would be performing that task myself, I even bought clippers. I have two boys that I had given haircuts to for a very long time. But, when the time came for a trim for Kasey, I was fearful of approaching this pooch with clippers! He was so darn cute, I just could not do it! I had been trimming his toenails all along, and had no problem with that. The haircut though, I (wisely) chickened out on! I found a local groomer, was very happy with her, and still use her to this day. We now are on a schedule of getting a haircut about every 9 weeks. Kasey looks cute with the long hair, but it gets difficult to keep up with, as the longer it gets the more frequent combing is required.
Combing
The baby puppy hair is not very difficult to keep up with but I still recommend you brush or comb your puppy frequently right from the start. Trust me, they will come to love that time with you! Later on you will be grateful you got them used to it. As your puppy gets older, the hair gets thicker and tangles more easily.
As Kasey got older, I found using a metal comb worked best. Here is the one we now have:
The description for it said “recommended by professional groomers, the smooth rounded teeth on this comb are gentle to the dog’s skin.” The teeth are wider at one end and closer together at the other. The wide teeth work well for a quick comb. The closer teeth make his coat fluffier and softer.
Kasey is now 3 years old. Right after grooming we can go at least a week and as much as 2 weeks without combing if we want to. Then, it is once every 4 or 5 days for a couple weeks, getting any “snarls” in between as they come up. When we are about 4 – 5 weeks out from the last grooming….our combing will happen every couple of days when all goes well. If it is longer than that, we usually have to use our “mat comb” in a couple of places, which is an awesome tool and totally saves the day- painlessly! I just recently got this and am so glad I did. There were times in the past that I would have to resort to cutting out a mat to save Kasey the pain of trying to comb it out. Here is what it looks like:
The description on this was “Mat Removing Comb has multiple stainless steel blades for quick and easy removal of severe mats and tangles.”
Kasey tends to gets “mats” in the arm/leg pit area, and, sometimes, in his long ear hair. As much as I think I do a really good job keeping up with the tangled hair, I can find a giant tangle the day after we spent a couple of hours on the couch getting combed (if there is something good on TV, we are very content and I just keep combing him J ).
On the area around his eyes I have found that using an eyelash comb works great. I can easily comb that area and the small comb makes it much safer. I bought a new one that I use only on Kasey, that should go without saying!
I have to say when I bring out the combs, I call Kasey, I take off his collar, and he is great on my lap for as long as I want to comb him. However – when I give him the word that we are done – he is out of there and waiting at the treat drawer! After treats, I call him back for his collar, and he is there, again! Usually this all takes place late evening, and he is then a happy guy and off to bed.
A Cavachon is probably more high maintenance in the grooming department than many other breeds. You will need to comb him often to keep his coat looking its best and tangle free. Always comb your Cavachon before a bath. As I said in the beginning I started with combing Kasey very soon after we got him. He has never looked at this time as anything but a bonding time for us. He has never resisted or balked at me when I bring the combs out. In fact, he jumps up on the couch knowing it is “Kasey/mommy time!” I have, however, found that it does take the right tools to make the experience comfortable for your dog, especially once the hair starts getting longer.
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I must say I was the same as you and wanted to keep my Daisy’s coat longer but we changed groomers because she did not seem happy with the one we had and the new groomer cut her hair quite short and she looked so cute we will carry on with it. She is such a gorgeous dog and so loving with everyone.
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Also, for grooming, I’ve found a rotating pin comb which really helps with tangles. It looks just like Kasey’s, with round smooth finished teeth spaced closer on half the comb, but each individual tooth or pin as they call them, rotates freely and independently! This rolls thru tangles much easier, as Dylan (at 15 months) still gets brushed every day or two with his fine wavy hair that likes to tangle!!! These are available at pet stores sometimes, but easily found from online pet supply companies.
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Anonymous Replied:
September 15th, 2015 at 4:44 am
My Daisy is 14 months old and such a cutie she is pretty good while I groom her but we have tried all sorts of combs and brushes and she still gets tangles. I groom her most days for up to half an hour. I have now bought a human Tangle teaser brush and a anti tangle dog spray (no wonder she thinks she is a princess) and I must say I am impressed with the brush fingers crossed x
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Dylan is still the love of my life! He’s now 15 months old, and starting to show more maturity (sometimes), but one issue we still have is his carsickness! He loves to go for rides, and I’ve taken him on short ones to walk in new places as well as the vet – 5 minutes, and the groomer-30 minutes. He seems to be OK as soon as he gets out of the car, and is raring to go when he sees me with his car harness, but I feel so bad for the little guy:-(. Any suggestions?
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I am getting a Cavachon in September and was wondering if any of you guys have heard of the “Potty Training Puppy Apartment” and what your experience/thoughts are. This is a grate divided
into two sections, one for sleeping and one for potty. I’m concerned that if one of the PTPA is used it might deter her from going outside.
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Jeannie Replied:
August 29th, 2015 at 4:53 pm
We’re looking to add a cavachon to our family soon and am curious about the APTA as well. Over the years I have litterbox trained four dogs, including my daughter’s cavachon. All four dogs preferred kitty litter to dog litter. Our cairn lived to be 17, and she did not go outside the litterbox, which I kind of think contributed to her longevity. If we walked her outside, she would not pee.
My daughter’s cavachon transitions well (they have lived in three states in 6 years) but she will go outside if given the chance, and in the litterbox otherwise. Litter box training (or using the PTPA) actually is better if you aren’t home for long periods of time.
Good luck–I’d love to see how your puppy fares with the PTPA.
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My cavachon is 7months his hair is so long but every time I take him to the groomers they won’t cut his hair, say I have to wait till adult coat comes though, i don’t want it short just a long puppy cut.
Not sure if there right?
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Anne Replied:
July 26th, 2015 at 1:02 pm
We have have had our Cavachon for two weeks today, she is now 10 weeks old and the third dog in our family, she has fitted in so well, she loves to play, as some have said a mad run around twice a day, we have never used dog pads for training but she came with a few to get started, we were concerned she had not peed, so I put one down it was like magic off she went had a wee!!! Never looked back, it’s slowly making it’s way to the back door, had a little accidents just picked her up put her on the pad so knows for 10 wk old very proud of her. Other two dogs are keeping a distance but very good with her, feeding time is the best all three in row, she finishes first and helps herself to Missy’s, ( she is a 5 yr old border collie) while Purdy is a minature yorkie, they great together.
Loved reading this web site,
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I have a 8 month old female Cavachon. She is my princess! Questions are: Every night between 9 and 10 pm she starts barking non-stop until I get up then growls and runs back and forth for a few minutes! Why? Also, she is very clingy following me everywhere most of the time. Are these two things normal behavior? She has brought so much love and joy.
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Anonymous Replied:
June 16th, 2015 at 5:45 pm
Is she wanting to play? My cavachon follows me around all the time.
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Anonymous Replied:
July 22nd, 2015 at 8:21 am
My cavachon Bear has what we call a mad 5 minutes which can sometimes last 15. First he barks then runs madly around the house wanting to play. When we’ve played with him he’ll collapse and enjoy relaxing rubs and tickles.:)
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Anonymous Replied:
August 5th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
The running around is particular to the Bichon breed and even has a name ….The Bichon Blitz!
I totally recommend you start early with brushing/combing your dog. I made a big mistake by not grooming my first dog very often. I took him to groomers and we had terrible experiences there. He has very curly hair and we had groomers that were very bad. They nicked him and he is now totally afraid of anything that looks like a brush or comb. We are stuck with a dog that climbs on my head (literally) when I try to brush him. My other younger one I started earlier and although he doesn’t like it, he lets me do it. What I want to know is: Does anyone have a suggestion on how to undo his fear? We think we found a good groomer finally, I hope. But he is still ridiculous to groom. And #2: He gets mats, and he is terrified of scissors and I have been afraid of that mat comb he shows above. How hard is that to use and how easily do you slip and hurt the dog with it? I have enough problems with him but his mats defeat me. Advice please.
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How do you shave a Cavachon at home?
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I have always had bitches poodles yorkys English pointers never had a problem with them at all in fact I would always have. Bitches No problem
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My gorgeous 5 month cavachon has soft but loose curls
and the fur is fine
I think when she has her first trim it will show her skin
Does there fur thicken up as they get older
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Cavachon lover Replied:
April 21st, 2015 at 7:20 am
I think it does.(
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Cavachon lover Replied:
April 21st, 2015 at 7:21 am
I think it does.(maybe)
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Hello there
I have an adorable 5 month old cavachon called Lucy.
Her fur is very soft and loose curls
I am concerned about her fine fur because I will be getting her trimmed shortly and I wonder how she will look
Is this normal to have fine hair and will it thicken up
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Cécile Replied:
March 23rd, 2015 at 8:01 am
Hi Lorraine
Our cavachon Alfie’s hair was very fine when he was a puppy; it is now a lot thicker and needs a groom every 8 weeks so don’t worry about that! She will look even cuter after her groom! These little dogs are adorable whatever the haircut!
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Firstly, this site is wonderful. I have had kasie for 3 months now, she is a little darling. The nature of a cavachon is second to none. I feel privileged to be her new mummy. She just brings so much joy and happiness into my life,I’m so glad I read your different sites, you convinced me to get my lovely little cavachon, thank you.
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Our little Lili is now 8 months old – totally loving and cuddly. I’d never even held a dog before, but Lili has filled my world, and my two teenage sons adore her. She is intelligent and nosey but can be quite a diva when tired! She takes herself to bed around 9:30 and only barks when her toys get out of reach, eg under the sofa. I’m just sorry I never knew of Cavachons years ago!
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baby whipes work very well round the eyes
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Anonymous Replied:
February 11th, 2015 at 8:18 am
I use them all the time!
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My 6 month old cavachon gets really bad tear stains and build up around her eyes. I tried using angel eyes and my vet was against it and prescribed us a tablet for my cavachon to take, but she hated it and refused to eat it not matter what it was hidden in. I went back to the angel eyes and still havent seen that much better results. I also have a special blueberry oatmeal face wash that I try periodically, but every morning I clear her eyes with warm water and a tissue. Will it get better? Is there anything else I can try? It always hurts her too when I try and clean her face, she hates it.
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jennfer d Replied:
January 7th, 2015 at 6:28 pm
It may take some time but we learned that providing water from a Brita or other filtered water system helps. It eliminates any elements in your water that can contribute to the redness in the tears. Like I said, it may take some time but totally worth it for your pup and your wallet
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Anonymous Replied:
January 24th, 2015 at 9:11 am
Have you tried a dry eye ointment ?
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wendy Replied:
March 11th, 2015 at 2:48 am
Boiled drinking water really helps
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Renee miller Replied:
March 16th, 2015 at 7:20 am
Keep eye fur short and filtered water, whip with tear whips.. Worked for me
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CC Replied:
May 17th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Filtered water helped our Cavachon a lot.
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I have just brought my puppy today and have noticed he is coughing then it looks like he is going to be sick , he was sick in the car on the way home he is nine weeks old . I’m taking him to the vets tomorrow to have him checked over , he hasn’t eaten or drank anything and we have been home for about six hours is this normal , they told me to feed him on bakers puppy dried food and fresh chicken , does this sound right he seems to be very quite .
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Anonymous Replied:
December 6th, 2014 at 4:18 am
Hi Sue, my little girl was exactly the same…got her about the same time as you – I hope all is well now! Where did you get her? X
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Hello my puppy is just 13 weeks when do they get their adult coat
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My cavachon is seven months old he is very loving, but when it comes to play he is very rough
Is this normal in the breed?
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Anonymous Replied:
February 11th, 2015 at 8:28 am
We bought two 8 1/2 week old females together, and we’ve had them only ten days now. The smaller one seems to be the most aggressive with the bigger one, and both of them growl and snap and bare their teeth at each other when they are playing with their toys. I take the toy away until they calm down and try to intervene each time they really get into it, but, I’m not sure if this is effective or not, and if they will be worse when they grow up. We expose them to people all the time, including children in order to try to socialize them, and they do well. I wonder if this is characteristic of this breed.
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Cavachon lover Replied:
April 21st, 2015 at 7:02 am
I am not sure if that is normal in Cavachons,however,not all dogs do good together.
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We have just brought home a 12 week old Cavachon. He has a slight cough that the vet doesn’t think is kennel cough and is just keeping an eye on at this point. It occurs infrequently and not brought on with exercise. Sometimes occurs when he is just lying around. He mentioned the possibility of a breathing abnormality. Is this something that occurs genetically with Cavachons or small breed dogs? Has anyone else experienced this?
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Anonymous Replied:
August 25th, 2014 at 11:22 am
We had this with our young puppy, but now at 18 weeks he’s pretty much stopped it all together!
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karen rose Replied:
June 13th, 2015 at 3:36 pm
The cavalier is a dog that can be prone to heart issues and Cavachon is a cross between a cavalier and a Bichon . Have your vet check for heart issues.I had a Cavalier for 8 years and she had a heart murmur.A good I breeder should have made sure not to breed a dog with problems. Good luck.
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I have an adorable Cavachon named Dylan, 10 weeks old. I’m concerned about the hair under his eyes, know this can cause chronic corneal abrasion, and want to prevent that. Will it grow out and smooth down, or does it need to be trimmed short to stay out of his eyes? Love my boy, he just gets smarter every day!
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kirsty Replied:
August 18th, 2014 at 11:48 am
I trim my cavachons eyes every other week to keep her eyes free form furry clutter. It would be cruel not to really as her fur grows so quickly, it gets in the way of her eye sight. She doesn’t like me doing it but the vet says its essential to teach your dog you are going to do jobs like trimming nails and fur, and its by a consistent approach you show the dog your not going to hurt them only help them. To begin with we got ourselves in a sweaty mess, I just kept telling my dog I was going to trim her fur and gently approached her with the scissors. It took about 20 mins before she realised it was better to just hold still than to fight it. Now we take just 2 minutes to fight it out with her moving her head as you approach her, but then she gives in and holds really still whilst I use hairdressing scissors to gently trim the fur round her eyes. she’s happy to be able to see again.
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Martha Replied:
September 9th, 2014 at 1:59 am
Kirsty
Thanks so much! I got brave in the meantime and trimmed around his eyes, and he could see so much better, and I could see his eyes again! So, I’m learning, and hope it will get easier after his first trip to the groomer in the morning so I have a baseline to go by. So far, all I know is I DO NOT WANT THE BISHON CUT. My friend has a cavachon, and she is shaved tight all over the body, with a puffball at the end of her tail, and a round cut head and ears. I don’t mind combing every day, but the legs are getting to be a challenge !
Martha
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Anonymous Replied:
October 28th, 2014 at 5:42 am
I have an adorable Cavachon called Dylan also! He is smart. I am having a problem finding someone that grooms him properly. On two trips to different grooming parlours he comes out looking like they have used a knife and fork to cut him and the last one had him for 4 hours for that, I could scream! I will keep hunting down the right groomer and stick with it. He gets combed daily to keep those tangles at bay. Now 10 months old he loves nothing more than to meet up with other dogs that are regulars in our local park and have a great run around and a bit of a rough and tumble. The weather here in the UK means that we have had to buy him a waterproof coat that covers his legs also, no problem with that.
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When i switched to bottled our filtered water the tears went away completely. It wad znazing! Advice from a Multi-poo owner. It really wirks!
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My Maltese and poodle stopped by giving them bottled water. Takes a few weeks. Good luck
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We got Poppy in November, hence why we called her Poppy. I have always had dogs, my last been a Labrador. Poppy totally lives up to the breed, she has totally melted our hearts and brings joy to us everyday. We also have toys all over the house, we find it very amusing that when we sit in the lounge on an evening she will go round the house collecting all her toys and brings them into the lounge so that she has them by her side. She is adorable with our grandson who is just coming up to one year old.
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Hi. To reply to Maureen, i have a idea on what your problem is (the growling at other dogs). Was there ever a incident with a bigger dog when your Cavachon, or any dog? Did your dog ever get in a fight before? You may not have a aggressive dog, you could have a very unsure dog (unsteady around other dogs). If your dog got in a fight before,next time he sees a dog he thinks,”can I trust this dog?” When the dog comes near him, is that when he growls and snaps? If so, then he is just trying to protect himself (because he has never learned to trust dogs properly) or tell the dog that he needs personal space. I recommend that you go to some “DOG BODY LANGUAGE” websites and learn. That may help to determine why your dog is acting the way he is. If your dog is just very protective over space or HIMSELF, then it may be a aggression problem. When you see your dog growling, LOOK AT HIS TAIL! if the tail is up: good sine. If the tail is tucked under legs: bad sign (unsure dog)!!! Contact me on this website if you need help. I HOPE IT HELPED!
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Anonymous Replied:
August 2nd, 2014 at 9:29 am
Dog Trainer: Thank you so much for replying. My dog has never been in a fight or had a bad experience with another dog. She is really a very social dog and has lots of doggie friends who she enjoys playing and walking with. Occasionally though she will growl and snap at her friends for no apparent reason. I have noted what you said about her tail being up or down and will now make sure I notice it the next time she growls. Most of the time tail is up. I did take her to a dog behaviourist who said she is definitely not aggressive. Of course while we were there she behaved beautifully and did not bark growl or snap at any of the dogs we worked with. She also seems to be pretty sure of herself and I sometimes wonder if she is just letting her friends know that she is in charge.
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Our cavachon did the same. Hang in there, it does get better! They need a lot to chew on and we keep a basket full of chew toys. He goes and gets them out one at a time until he finds one he likes. Ours likes anything the kids leave on the floor and if it’s socks, the smellier the better to him.
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Ryder is a F1 Cavachon, but he sheds a bit too. My friend is a groomer and said that it’s purely bc he go the thicker fluffier Bishon coat. He has quite a bit of undercoat and mats easily. however, he sits very well for brushing, we use an anti-matting spray, anti-shed spray, and a pretty heavy duty undercoat brush and that seems to work pretty well.
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