Cock-a-chon Dog Breed

The Cock-A-Chon is a companion dog that comes from two very different purebred dogs that are nonetheless affable in family settings. They are great for first-time dog people, and they get along wonderfully with other dogs. They may have to be socialized with smaller, non-canine pets in case the prey drive from the Cocker Spaniel is strong. They play well with kids but the children must be educated to know that the Cock-A-Chon might be highly sensitive to touch.

If you plan to adopt a Cock-A-Chon, here are some things that are good to know about them:

PROS

• Intelligent
• Easy to train
• Loves to play
• Highly energetic
• Very affectionate
• Unbelievably adorable
• Will follow you everywhere
• High tolerance to cold weather
• Can learn tricks at an early age

CONS

• Can bark a lot
• Training must be consistent
• Low tolerance to hot weather
• Housebreaking can be difficult
• Tend to be very sensitive to touch
• Separation anxiety can occur quickly
• If double coated may need a lot of grooming

The Cock-A-Chon is a designer dog intended to be a family companion animal. Although crossing two breeds tends to produce puppies that can inherit any ratio of their parents' characteristics, most breeders of these dogs try to get the cheerful disposition of the Cocker Spaniel and the huggably cute look of the Bichon Frise. Even puppies within a single litter may turn out to be very different from each other.

Both parent breeds are highly intelligent dogs. The Bichon Frise can be temperamental and demanding, but the Cocker Spaniel traits typically take the edge off that. As such, these dogs are usually easy to train, require few repetitions and learn lots of tricks very quickly when they are still young.

As adorable as these hybrid dogs are, they may not like being picked up or handled save for petting. This may ease up as they get older. Still, they can get separation anxiety quickly, and become destructive as a result. Otherwise, they are very friendly to everyone, be it the master, family members, new friends and even strangers.

Spaniels are often hyperactive, but the calm personality of the Bichon Frise will help the Cock-A-Thon have an in-between level. These dogs will be relatively active throughout the day, but they do need short daily walks outside (or playtime in a fenced yard) as well as some visits to the dog park.

The Cock-A-Chon is a recently developed crossbred dog that has not been closely scrutinized in a collective fashion. As such, the health profile of these dogs remains basically unknown. Understanding the issues that the parent purebred dogs can have will help greatly in anticipating their hybrid puppies' problems.

Hybrid vigor will help to keep the heritable illnesses at bay, but there are typical dog problems that can be prevented with proper diet, grooming, and care. Most mixed breeds that involve the Bichon Frise have double coats of hair, and that introduces complications if grooming is neglected and matting occurs.

Here are some of the concerns you should be aware of regarding the Cock-A-Chon:

• Deafness
• Skin allergies
• Liver disorders
• Canine glaucoma
• Juvenile cataracts
• Ear canal inflammation
• Immune-related diseases
• Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)

The Cock-A-Chon is believed to have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years.