My mom and dad are trying to find the right kind of dog for our family. It is to be a suprise for my little brother (10yrs) and my little sister (6yrs). We found a great breeder and are trying to decide between a cavachon…..which is a cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Bichon Frise. Or a Shichon (otherwise known as a zuzhon) which is the cross between a Shih Tzu and a Bichon Frise. We got a call from the breeder this morning and she told my mom that the cavachon’s are more hyper than the shichons. The breeder said that if you wanted to sit down and watch tv the shichon would cuddle in your lap while the cavachon would be more apt to run around. Since my mom and dad knew that the breeder had more shichon’s than cavachon’s we second guessed this possible deciding factor. We thought she might be telling us this to get some of the shichons off of her hands. We had heard great things about both breeds. Any advice out there? We would greatly appreciate it!!
-Matt
i’ve read all of your replies and to be quite honest im that some of you guys feel the way you do….the breeder is very well recomended and has great feedback and has sold hundreds of dogs…
heres the site:
im ashamed that you guys would jump to conclusions without even knowing the people behind the dog
read the site and tell me what you think now. i just wanted feed back on the dog type not the breeder
i’ve read all of your replies and to be quite honest im that some of you guys feel the way you do….the breeder is very well recomended and has great feedback and has sold hundreds of dogs…
heres the site:
im ashamed that you guys would jump to conclusions without even knowing the people behind the dog
read the site and tell me what you think now. i just wanted feed back on the dog type not the breeder
to the last poster on this site…..foxy:
if you actually went to the site that i offered it specifically says that they do not support and in fact highly dispise puppy mills…..my mother and father are going to the breeders house this friday so they will find out for themselves….but you guys seriously should look at the whole site before you judge somebody
back on topic….does anyone know the answer to MY QUESTION!?!?!?!?
if you are going to write something cruel about either me or the breeder we want to buy from — i don’t want to hear it
all i want is some advice on the breed of dog both good and bad….i’ve already done tons of research but thought actual owners of these dogs would be of great help as well
thank you
to the last poster on this site…..foxy:
if you actually went to the site that i offered it specifically says that they do not support and in fact highly dispise puppy mills…..my mother and father are going to the breeders house this friday so they will find out for themselves….but you guys seriously should look at the whole site before you judge somebody
back on topic….does anyone know the answer to MY QUESTION!?!?!?!?
if you are going to write something cruel about either me or the breeder we want to buy from — i don’t want to hear it
all i want is some advice on the breed of dog both good and bad….i’ve already done tons of research but thought actual owners of these dogs would be of great help as well
thank you
To answer your response Terrier:
first of all thanks for responding in a humane way 🙂
we had done research on good dogs for kids and came across a havanese as being a good dog as well as a bichon frise
then we found this site that i told you about (i had never heard of puppy mills until yesterday so thanks to all of you for the warnings). the site said they weren’t in it to make a profit but rather to supply affordable dogs. they went for 350- 550 bucks…..not bad…… after seeing how cute the dogs were and researching the two dogs of that mix we figured that they would be great dogs to have.
i notified my mom about everyones concern for it being a puppy mill…. we did some research on puppy mills and she emailed the breeder asking if we could have the name and the phone # of the vet she uses for the puppies. we are also going to call another vet in the area using the yellow pages to make sure it is a reliable vet my family is going to visit the breeders house on friday…
To answer your response Terrier:
first of all thanks for responding in a humane way 🙂
we had done research on good dogs for kids and came across a havanese as being a good dog as well as a bichon frise
then we found this site that i told you about (i had never heard of puppy mills until yesterday so thanks to all of you for the warnings). the site said they weren’t in it to make a profit but rather to supply affordable dogs. they went for 350- 550 bucks…..not bad…… after seeing how cute the dogs were and researching the two dogs of that mix we figured that they would be great dogs to have.
i notified my mom about everyones concern for it being a puppy mill…. we did some research on puppy mills and she emailed the breeder asking if we could have the name and the phone # of the vet she uses for the puppies. we are also going to call another vet in the area using the yellow pages to make sure it is a reliable vet my family is going to visit the breeders house on friday…
…. i don’t think that the breeder can fake a vet and another vet in the area plus have a hidden puppy mill at her house….. however, she could have the puppy mill at a different location…. also i did find it a little disturbing that the breeder has that many dogs available at one time. on their website it says that they are a family of 5 or something so i guess it is possible that 5 dogs could have a litter that big in total…..but my whole family is definately heeding your warning…. so thanks a lot!!!
has anyone ever heard about the dog called a havanese? just in case this is a puppy mill we are looking at possibly buying a havanese puppy.
thanks again,
matt
…. i don’t think that the breeder can fake a vet and another vet in the area plus have a hidden puppy mill at her house….. however, she could have the puppy mill at a different location…. also i did find it a little disturbing that the breeder has that many dogs available at one time. on their website it says that they are a family of 5 or something so i guess it is possible that 5 dogs could have a litter that big in total…..but my whole family is definately heeding your warning…. so thanks a lot!!!
has anyone ever heard about the dog called a havanese? just in case this is a puppy mill we are looking at possibly buying a havanese puppy.
thanks again,
matt
well you guys all called it……. it was a puppy mill
we got a phone call from one of the people today and they said that all of the dogs are taken (after there were 20 available yesterday — this was after are email asking for the vets name and #)
she said that in order for her to give the vets name and # they would have to pay the vet because it would take time out of his day to answer all of their customers questions……total BS!!!!
thanks for all of your guys’ help….. i guess its back to the drawing board.
well you guys all called it……. it was a puppy mill
we got a phone call from one of the people today and they said that all of the dogs are taken (after there were 20 available yesterday — this was after are email asking for the vets name and #)
she said that in order for her to give the vets name and # they would have to pay the vet because it would take time out of his day to answer all of their customers questions……total BS!!!!
thanks for all of your guys’ help….. i guess its back to the drawing board.
11 Answers
Those are both mixed breeds, so they’re totally unpredictable.
There are NO good breeders of mixed breeds.
You’d be better to get a nice mutt from the pound. Really.
Or if you have specific requirements in a dog, research and find the breed that best fits your needs, then find a GOOD breeder.
EDIT:
>>>and has sold hundreds of dogs…<<<
Means nothing. Lots of bybs and puppymills/commercial breeders sell hundreds of dogs.
As a general rule, if someone has to state on their website that they are NOT a puppymill or high volume breeder, they ARE.
No mention of health testing.
No mention of proving quality.
Breeding mutts (a definite no-no)
Sorry, these people are simply breeding for money. I wouldn’t take one of their pups even if it was free.
I’ve just had a look at the site. Sorry, but that looks like a puppy mill to me. And a pretty clever one too.
There’s a few things that ring alarm bells (plus no doubt there’s loads that I’ve missed):
1.) They are breeding mongrel dogs.
There is nothing to say that mongrel dogs can’t make great pets (my first dog was a mongrel too and he was great), but it does suggest that they are not striving for quality. If they were, what standards are they striving for, what are they working towards?
They claim it’s temperament, but there’s loads of healthy dogs with great temperament being destroyed in shelters every day. So what are they striving to achieve that isn’t available in HUGE quantities already?
2) They don’t bother with the “red tape” like a lot of other breeders. Scary.
That “red tape” used by other breeders is used to ensure that the dog is suitable for the home it is going into, and that the home is suitable for that particular dog. Just being a “nice person” shouldn’t be enough. It seems that they will sell to anyone who turns up with the cash.
ADD: (sorry, had to leave the computer for a while!)
3.) They do vet check the puppies, which I suppose is a start, but if they are not testing the sire and dam for heritable problems then you risk all sorts of complications.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I know they’ve SAID that they are against puppy mills, but that really should be taken with a grain of salt. Puppymillers know that the message has got out to avoid them – so they say that they disapprove of that kind of thing (they are hardly going to advertise the fact that they are a puppymill !!!!). I’ve seen it loads of times. Means nothing.
They have said they won’t sell to dealers or pet shops, which may be true, but if they are willing to sell to anyone who turns up with the cash, or won’t do thorough checks (those vitally important things they dismiss as “red tape”) on potential adopters – can you honestly say that what they do is any better?
xxxxxxxxx
If you really want a puppy, speak to the members of breed clubs of the breed you feel would be best for you. That way you’ll be more likely to find a responsible breeder.
Alternatively, if all you want is a good pet – there’s loads of dogs of all ages, breeds/mixes in rescues all over the place.
Meanwhile, take a look around this site. There’s LOADS of information that should hopefully be useful to you.
Good luck.
P.S. You say you have done research. Where exactly did you look? I’m not having a dig at you – I’m just curious what level of research would lead you in this direction.
Red flags everywhere. This is a puppy mill.
No reputable breeder ever sells mixed breeds and they may have lots of satisfied customers but how would you hear about those who were disappointed? How do you know the satisfied customers are genuine?
Neither of these mixes are breeds. They could have the best characteristics of both parents or they could have the worst and Murphy’s law being what it is the latter is more likely.
Why not buy a bichon or a CKCS? That way you will know what temperament & type you are getting & won’t, hopefully, be handing money to unscrupulous puppy millers.
If you want a mixed breed go to a shelter or if price is an issue try the breed rescues who may well have older puppies available.
You are not buying a breed of dog. Those people are cross breeding dogs of different breeds for money. Go to a shelter and rescue a cross breed instead. You will save money, rescue a needy dog, and put these people out of business. If you want to prove how serious they are ask to see the certificate from the Orthopedic Foundation ,OFA, showing the parents hips were certified ok to breed. Ask to see the Cerf certificates showing all dogs used in breeding had their eyes certified free of disease by a Ophthamologist Veterinarian. Ask to see a report from a vet saying the patellas are good and for any other health checks done prior to breeding. Responsible breeders will show all of the above and offer AKC or UKC papers. No one knows how the pups you mention will turn out as they are NOT breeds. Sorry you were upset with the answers you got last time but sometimes the truth hurts.
Havanese are a great family breed. I have a friend who breeds and shows them. I am a Bichon Frise person. Another great family breed. Look for breeders who do health checks of the parents, register the dogs with AKC or UKC, and have contracts with new buyers. Remember puppy mills breed “pure breds” also but do not care about health or temperament or anything but money.
Go to the national breed sites on your computer to get good breeders or go to AKC.
Both of the dogs you are thinking of are not breeds of dogs they are mutts plain and simple. If you want a mutt why pay a bunch of money for it? I think you should find an actual breeder and get a bichon frise or get a mutt from the pound. These dogs are unpredictable and there is no point in paying so much for them.
People like you and so many others are making these unscrupulous “breeders” rich by paying big bucks for their mutts. Mixed breeds are plentiful in shelters and you should not nuy them from a breeder. No reputable breeder would put their name on the line to sell mixed breeds. These so called breeders are only interested in raking on big bucks. You rae supporting the puppymill trade by buying from them. Mutts are fine as pets. We own 2 ourselves that we rescued. If there had been a big proce tag attached to them we would not have them now. I refuse to pay crooks for scamming people.
Mixed breed dogs can be great pets. I have a beagle mix (with dachshund or minipin or something?) and I have no problems with him. Don’t know much about ‘chons’.
I do know that no responsible breeder breeds mixes so if you buy one you are supporting awful backyard breeders or puppymills who breed solely for $$ with no concern for the dog’s health etc.
If you decide to do a mixed breed then go to petfinder.com and search for ;bichon’ .And go through the list looking for cavalier and shih tzu mixes. Please don’t support these awful people- save a shelter dog instead.
Backyard breeders are one step up from puppymills. They breed dogs for $$ only with no concern to health. Adopt. Check out petfinder.com, go to your local shelter and you may fall in love- I did 🙂
the fact that the breeder has sold hundereds of dogs just makes me laugh AND feel sorry for you. have fun buying your extreemly overpriced MUTT from a very “nice” PUPPYMILL…
its amazing who you can fool with a webpage nowerdays.
I don’t consider that to be accurate
y don’t you as part of the surprise let your brother and sister pick out the puppy they want than it will be what they wanted