“Yorkie Bichon Frise Mix”
The Yochon is a mix of the Yorkshire Terrier and Bichon Frisé. This designer terrier is also called a Yorkshire Frisé and Yorkie-Bichon.
With parents of different temperaments, this mixed breed can have variable temperament and appearance. What’s definite is that if you decide to get a Yochon, you will have a cute, low-maintenance, smart, and loving companion.
Parents
The Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)
- Weight – 5 to 7 lbs.
- Height – up to 9 in. at the shoulder
- Life Expectancy – 12 to 16 years
The Yorkie is one of the most popular breeds in the US. This toy-size dog sports a straight, floor-length coat that comes in a rich golden tan and steel blue color. The hair on its head grows so thick that it has to be trimmed or gathered in a band to give the dog maximum visibility and keep the hair from touching its food.
Being a true terrier, the Yorkie exhibits a tenacious, brave, and feisty behavior despite the small size. While quite loving and sweet to family, this dog can become suspicious of strangers – both humans and other animals. This makes the Yorkie a great watchdog.
The Bichon Frisé (Bichon)
- Weight – 12 to 18 lbs.
- Height – up to 12 in. at the shoulder
- Life Expectancy – 12 to 15 years
With a French name that literally translates to “curly toy dog,” the Bichon is aptly named for its curly outer coat. Its fur can be white, cream, buff, apricot, or gray. The rounded hair on its head makes its black nose and lips, and large, dark eyes more pronounced.
Specifically bred as a companion dog, the Bichon Frise is one of the most affectionate and sweetest breeds. It gets along well with children and other dogs. As a dog who loves being the center of attention, it can be friendly even to complete strangers.
Appearance
A toy-sized dog with a compact body, the Yochon reaches weight of up to 8 pounds and height of up to 12 inches. With denser bone structure, it’s more robust than its Yorkie parent but smaller than the Bichon.
Yochons have triangular ears that usually flop forwards, but some may display erect ears. Their eyes are dark brown and round. They feature a short muzzle and button-like black nose.
One of the characteristics that varies in Yochon puppies is their fur type. A Yochon can have the silky hair of Yorkies or the puffy curls of the Bichons. Majority of them will display a wavy fur that comes in white, cream, golden, brown, gray, and black. Most Yochons are bi-colored although some can be tri-colored or have solid coat colors.
Life Expectancy
The average lifespan of a healthy Yochon is about 12 years, which is pretty good for a mixed breed. With proper care and treatment, your pooch may live longer than his life expectancy.
Behavior
Most Yochon pups inherit a 50-50 mix of its parents’ breed characteristics. While this isn’t always the case, one thing’s for sure – Yochons have a loving temperament. You can expect an affectionate companion who enjoys the attention of loved ones.
Yochon dogs have an independent nature, which they get from their Yorkie parent. At the same time, they act like Bichons who want to spend a huge amount of time with their family. Although they’re eager to explore or play for a short time on their own, it won’t be long before they start craving for your company. They’ll search for you and follow you around for a while but they generally don’t like being picked up constantly.
Alert, intelligent, and protective, the Yochon breed can be a great watchdog. However, they have a tendency to yap and a bit destructive by nature. And although they can get along with other pets, their high prey drive means that they might cause trouble with smaller pets, like rodents.
As a Yochon dog owner, you have to make sure that you don’t spoil your pooch or he could develop “small dog syndrome.” This is a condition wherein small-breed dogs exhibit resistance to training and aggression towards new people. You have to be a sensible and assertive owner to prevent this from happening.
Ideal Environment
A little dog with a lively and fun personality, the Yochon dog makes an excellent family pet. They’re especially good with children. However, since Yorkies don’t naturally get along with little kids, socialization may be needed depending on which parent your Yochon is more like.
If you live in an apartment, a Yochon makes for a great pet. But if your dog tends to bark a lot, it will need some training to control excessive barking. Living with other dogs or pets won’t be an issue as long as there’s enough socialization.
Diet
To give your dogs the best nutrition, it’s best to supply them with raw food. If you want to feed them with kibbles, make sure that you give them high-quality dog food.
Ideally, you should feed your Yochon ½ cup of food every day, split into two or three meals. But you should still talk to your veterinarian to determine how much your dog needs for its size and age. If you give your dog some daily treats, you should adjust the amount of raw food or kibble so he doesn’t gain too much weight.
Remember that proper hydration is important. Make sure that your pooch has easy access to clean and fresh water 24/7.
Exercise
In general, the Yochon is an active breed. These dogs are energetic and love to play so you’ll be able to enjoy various indoor or outdoor activities with them. Being small and active by nature, they’re already burning a good amount of calories just running around or playing with toys. However, taking them for a 45-minute walk each day or letting them play with other small dogs in the dog park will definitely make them happier.
Training
Having smart parents, Yochon dogs display curiosity in learning tricks and a great level of intelligence even at a young age. They are attentive, quick to learn, and have impressive recall. Being keen to please, they’re generally easy to train. This is especially true when training begins early and is consistent.
It’s common for yorchon puppies to pick up some unpleasant traits such as yapping, aggression, and anxiety. Therefore, it’s better to take them to obedience classes from time to time. It’s also important to have your dog undergo a socialization training so they can get used to other people, pets, and animals and strange noises.
House training generally isn’t an issue, however, some owners observed that their pets take more time to become toilet-trained compared with the average dog. It’s believed that this is due to the size of their bladder and not exactly a training problem.
Grooming
In terms of grooming, Yochons have moderate needs. Their medium-length hair will benefit from being brushed every other day. When brushing, you should pay more attention to parts that are prone to tangling like the tail, belly, and head. The hair on their face should be trimmed regularly. If your dog’s fur shows discoloration under the eyes, you need special cleansers to reduce its appearance.
Although their hypoallergenic fur is low shedding, Yochon dogs still need regular visits to a groomer for stripping or trimming. Their nails can grow too long and if you’re not confident clipping them, your dog will need professional services. Have its ears cleaned and checked for infections once a week.
Give your dog a bath only when he’s dirty and smelly since bathing too often can dry out the skin. You should also brush the teeth at least every other day to reduce the possibility of periodontal diseases. This will also lessen your dog’s need for dental cleanings by the vet.
Health Concerns
Puppies have the potential to inherit health issues of their parents. Therefore, mixed breeds are generally susceptible to more health concerns compared with purebreds.
Some ailments that commonly affect the Yochon are:
- bladder issues
- collapsed trachea
- Cushing’s disease – also known as hyperadrenocorticism, its symptoms include a pot belly appearance, frequent water consumption and urination, obesity, and tiredness
- eye problems such as hereditary cataract
- hypoglycemia
- hypothyroidism
- Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease (LCPD) – a degenerative condition affecting the femur bone in a dog’s hind leg. It causes disintegration of hip joint and osteoarthritis.
- patellar luxation or dislocation of the kneecap commonly affecting small dogs. It’s often accompanied by osteoarthritis in older Yochons.
- portosystemic shunt (PSS) – a congenital or acquired disease that may cause poor muscle development, stunted growth, abnormal behaviors, and seizures
- reverse sneezing
- sensitivity to vaccinations
- skin allergies
Choosing a mixed breed doesn’t mean that you’ll have a sick dog. You’ll only have to be more mindful of their health. Knowing the issues a specific breed may be susceptible to is important so that you can watch out for the symptoms or take measures to prevent them.
Where to Look for Yochon
The easiest way to find a Yochon is to ask people you know who own the same breed of dog. If you don’t know anyone, the internet is your best bet. However, you have to make sure that the breeder you’ll be dealing with is of good reputation.
Before buying a puppy, ask questions about the present health condition. Ask to see the parents so you can observe their behavior. Take a look at the necessary paperwork and health clearances of both parents, including the grandparents if possible. Avoid buying from pet stores since they usually source their dogs from puppy mills. Puppies in these places suffer from horrible living condition that causes a number of health problems.
Conclusion
A pet dog is a great source of happiness and pleasure. But if you’re looking to get a pet, it’s important to remember that a dog is also a huge responsibility. Like a little child, a pet dog constantly needs to be taken care of. From a little puppy to an adult, your dog requires your attention so that he will stay happy and healthy.
Yochons are cute and playful. They’re affectionate and yet you can rely on them being good watchdogs. They require moderate grooming, training, and exercise. With their small size, they don’t need a huge home. With these characteristics, Yochons can be a perfect companion to most dog lovers.