Have you been looking for a small dog that will fit into your family and not trigger too many allergies? If so, the Poochon dog may be perfect for you. This breed is a mixture of a Poodle and a Bichon Frise, making it highly intelligent, playful, and hypoallergenic.

Breed Overview

Whether you live in a house or apartment, live by yourself or with a big family, this Bichon Poodle mix breed will likely get along great. Especially if you take the time to exercise and train the dog properly, this breed makes a great addition to nearly any home.

Still, the Poochon is not perfect for everyone. To learn more about the Poochon and decide if it is right for you, keep reading.

Poochon Characteristics

Poochon Puppies

Because it is a designer dog, the Poochon is not the most affordable puppy around. You will likely need to find a reputable breeder that specializes in Poochons to find a puppy to buy. You will also need to purchase all day-one necessities, including a collar, leash, crate, vet visits, etc. Because you will likely have to go to a breeder for a Poochon puppy, choose the best breeder available. Reputable breeders result in healthier and happier dogs. Not to mention, bad breeders often neglect the parents and puppies, which nobody wants.

If you welcome a Poochon into your home, you can expect to have an energetic, loyal, and playful puppy. Do keep in mind that they don’t like to spend so much time by themselves, and may be wary of strangers.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Poochon 🧠

The Poochon is an energetic dog that is loyal, loving, and intelligent. The overall temperament of this dog is great for just about any family, including families with other pets, children, or apartment sized homes. In other words, the Poochon has a temperament to match just about any family environment.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

The Poochon was specifically designed so that it was a small dog to get along with most families. Unlike many other small dogs, the Poochon is pretty good for families, including families with children. Although this breed certainly is best for slightly older children, a well-trained Poochon dog and a well-taught child can get along perfectly.

Because Poochons are so energetic, they often love playing with slightly older children. When paired with children, this Bichon Poodle mix breed gets to burn off energy, all while burning off your child’s energy too.

If you have small children in the household, make sure to take the time to train your Poochon properly. Likewise, teach your child how to interact with the dog respectfully. Until your child is a bit older, make sure to monitor all interactions between the Poochon and child.

Most likely, you will not have any issues with the Poochon and your child. Especially if your child is old enough to know how to play with the dog, the dog will likely be your child’s best friend.

At the same time, Poochons are a bit wary of strangers. They aren’t aggressive or downright mean to strangers, but they may take a second to warm up. This guard dog-like personality means that the dog will try to protect your child and family.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

Poochons tend to be playful, which means they get along pretty well with other pets. Because of their small size, this breed is often great for households that have cats and other smaller animals. The breed is also suitable for other dogs because it isn’t too aggressive and loves playing.

If you already have other pets in the household, it is important to introduce your Poochon and other pet to one another appropriately and carefully. First interactions matter a lot in the dog world. With just a bit of training and care, you can expect your Poochon and other pets to be best friends.

Things to Know When Owning a Poochon:

Owning a Poochon is relatively easy, but they have some serious grooming needs. Likewise, this energetic and intelligent dog needs a lot of playtime, but its small size means that it can get all of the play and energy it needs from walks and indoor play.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Because of how small this dog is, it doesn’t need a whole lot of food. It’s important to select a dog food variety specifically designed for small breeds. Small breed-specific food will provide your Poochon the exact nutrients and vitamins it needs to remain healthy.

Exercise 🐕

Unlike many small dogs, Poochons need a whole lot of room to play and burn off all their energy. This breed is considered a high energy dog with a lot of zest and energy. As a result, you must exercise this dog properly and provide it tons of playtime.

At the minimum, allow your Poochon to play for 45 minutes a day. If you live in a home with a yard, backyard time will be perfect. Apartment dwellers can also keep their dog entertained. In addition to providing mentally stimulating toys, make sure to bring your Poochon on walks.

Because of how intelligent the Poochon is, make sure playtime is complete with mentally stimulating activities. This is important for both house and apartment dwellers. You can hide toys around the house or purchase toys specifically for mental stimulation.

Training 🦮

Training your Poochon is not too difficult. This dog is incredibly loyal and intelligent, though it does have a bit of a stubborn streak. If you establish yourself with confidence early on, it won’t be too hard to train your pup.

That being said, early socialization and training is a must for this dog. Many small dog owners make the mistake of failing to properly train their dog since it doesn’t pose as much of a risk as larger dogs. This explains why so many small dogs are poorly trained and behaved. Training your Poochon from a young age ensures that it acts as it should.

Grooming ✂️

One of the harder parts of owning a Poochon is its grooming needs. In addition to grooming activities that all dogs need, such as teeth brushing and nail clipping, a Poochon will need to be brushed daily. Every couple of months or so, the dog will also need to visit a professional groomer.

The professional groomer will keep your Poochon’s coat nice and short, which is a must if you are concerned about allergies. You should not need to give your Poochon a bath unless he gets skunked or into something he shouldn’t.

Health and Conditions ❤️

Although the Poochon certainly can develop health conditions, it is much healthier than other designer breeds. Most of the conditions this dog can develop comes from its parents. Addisons, epilepsy, patellar luxation, and eye problems are some of the most common illnesses in this dog.

To ensure that your Poochon is as healthy as possible, make sure to purchase the puppy from a reputable breeder. Reputable breeders will screen the parent dogs so that the offspring are as healthy as possible.

Male vs Female

There isn’t much of a difference between male and female Poochons. They both have similar personalities and are both small in stature, though the females will be slightly smaller.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Poochon

1. We know about the history of the Poochon

Most designer dogs have little recorded history since they’re often bred by backyard breeders who don’t diligently record the history of the breed. Luckily, this is not the case for the Poochon. Although we still don’t know everything about the Poochon history, we know more about it than we do other designer breeds.

Most obviously, we know that the Poochon is a mixture between the Poodle and Bichon Frise. A group of Australian breeders developed this dog in the 1990s. The purpose of this breed was to create a dog that is good for children, good for those with allergies, and is still healthy.

The fact that we know so much about the Poochon’s history means that the breed was developed much more ethically and carefully than other designer dogs. As a result, Poochons tend to be healthy and well-acclimated, which is often an issue for designer breeds.

2. The Poochon is great for people with allergies

As touched on above, the Poochon is perfect for people with allergies. Both Poodles and Bichon Frise are known for being allergy-friendly. By breeding these two dogs together, the offspring is great for individuals with allergies while still having great temperaments and personalities.

3. Poochon puppies are highly intelligent

Poodles are one of the smartest dogs. Because of the poodle parentage, most Poochons are well above the average dog in terms of intelligence. This high intelligence means that Poochons are easy to train since they quickly pick up on commands and signals.

Final Thoughts

The Poochon is perfect for you if you want a small dog that is energetic, great with children, and suitable for those with allergies. Even though this dog still needs good training and playtime, it is one of the best small breeds due to its intelligence and temperament.

Although this dog is small, make sure to provide it with enough playtime. Because the breed is so energetic, it needs a lot of physical and mental stimulation. If you want a small dog because it requires less activity and care, a Poochon is not the breed for you.

If you decide that a Poochon is calling your name, make sure to seek out a reputable breeder. Since you will certainly have to purchase this dog specially, you want the breeder to be as responsible as possible so that your dog is happy, healthy, and well-acclimated.

• See Also: Bichon Frise vs Poodle: Which One’s Right for Me?

Featured Image Credit: Radovan Zierik, Shutterstock