Shichon Dogs Information

Written by: Debbie Moore

Copyright 1997 to 2010 Dogs and Puppies Central
All rights reserved.

Alternate Names: Zuchon
Bichon-Shihtzu
Shihtzu Bichon Frise Mix

Common Misspellings:  Sheeshon, Zoochon, Sheechon

Learn all about Shichon Dogs and Puppies through our indepth guide to the Shichon dog breed. You'll find solid information about Shichon dog history, Shichon life expectancy Shichon dog appearance, Shichon temperament and personality, Shichon health problems, Shichon puppy care, training Shichon puppy dogs and more. Also includes important information about choosing a responsible Shichon dog breeder.

What's the recipe for one of the world's most adorable designer dogs? Take 1 healthy, happy AKC registered Shih-tzu and cross with 1 healthy, happy AKC registered Bichon Frise. Add plenty of love and tender care, and you've got the Shichon, one of the cutest canine companions you'll find anywhere.

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Shichon Facts

The Shichon Dog Breed In Brief

Country of Origin: United States of America

Shichon Height: 9 to 12 inches (23-31 cm.)

Shichon Weight: 7-13 pounds (3-6 kg.)

Shichon Color Variations:

Shichon Size Variations:

Shichon Exercise Needs: Minimal

Shichon Grooming Demands: Demanding

Shichon Trainability: Medium Difficult

Shichon Life Expectancy: 12 to 15 years

Average Shichon Prices: $750 to $2500, depending on Pedigree

Good With Children: Yes

Good With Other Pets: Yes

Breed Group:

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Shichon Dog History

The Zuchon (Shichon) is a cross between the Bichon Frise and the Shih-Tzu. The breed is currently recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club as the Zuchon, but many designer dog breeders refer to this hybrid breed as the Shichon.

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Shichon Dog Appearance

Shichons come in a variety of colors (as a result of the Shih-Tzu side of the family). Colors include tan, liver, black and tan, liver and white, apricot, white, and occasionally black brindle, and black and white.

Shichons have big, round, expressive brown eyes that melt hearts with relative ease and help them get away with begging at the table and the occasional accident.

Shichons have a glorious, fluffy tail that is carried high over the back, and a plush coat that gives them the look of a teddy bear. Cuteness personified!

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Shichon Grooming

This mixed breed dog needs quite a bit of grooming, but the Shichon sheds very little and is said to be good for allergy suffers.

This, of course, depends on the person with the allergy problem, the severity of the allergy problem, and varies from dog to dog. There is no such thing as a "hypo-allergenic" dog breed, but several breeds (particularly mixed breeds who posess a single coat, such as the Shichon) are generally better tolerated by allergy sufferers. These dogs shed very little and have less dander.

If you are an allergy sufferer and are hoping to find a dog or puppy that you can live with, the best course of action is to spend some time (a few hours) in the presence of your breeder's dogs and puppies to see how you respond or react. This will help you avoid the heartbreak of falling in love with a puppy - then discovering that your health condition prevents you from keeping it.

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Shichon Exercise Needs

The Shichon is good for apartment life. They are fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard. Shichons are active little dogs and play will take care of most of their exercise needs, but they do love walks and especially love to romp in the open.

With the Shichon, play will take care of most of their exercise needs, however your dog or puppy will gladly accompany you on a walk or visit to the local park.

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Shichon Temperament

Shichons are a freindly, fun-loving, playful and alert dog who possess intelligence, dignity and curiosity in abundance. Shichons are highly devoted to their owners, and although they love everyone in the family, they usually bond with one person in particular, and will follow that person whereever they may go.

Yappiness is not an issue with the Shichon - this breed is fairly quiet, although they will certainly alert you to the presence of intruders, the mailman, or anyone else who should arrive at your door.

Shichons are excellent with children and quite a tolerant breed where kids are concerned. That being said, any dog breed can be provoked into nipping or growling when in pain or in fear of their safety. No matter how gentle the breed, no toddler should ever be left unsupervised around a dog or puppy - both for the sake of the dog or puppy - and the toddler. The Shichon is no exception. If you have small children, you may want to wait a few years until your kids are old enough to respect a dog or puppy and treat it with kindness. Failing that, at the very least, make sure that your children are always supervised when your dog or puppy is near them.

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Shichon Training

The Shichon is fairly easy to obedience train. Housebreaking can be a bit of a challenge, however. Shichons need to be constantly supervised during the first few weeks they are with you to ensure that they get the hang of your bathroom expectations of them. Being descended from the Bichon Frise (or should we say "Pees Where They Please"), makes them a somewhat more difficult to housetrain, but certainly worth the effort!

Shichon Health

Most hybrid dog breeds, when selectively bred from healthy parent dogs exhibit what is called "Hybrid Vigor" - natures way of passing on healthy traits and eliminating unhealthy ones. When two purebred dogs are crossed, the gene pool is virtually doubled, making genetic disorders less likely to occur in the resulting puppies.

That being said, there is no 100% guarantee when it comes to canine genetics, and recessive health traits can show up even in the offspring of healthy, disease free dogs.

Your best insurance when it comes to finding a healthy Shichon (or any purebred or mixed breed dog for that matter) is to seek out the most responsible, reputable breeder you can find. A responsible breeder will care far more about the healthy, longevity and well-being of her puppies than about making a profit. (Most responsible breeders barely break even - they breed out of love for their breed and a desire to improve on the health and temperament of their puppies with each breeding.

Shichon puppies can inherit health conditions that are prevalent in either the Bichon Frise or Shih-
Tzu dog breeds.

These include:

Skin Allergies
Eye Problems
Liver Problems
Patellar Luxation

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Is the Shichon Right For You?

Zuchon (Shichon) dogs thrive on human companionship, and really shouldn't be left by themselves for more than a couple of hours at a time. If you must be absent for long periods of time during the day or night, consider getting 2 dogs, or hiring a pet sitter to visit your precious pooch during your absence.

Shichons get along really well with children and other pets, are a great choice for seniors, handicapped dog lovers and apartment dwellers. If you are looking for an absolutely adorable dog to add plenty of love, joy, laughter and companionship to your life, then a Shichon could very well be the breed for you.

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Shichon Prices

Average Shichon Price: $750 - $1000

Price always varies when it comes to the purchase of a quality, home-raised healthy Shichon dog or puppy. It's of utmost importance that you place the most weight on acquiring a great Shichon puppy from a highly responsible, reputable breeder, and put the price as a secondary concern in making your decision.

Buying a Shichon dog or puppy at a cheap price from a breeder of questionable reputation can be a one-way ticket to heartbreak and great additional expense throughout the dog's life, should your Shichon puppy have hereditary health problems or behavior and temperament issues (which very often is the case with cheap-priced puppies). Buying from a highly reputable Shichon breeder is your best insurance for acquiring a well socialized, healthy puppy of stable temperament.

Shichon prices also will vary according to the puppy's conformation; puppies placed as pets and companions will generally be less expensive as show-quality Shichon puppies intended to be shown in conformation.

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Finding Shichon Puppies For Sale By Reputable Breeders

If you are ready to add an adorable Shichon puppy to your family, be sure to check out Dogs and Puppies Central's directory of Shichon Puppies For Sale, where you will find photos and information posted by reputable Shichon breeders. We actively screen Shichon breeders who wish to advertise on our service by asking that they meet and follow our Guidelines For Responsible Dog Breeders. We also ask for - and check - three references from each breeder.

By performing an initial dog breeder screening, it is our hope that we can help put you in touch with a caring, responsible Shichon breeder near you. We cannot physically inspect the premises and dogs owned by breeders advertising with us, so you need to be responsible for doing the final inspection and interview.

Let's stop the cruelty of puppy mills. Please help us keep money out of the hands of puppy mills, back yard breeders and pet stores. Buy your Shichon puppy only from a responsible, caring hobby breeder that raises their dogs and puppies in a loving home environment.

When you locate that perfect Shichon puppy - please be sure to send us some photos to be included in our growing gallery of Shichon dog and puppy pictures!

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Additional Shichon Resources:

• Shichon Wikipedia Profile
• AKC Shichon Breed Profile
• Shichon Pictures
• Shichon Videos

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