Do Cavachons Shed? Here’s What You Need to Know

The Cavachon is a mixed breed that’s half Bichon Frise and half Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Known for its small size, its adorable looks, and its spunky, fun personality, you might have your eye on a Cavachon.

But how much do they shed? Cavachons are known for being low-shedding due to the Bichon lineage and the dog’s small size. The breed is even regarded as hypoallergenic. And as for grooming a Cavachon, this can be time-consuming but not overly difficult.

In this guide, I’ll tell you how much shedding to expect from this hybrid dog breed. I’ll also discuss grooming requirements and whether the Cavachon is indeed hypoallergenic.

Cavachon Shedding

The Cavachon is a mixed breed dog that comes from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Bichon Frise. The breed is usually regarded as low-shedding.

To give you a full picture of what to expect from your Cavachon regarding its shedding, I want to take this section to look at both parent breeds.

I’ll start with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a majestic dog with long ears and even longer flowing locks.

Between the length (which is about mid-length) and smoothness of the dog’s fur, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sheds consistently throughout the year. I’d rate its shedding as a 3/5.

The breed doesn’t shed excessively but isn’t super light on the shedding, either. And since the Cavalier is only single-coated, it won’t blow its coat or shed seasonally. So that’s a plus, as it means that you can expect the same rate of shedding in the summer as in the winter and every season in between.

Now with that said, let’s talk about the Bichon Frise, the other parent of the very cute Cavachon.

Few dogs are as low-shedding as the Bichon Frise. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rate its shedding as a 1/5. The dog is small, which explains part of its barely-there shedding propensity.

Do keep in mind that despite how little the Bichon Frise sheds, it’s a double-coated canine that tends to shed a bit heavier twice per year.

So, based on all of that, what can you expect with a Cavachon?

At worst, Cavachons are going to be a low-to-moderate shedder, but generally speaking, the more the Cavachon takes after the Bichon Frise, the lower it is likely to shed.

Also, if the dog takes more after the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, then your Cavachon is likely to be single-coated, meaning the shedding should be more consistent throughout the year rather than increasing for several weeks in the spring and fall.

Grooming Your Cavachon

Keeping your Cavachon well-groomed is not necessarily a walk in the park.

Cavachons typically have a coat that combines both the length and smoothness of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the poofiness of a Bichon Frise.

It’s not particularly difficult to groom a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but a Bichon? Now that can be a challenge.

The first thing you’ll need to control the Cavachon’s coat is a good brush like a slicker brush.

A pin brush is handy to have on hand as well. A Cavachon’s coat can still get tangled and knotted like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s can, and the pin brush can gently detangle.

It’s best to brush the Cavachon three to four times per week. And if your dog is prone to tangles and knots, then you might find it’s worth increasing the brushing frequency.

It can also be a good idea to increase the brushing frequency if your Cavachon is double-coated, especially during spring and fall.

Regular grooming can pull out loose, dead hair, so it doesn’t end up all over your home. You’re also spreading skin oils that keep the Cavachon’s skin moisturized. That will reduce the rate of itching, which can exacerbate shedding.

Another thing to consider is bathing your Cavachon. You can do this every six weeks unless your dog spends a lot of time romping in the yard and gets dirty often.

Always use high-quality dog shampoo and use lukewarm water for bathing the Cavachon. You can probably put yours in a sink when it’s young, but you might have to upgrade to a proper grooming bathtub as the dog matures, as these can be well worth it.

It’s typically best to refrain from towel-drying the Cavachon, too, so that you don’t create extra knots and tangles in its fur. Instead, use a dog blow dryer or hair dryer with a low heat setting.

Another thing to consider is tear staining.

Tear stains can be pretty noticeable on dogs with white hair, and we put together a guide about the best tear stain removers that you might find helpful.

What about trimming?

The Cavachon has a youthful cut that shouldn’t be hard to maintain. You only need to trim the excess fur around the ears, the eyes, the face, and the mouth.

If the thought of picking up dog grooming scissors to maintain your Cavachon fills you with anxiety, you can always take your pup to a groomer.

This short video will show you the basics of grooming a Cavachon if you want to know more:

Are Cavachons Hypoallergenic?

I mentioned in the intro that the Cavachon is regarded as a hypoallergenic canine.

Is that true?

Well, it depends on how you define hypoallergenic.

A hypoallergenic dog is not one that stops all instances of allergies in family members at home. That would be nice, but it’s just not how it works.

The reason is that if you have a pet allergy, or if someone in your family does, they’re probably not allergic to pet fur, as you might assume. Instead, it’s most likely the dander.

Dander is dead skin, and every dog has skin.

Thus, no dog is truly hypoallergenic.

Now, if you’re talking about a dog that reduces allergy symptoms, some breeds do that. The dog usually has to be small and low-shedding. And the reason shedding matters is that dander (and other allergens like saliva and sweat) stick to a dog’s hair. So the more hair they drop, the more allergens are spread around.

In any case, to answer the question, since Cavachons can be low-shedding, and the Bichon Frise is considered “hypoallergenic,” they may be more tolerable among allergy sufferers, especially if they are predominately Bichon. But it ultimately depends on the individual dog.

About Cavachons

The Cavachon is a designer dog that’s a Bichon Frise and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix. Like most designer dogs, the Cavachon’s main purpose is to look cute and be companionable.

And they are excellent at both.

Friendly, affectionate, attention-seeking, fun-loving, charming, and a little spunky, the Cavachon has a bright, spirited personality. This dog would liven up your days at home with its antics.

At about 13 inches tall, the Cavachon makes a suitable companion for those living in smaller homes, apartments, or condos.

If you have a bigger dwelling, that’s just as well for this dog. Just be sure to give the Cavachon space to play, as the dog is moderately active.

Cavachons are welcoming dogs, too, and this extends to other canines, not just humans. However, for your Cavachon to be so accepting, it’s best to socialize them with other dogs when they’re young. Otherwise, the Cavachon might fear other dogs.

Proper socialization also allows the Cavachon to coexist with cats in the house. The two creatures are sized about the same, so a potential predation situation shouldn’t arise.

The Cavachon is a natural companion of children. This hybrid breed enjoys being a lapdog, getting involved in whatever the kids are doing around the house, and playing and running around.

As always, early socialization is key!

Also, if you were worried about a yappy dog, that’s not the Cavachon. Although not completely quiet, the Cavachon only barks when something is wrong. You could even rely on this cute pup to be your watchdog!

Conclusion

The Cavachon is a mixed breed that’s a cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Bichon Frise. The dog is cute, small, and usually low-shedding, although they can be double-coated and, therefore, shed a bit more during seasonal changes.

While grooming a Cavachon isn’t the fastest process, it’s worth it for this dog’s well-being and to help control shedding. And there are some other great ways to manage shedding if you’re finding more hair around the home than you’d like.

Anyway, that’s it from me.

What about you? Do you own a Cavachon? Let us know in the comments below!