How to Care for a Poochon Puppy

Poochons are a cross between bichon frise dogs and poodles. They are becoming quite popular as pets because of their gentle personalities and love for companionship. This “designer breed” usually makes a great family dog and is typically highly intelligent and fairly easy to train. Poochons do require a certain amount of maintenance; however, they are generally healthy and easy to take care of.

Brush your poochon every day to prevent matting. Since bichons and poodles both have curly hair, chances are your poochon will as well. Preventing matting is far less painful than removing it, and it’s good to get your poochon puppy used to the brushing as early as possible. Use a slicker brush on your puppy, but be careful not to scratch the pup’s skin with the bristles.

Bathe your poochon once a month with puppy shampoo. In addition, rub her feet and play with her ears. Poochons need regular grooming; helping yours to become used to having her body touched in areas in which dogs generally dislike being touched will help her when she is ready to go to the groomer’s. Touching her ears and feet will also help her get used to ear cleanings and nail clippings.

Brush your poochon puppy’s teeth at least once a week. One of the biggest health problems with bichons and poodles is dental disease. Brushing your poochon’s teeth every day will prevent tartar and plaque from accumulating on his teeth and potentially causing serious health problems, as the bacteria on the gum line can enter his bloodstream.

Administer heartworm preventative once a month to your poochon puppy. Poochons are generally lap dogs and do not do well as outdoor pets. Many poochons only go outdoors when they need to eliminate. Even so, it is still recommended to give your poochon heartworm preventative on the off chance that an infected mosquito enters your home or bites her the few minutes she is outside. It only takes one bite from a heartworm-carrying mosquito to give your poochon puppy heartworm disease.

Feed your poochon puppy a high-quality, dry puppy food until she is 12 months old. Feeding your poochon kibble will prevent plaque build-up on her teeth more than feeding her wet or moist food would. In addition, feeding your poochon food that contains all-natural, quality ingredients can help prevent her from potentially having allergies, as many bichons and poodles do. Purchase pet food that is only available at pet stores, as this is generally higher quality.