Kashon

Characteristics

Health & Longevity

Average Life Span: 12-15 years
The Kashon, a cute crossbreed between a Bichon Frise and a Cairn Terrier, boasts a handful of minor health issues. Fortunately, these pups inherit their good health from both of their parent breeds. While the usual heartworms, heart disease, and bone cancer are possible, those kinds of ailments are possible for every breed of dog.

A couple health issues that your Kashon might encounter include:

Skin Allergies

This condition, commonly caused by fleas, mites, dust, pollen, or grass, comes with a set of itchy, blotchy symptoms. Dogs with skin allergies will scratch incessantly and they may also develop ear infections frequently. Vet-prescribed antibiotics and medicated dog shampoo goes a long way towards curing an allergic reaction.

Recurring Bladder Infections

This condition, especially recurrent, is usually caused by an underlying condition, so a bladder infection that keeps coming back could merely be a symptom. Ask your vet to check for more serious health issues if your Kashon experiences bloody, frequent, and painful urinations. Depending on the issue, antibiotics will be prescribed to handle the infection and the underlying cause in one swoop.

Other health issues that could become prevalent in your Kashon are Patellar Luxation, vaccine sensitivities, and glaucoma. The average lifespan for a Kashon is 12 to 15 years, which is a lengthy 2 to 3-year increase on the lifespan of both parent breeds. You can strive to maintain your Kashon’s good health with regular visits to the vet, a nutritious, well-planned diet, along with fun exercise and routine playtime. Plus, plenty of attention and love can go a long way.

Temperament & Train-ability

Sweet, smart, and playful, the Kashon is undeniably loyal, making her one of the most protective, small crossbreeds that would be a good night-time watchdog. She could easily alert someone of an intruder with her loud, quick barks, and she is always alert for new sounds, especially in the evening. She is overall even-tempered and would make a good family pet, but her tolerance is low for young children who roughhouse, pull her tail, or steal her toys. Be sure to teach any kids that will be around her how to interact with your Kashon gently and respectfully. Always be in the room to carefully pay attention to the interactions between younger children and your Kashon.

Due to her small stature, the Kashon has a few aggressive manners towards bigger pups. She wants to play the dominant role to dogs that are her size or smaller, and she tries to do the same to larger breeds. However, most large breed dogs will not tolerate a short, yappy Kashon that challenges them. Train your Kashon, from an early age, to be social and accepting of other dogs, regardless of size and breed. If you have friends with social, kind, gentle dogs, ask them to bring their pups over to introduce those dogs to your Kashon. Be slow in their introduction and watch closely for signs of aggression. With early socialization, your Kashon could have many pup friends for her romps through the backyard or dog park.

Your Kashon is an active little pup with tons of pent-up energy stored in her tiny body. She does, however, burn through energy quickly, especially in hot weather. She would definitely be a pup that prefers colder climates, as she has a tendency to overheat during playtime in the summer heat. Kashons are excellent diggers, chasers, and runners. She loves to explore, but she runs very fast, so keep her well-leashed in public places, and make sure your backyard’s fence is high enough to contain her when she jumps. She could easily adapt to a small apartment lifestyle, but she needs daily walks and playful stimulation to maintain her sweet, social nature.

When left to their own devices for long periods of time, Kashons will become restless, bored, and destructive. Keep toys around for her to gnaw on and drag around when you aren’t home. Training your Kashon, while mostly easy, can present a few challenges if she decides to test your dominance with her own. Be firm, patient, consistent, and positive when giving clear, strong commands. Her independent streak will tell her to test your limits, but she will eventually realize your status as alpha. Never use physical force or harshness to train a dog.

Grooming

Most Kashons inherit the scruff and fur length of the Cairn Terrier. Her shed is low, but she may double her excess hairs in the summertime. Brush her daily to keep her fur smooth, soft, and untangled. Use a firm-bristled brush to gently work out any kinks, and be mindful of the pressure you apply to her skin when you brush. Be gentle. Sometimes brushing can be a good bonding experience between you and your Kashon.

To keep your Kashon in tip top shape, you should bathe her once a month, trim her nails every 6-8 weeks, and clean her ears once a week. She also needs her teeth brushed once every day.

Diet

Your pint-sized Kashon is a healthy, energetic pup with a hearty appetite. These crossbreeds would eat until they were sick and bloated if it were up to them. Keep your Kashon on a meal schedule (breakfast and dinner), with ½ cup of dry, high-quality kibble per meal. She will learn when to eat and when to feel satisfied.
 

Find A Kashon Breeder

Kashon Puppies For Sale

Adopt A Kashon

Cost

Kashons are in the middle on the popularity list for crossbreed ownership. Some people love their sweet disposition, while others want more of a challenge. If you are one of the former, check your local animal shelter for an older Kashon to take home. Adoption fees are upwards of $200, but you would be giving a kind pup another chance at a happy home.

If you would prefer a Kashon puppy, breeder listings range anywhere from $350 to $600. This price fluctuates depending on the expectations, requirements, and specifications of each reputable, reliable breeder.

Paws ‘N’ Pups Ranking

Paws ‘N’ Pups ranks every breed out of 4 with 1 being easiest to integrate into your life and 4 being the toughest – The lower the ranking the better.

Ranking takes into account a few basic factors including cost, skill level needed, high vs low maintenance and how critical regular training is to success. The Kashon is a 1.5 on the integration scale. On the downside, she could develop an aggression issue with other dogs, especially large ones. On the upside, she is a sweet, kind pup who would make an excellent family pet. She is good with children as long as children are good to her. And she loves to snuggle, play, and love on her owners.

 

Cairn Terrier

Bichon Frise

Maltese

Yorkshire Terrier