The Cava-Poo-Chon is the next step in the breeding evolution that was previously the Cava-Poo.
The new breed--not officially recognized by the American Kennen Club--is a mix of a Cavachon mother (50 percent Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and 50 percent Bichon Frise mix) with a deep red, Toy Poodle sire.
Linda and Steve Rogers of Timshell Farm in Pine, Arizona created the new breed. The dogs cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,500 each. Linda said that there’s no reason the dogs can’t live for 20 years.
“There’s always been a market for these forever-ish young dogs,” veteran trainer Steve Haynes said, who is working with 50 first-generation cava-poo-chons. Until recently, specialized dogs like miniature Yorkies and miniature Maltese were the go-to dogs.”
Buyers can choose from a range of colors and from a curly or very curly coat.
58 families who already bought a Cava-Poo-Chon have returned to get another, Rogers said.
Amy Wolf of Austin, Texas said that she loves her dog.
“I can’t tell you the number of times a day I look at her and say, ‘You are so cute,’” she said.
Wolf has Haynes as a trainer for her dog.
“Never have we had a more loving, sweet dog,” Wolf enthused. “She wants to say hello to everyone.”
The American Kennel Club doesn’t recognize the new breed, however, because the club doesn’t recognize cross-bred or mixed dogs as official breeds.
“These dogs are the product of two purebred parents of different breeds, resulting in a litter of mixed breed puppies, not a new breed, according to our requirements,” spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said.
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TimShell Farm says on its website that the parent dogs are “registered purebreds, free from genetic faults.”
“Little teddy bears! The sweetest dispositions! Smart, happy and confident,” the website adds.
The price listed on the website is $1875 per puppy, but there is a $300 fee to get on a specific litter’s waitlist, and a shipping fee of $400.
The puppies will be about 10 to 18 pounds when grown with low-to-no shedding coats, the farm says.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
