Papichon Pup

boodles

Hi
We are thinking of getting a papichon pup. Does anybody have any experience of these. I know it is a cross between a Bischon Frise and Papillion. We are looking for a house dog moreso than an outdoor dog. We are not home during the day 4 days/week, would this dog be ok to leave in the house etc.
Any advide is much appreciated

ruben

Hi there
I have no direct experience with the breed but really any breed would be fine indoors 4 pays per week assuming that their needs are catered for before you leave and when you come home.
It's more common sense rather than breed led.

lil'bug

there are plenty of lovely cross breed dogs in rescue centre's
if your looking for a cross breed please try there first

Mr. Presentable

Honestly, home alone is no place for a dog - much less a pup.

And please don't go spending daft money on what is a mongrel - no matter how the seller spins it.

I had a dog that was a Jack Russell/Cocker Spaniel cross got for free from the pound. If I was smart I'd have resold it as a Cossell for €800.00 :mad:

boodles

Thanks Ruben
Yeah, we would be up to speed with the needs, food, litter, water, play etc.
Am wondering about the breed really, would they get bored and be into demolition!! I dont think I would have the heart to put it outside, even though we have a dog kennell and a home built run.

lil'bug

they are not a breed. sorry to be so blunt

boodles

Hi
appreciating the replies.

nipplenuts - home alone is probably a bit overdescript. We would not be there generally 9-4:30 four day /week otherwise there with all school hols etc so need to know how this dog would cope with that either easily or not all.

If is there someone out there that has either breed or cross might comment or share experience.

peasant

dogs aren't machines where one breed does one thing and a another does something else.

Yes, there are generalised breed traits, but they do not apply universally and not to every single member of that breed.

If a dog will handle staying alone for a long time depends much more on the individual character than on the breed as well as how well it was prepared/trained to do so.

Whether your particular dog will or will not cope with being left alone you won't find out until it's too late ...certainly not in advance

*Lees*

If you look up both breeds on the net and research both of their characteristics it will give you a good idea of what the breeds are generally like but there's no garauntee as every dog is different!!
The pup should be fine inside during the day as long as it doesn't have access to anything harmful, setting up a puppy pen would be a good idea with some toys to keep it occupied!! Also, from 9am to 4:30pm is a long time for a pup, if you could get someone to call during the day to play with it for an hour and take it outside for a little while it would make a huge difference!!
As long as it gets plenty of attention from 4:30pm onwards I wouldn't see any problem with it!!

star-pants

Personally if you're getting a pup - you can't leave it alone for most of the day - you need to be there to train it and bond with it. Leaving the pup alone for 7/8 hours a day 4 days a week is unfair on the pup. If you do go ahead, I suggest taking time off or half days in order to get a routine and train the pup.

Look up both breeds and have a look at their traits and habits and assumidly the cross would be somewhere between the two but not strictly. IF you're not set on this specific cross of dog - then check out local shelters SPCAs etc...

Sigma Force

You can't leave a young pup for more than about 3 hours a day at first and this can go on a while, I was home all the time with ours (a Phalene..which is a Papillon with dropped ears) and for the first week or two he'd be in an awful state if I even left the room.

Ok they say to let a pup cry etc. but the poor guy would shake, giving him the attention did not mean he'd become clingy though. He is very happy to be left alone for 3 or 4 hours (4 hours is rare though) once or twice a week.

I don't know much about Bichons but Papillons need a lot of attention and hate being left alone, you could say that about any dog I know but it's a bit of a trait with them.

Saying that dogs do get used to a routine and have to be left alone at some point but puppies are very demanding.

Even after a while if you wanted to you couldn't leave this type of dog outside, Papillons have no undercoat so feel the cold esp. in winter they are tougher than they look but cannot be left outside at night or in the rain etc.
They are strictly a house dog, they only become destructive if really bored but being so small they do little damage really but you can't leave anything lying around, their wee teeth are sharp and our guys favourite thing is to rip apart teddys and his soft toys.

Wouldn't fall for spending a fortune on a bichon/pap mix neither breed is cheap but the crosses have no 'value' as such and so shouldn't be sold for large amounts of money.

Don't forget that they could also have health issues associated with either breed although Paps are generally (if responsibly bred) a health dog, some can have knee problems and a few other things but all in all very few possible health problems compared to a lot of pb dogs. Bichons though can have skin problems, seems to be pretty common in them.

Paps are fiesty little dogs, very very lovable but suprisingly terrier-like with a bit of spaniel thrown in. They are real lap dogs though and would rather cuddle up to you than sit on the opposite side of the couch. Very cat like as well. Our guy, although becoming more independant as he gets older loves people and does not like being left alone.

I usually leave him in the morning after he's been running around for 2 hours, we get up early so by then he's shattered and needs a nap. So he basically sleeps till I get back.

Perhaps consider getting a pb Papillon but wait until next summer when the school holidays start so you have the time to spend with him and the kids as well. This time of year is a pain if you have a young pup, toilet training in the winter is no fun. We got our guy during the school hols and it was handy having that time (and reasonably warm) weather to start toilet training.

9.30 to 4 is too long for a new pup to be left though, an adult dog would cope no problem once it settled in. Young pups, esp. small/toy breeds need regular small meals and would need to be fed every 4 hours or so depending.

There would be a lot of poop and pee produced in that time for a pup and noone there to toilet train during that time so you would end up coming home to lots of cleaning up and then have to take the pup straight out for a walk because the pup would have slept a lot of the time.

I'd wait until the summer it's so much more practical.

lrushe

boodles wrote: »

Hi
We are thinking of getting a papichon pup. Does anybody have any experience of these. I know it is a cross between a Bischon Frise and Papillion. We are looking for a house dog moreso than an outdoor dog. We are not home during the day 4 days/week, would this dog be ok to leave in the house etc.
Any advide is much appreciated

I can't comment on this particular cross but I do have a Chihuahua and I leave her in a large crate while I'm in work, she spends the day wrapped up in her blanket!!! The only thing I would say is my girl is 4 years old and wouldn't need to go to the toilet as much as a puppy, she is also walked for an hour with my other two dogs before she is crated. If you plan on leaving a dog alone for this amout of time would you consider getting an older dog or maybe 2 younger dogs for company?

lorebringer

A pup may not be such a good idea if you plan on leaving it home alone for a significant portion of the day 4 days a week, this can lead to behavioural and emotional issues. An adult would be a better idea for you - as long as you gradually extend the length of time you leave it for as opposed to suddenly leaving it all day when it has never been left before. The dog will need to get used to the routine over a period of time (this may involve some days off work when you initially get the dog). Have you maybe considered getting someone to come in during the day to bring it for a walk/break up the day a bit? Someone above mentioned thinking about getting 2 dogs for company, this could also be something to consider if you know they will be left alone for a while during the day.

I have no experience with this hybrid, so can't advise you on this. Both Bichons and Papillons can be lovely dogs once trained and dealt with correctly (socialisation etc.) but the time needs to be put in when they are pups. There are plenty of fab dogs in pounds and rescues across the country, pure breeds and mixes, pups and adults of all ages. Maybe have a look into this before you set your heart on a specific type of dog. You might surprise yourself with what you can find! You have the added advantage of knowing what the dogs personality and temperament is like before you make a commitment. Plus, quite a lot of dogs in rescues and pounds are trained to some extent (less work for you!). And , of course, the feel good factor of going the rescue route!

boodles

Hey
Thanks for all the great replies. My gut instinct has been compounded.

Guineapigrescue - you nailed it on the head and exactly what I was thinking. I think we need to leave it until the summer when we have the time and it is the right thing for the dog.

Thanks all for your sound advise. Must say that boards.ie is a great idea.