The teddy bear breed or Schion is a cross of two different pure dog breeds. The Bichon Frise and the Shih Tzu, such dog breeds are also called hybrids or designer breeds. We have constituted this guide from the guidance of our breed experts and vets of Riverside Veterinary Clinic.
General Description:
As a cross breed Teddy Bear Dog breed has features of both of its ancestors. It has a double coat, the outer coat is curly and fluffy while the undercoat is soft and silky and its hair size is almost 3-4 inch. The size of this breed is small and coat color depends upon their parents. Many puppies take the color of Bichon Frise and many like that of Shih Tzu. As compared to other toy breeds Schion doesn’t shed hairs and is hypo-allergenic.
Size:
9-12 Inches
Weight:
8-13 Pound
Character:
Teddy Bear Puppies are very playful and full of energy. They are very loving, caring and devoted towards their families When get socialized with other pets at early age, they are very good at that. They show a very affectionate behavior towards kids also, but it is recommended that they should be introduced from the very early age with the children. They should be supervised well so that the Scion doesn’t gets hurt because of its small size.
Schions are very intelligent and quick learners. That’s why they are easy to live with and easy to train. If trained well they can become very good watch dogs. One of their best quality is that they don’t bark excessively as compared to other watch dogs.
General Health
The average life of a teddy bear dog is around 15 years, in case they receive regular veterinary checkups and provided with good care. As compared to its parents breeds teddy bear dog has relatively less health issues. If provided with extra good care and if their pet parent is very concerned and conscious about their health problems. That’s a pretty good idea If the parenting of the dog should be checked for the health issues so .the risk of serious health issues goes down. Dry Skin is one of the most common issues that has been reported in the Teddy Bear Dogs.
Maintenance
As compared to other toy breeds Scion does not have any considerable/significant maintenance issues. As the dog by himself takes care of his daily exercise every day. The breed enjoys when taken out for walks and really enjoy playing in open but it is recommended only in appropriate supervision. The coat of teddy bear dog needs regular brushing as well as they also need to be bathed regularly to keep the coat healthy and shiny. As we told you already this breed is not a heavy shedder and hypo allergenic that is why Teddy Bear Dog are very popular in families where allergy issues are common.
Ideal Environment
The best environment for Teddy Bear Dogs will be the one in which they can live in the outdoors where they can have play and enjoy on occasions as well as live indoors with their family. But they are not the dogs which are suitable for outdoors, they don’t do well outside. They are best suited for the apartment life, as they are smaller in size, the indoor area is enough for their exercise, they don’t bark excessively, don’t shed hairs and get along with children as well as with other pets. Training is a good option for Teddy bear dogs not because of their behavior but because of the fact they are quick learners and love to please their family. The enjoy being with human provided with lots of care and attention that’s why they should not be left in the environment where they will be left alone for longer periods of time.
