How A La-Chon (Lhasa-Bichon) is the Best Designer Dog Breed

A La-Chon is a legitimate, hybrid, desirable, designer, small dog that is 50% Lhasa Apso and 50% Bichon Frise. In this hub, I will try to answer many common questions asked why I think La-Chons make the best designer breed dogs and why I recommend them.

Yes, I recommend a La-Chon to families with allergies to dogs. Their hair is considered more like human hair than dog hair. They do not shed. (unless they have a nasty scratch, then like humans they may lose some hair.) Three people in my family are highly allergic to animals and our La-Chon doesn’t bother them. She even takes turns sleeping next to the members of my family and still doesn’t have a problem. The only time a La-Chon may bother someone with allergies is if it has been awhile since they were bathed. If this is the case, then I usually recommend a bath and good brushing.

Yes. They are recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Clubas La-Chon. The pedigree has to be a registered Lhasa Apso or Bichon Frise, that can be mated together. For example you would need a male 100% Lhasa and female 100% Bichonor vice versa as long as they are both registered. (Like any dog, you don’t need to register them, but to guarantee their purebred it is better to go with registrations.)

If you have a La-Chon and want to breed it you would need to go thru the process of making sure its mate is a registered purebred. I highly recommend going with another 100% (50% Lhasa50% Bichon) La-Chon. But in some cases you can mate them with another 100% Lhasa or 100% Bichon. If you go with that type of mating, you will need to make sure that any of the offspring stay at ¾ Lhasa or ¾ Bichon. This sounds confusing so let me break it down better.

Barbie is a 100% La-Chon. She is being mated with Bob who is 100% Lhasa.

They have a pup named Scooby. He is considered ¾ La-Chon. The alpha breed is the Lhasa side.

Scooby gets old enough to breed, so the breeder must breed it with Barbie’s friend Alex who is 100% Bichon. The alpha breed is the Bichon.

Their offspring is considered ¾ La-Chon.

This is why I recommend going with the La-Chon’s that are 50% Lhasa -50% Bichon. It would be too confusing to try to keep the breed pure.

Yes, a La-Chon is highly intelligent and easy to train. They have a terrific memory. Like a child they pick up bad habits faster than good, but are easy to train.For example: My daughter doesn’t really care for my brother-in-law, so she told our dog that he was bad and growled at him. Three times she told our dog this. Each time my brother-in-law walked by our dog would growl at him. It took me awhile to figure out why, till I heard my daughter laughing and told me what she had done. Needless to say, my daughter had to re-train our dog.

My family has taught her to fetch Barney, her ball, her bowl, and numerous other things. Like a child, they demand attention if they feel they deserve it and usually it doesn’t matter what you are doing. I have watched our dog follow in her daddy’s footsteps and collect all of her toys and drop them at my husbands feet. If he doesn’t play with her, she will sneeze on him. (A trick she learned from her dad, Sir Harley) If that doesn’t work, she will whine and jump up on her hind legs. She will even go as far as lightly pawing and throwing her head to get his attention. I’m sorry, but I can’t help but laugh when she does this. Lately, she has taken to sitting in my lap as I am working on the computer, since I only play with her at certain times. She has also decided that if anyone else is up in the house, then I need to be up. (This can be a problem sometimes, but again easy to fix with some training.) I usually remind my children that having a dog like this is equivalent to having a child. My daughter quite literally treats her as a baby, from the way she packs her around, to the way she plays with her, to even how she dresses her now that there is a designer line of doggie cloths.

That would depend on if you want to grow their hair out or not. If the hair is cropped close then the answer is no. The upkeep would only be to take it in for regular hair cuts like you would your child. If you decide to grow their hair out then yes. It would take regular washing and brushing. La-Chons are beautiful with long wavy hair, but more work is required.

One downfall of a La-Chon is potty training. Because they are half Bichon, they can be a pain to potty train. Bichon’s can be hard to potty train. They are picky and stubborn that way. With consistency and training, it shouldn't be too hard to train the La-Chon. The main thing is if they tell you they need to go out, be sure to take them out right then or there is a guarantee that they will find a nice quiet corner or pile of your favorite clothes and pee. (I learned that this is a weapon they will use if they are mad at you too. Again, they have a terrific memory, just like a child.)

Another downfall of a La-Chon is that they can be stubborn. This comes from the Lhasa side. They know the difference of a “good” person and a “bad” person, just like a child will tell you that someone is “creepy”. Once a La-Chon makes up their mind about something, they can be stubborn to change it. For example: My dog has decided lately that she has to make sure there are no cats in our yard before she gets into the car for a ride. She also thinks she has to go everywhere we go. Consistent training is the only way to break this bad habit, because if they think this behavior is ok, they will continue to do it.

La-Chon’s are great with kids, but occasionally don’t like strange or small children pick them up. If the small child is in the household and the La-Chon is familiar with them, this usually isn’t a problem unless the child torments them.

If you don’t have time to work with this kind of breed I wouldn't recommend getting one. These pets are terrific for elderly, families, or active people who enjoy small dogs. They are great small dogs for people who live in an apartment or small home. They love to play and go for walks. Just remember, their personalities make them just like a small child… Cheep entertainment and full of energy.

Before we purchased any of our dogs, which was mainly for my daughter, I had my daughter read up on Lhasa’s and Bichon’s so she would understand the nature of them. This is something I would recommend to anyone before they purchase a dog. I also recommend getting them micro-chipped since they are a rare designer breed. (For more information on these breeds, see my other hubs.)

If you have any other questions, just send me a message and I will do my best to answer them.