Helpful Tips for Training a Stubborn Lhasa-Bichon Mix (La-Chon) Puppy

One look and you are hooked. Those big, luscious eyes, cute teddy-bear face, and little bundle of pom-pom hair. The way they tilt their head at you as you talk to them, that long tail of theirs curled up, and wagging in excitement. Before you know it, you scoop him/her up and soon have a new friend. Once home, it doesn't take long to realize these cute little bundle of joys can be quiet suborn and ornery.

They may refuse to potty outside, chew up the wood furniture, or run off while laughing at you. Soon you are at your whits end and ready to give your puppy back.

I am an owner of one of these stubborn La-Chon breeds. Below are tips that I used while training my puppy.

Before I begin, I have often been asked “What is a La-Chon?”

A La-Chon is a rare, designer, small lap dog that can weigh between 8-15 pounds; and is 50% Lhasa Apso and 50% Bichon Frise. They can be registered through the American Canine Hybrid Club as a La-Chon. This breed is for people that are highly allergic to animals. They are considered a no-shed dog, but grooming can be high maintenance if you allow their hair to grow out.

Arm yourself with knowledge of this breed to determine if a La-Chon is right for you. Many times, pets have been purchased or adopted only to be given up when the owner realizes that the personality of the pet didn't fit their family.

The Lhasa Apso breed is known for its stubbornness, devotion, and obedience to their master. They travel well, respond to motivational training and make good watch dogs.

The Bichon Frise breed is known for being hard to potty train, its independent spirit, affection, happy temperament, obedience, and competitiveness. They are naturally sociable good watchdogs that love to be a part of the family traveling places.

Both breeds are highly intelligent. This means that your La-Chon may be stubborn and hard to potty train, while playing you like a fiddle. (Be sure to make them understand right away that you are the alpha.) This is important for your family members too. If you do not establish that you are an alpha, your dog may experience Small Dog Syndrome ( That is where the dog thinks he is the pack leader to humans.) This will lead to various degrees of negative behavior.

Signs of negative behavior in these small breeds are obsessive barking, guarding separation anxiety, weary of strangers, intolerant of children, snapping, and at its worst...biting. Remember, these are not the normal traits of dogs, but brought on by human induced behavior, due to the way the dog is being treated. You must show your dog (no matter how cute and small they are) that you are the pack leader and they have to follow your rules. Be calm, self assured, setting boundaries and limits. They need daily walks and playtime (any kind of stimulating challenges). If you dog gets enough mental and physical exercise, they will co-operate and be a more content dog.

Tips that I use to train my dog is first to remember that Bella is like my child. She needs guidance, love, and training, but that I am mom. (Alpha)

When Bella was born, (we bred her ourselves) I had to remind my daughter that Bella wasn't a play toy, but that didn't stop my daughter. From the first week after birth, I would find my daughter constantly watching her, touching her, and on occasion hiding Bella in her pocket. (She loved to call the puppies pocket puppies.) As soon as the puppies had their eyes open and wandering the pen, we started potty training them. Every fifteen minutes to a half an hour we would round up the puppies and take them outside. Treats would be given to those that “potty or pooh” outside. If an offending accident happened, we would gently scold the puppy, telling it “No Bad!”; then taking the pooh outside with the pup, we would show the puppy the proper place to go. It takes lots of consistency, patience, and watching for the signs to potty train your puppy/dog. (Remember, if you teach your dog to potty in the house - on a pad or potty patch – they will think it is ok to always go in the house. It is better to teach them to go outside to avoid confusion.)

Mental stimulation also helps to keep a happy dog. Since we had eight dogs at one time, (and they all knew my husband was a sucker for feeding them human food) it was time to train them patience and no begging. My husband would line them up in a row telling them to sit. He would hold up a treat making sure none of them moved. Then he would single one of them out and give them the treat. He would continue to do this to show them he was the alpha and it was their job to be patient and listen. (My kids and I would watch trying not to giggle while he did this. It was too cute to watch these little fur balls not pounce on him. They looked like little cotton balls with tails wagging in excitement.)

Once the patience was established, it was time to teach them to fetch toys, sticks, bowls, and anything else that my husband thought of. He used the same tactics, making them line up, singling one to get the item, then rewarding them for a job well done. (Since these dogs posses amazingly intelligent, it didn't take long for them to learn things. They also have a surprising memory.)

One thing to keep in mind while training your little ball of fur...if they are let out without a leash, a fenced in yard, or put on a chain (in other words...to roam free) they will have no problem taking off like a rocket to chase something, while laughing at you. They will show their rebellious streak by sitting in the grass laughing at you until they realize you mean business. (Trust me, you will know they are laughing by their black lips pulled back in a smile, tongue slightly showing, and the glint in their eye.) If you train your pup to play at the same time every day (this includes walking) and you mess up their schedule, they will be sure to remind you by a simple mess or demanding attention.

Some people prefer to train their dogs to a crate, which is very helpful for those that are working all day. But, remember that your dog needs attention just like your child.

I recommend using a doggy life jacket while boating or at the lake. Mine didn't like water at first, then surprised us by diving off the boat unexpectedly. Where most dogs don't need a jacket in the winter, mine does. She was the only one in her litter that hates snow. (These stubborn dogs may refuse to go to the bathroom in snow. Don't be surprised if that happens. Just reinforce the alpha, watch for signs, and remind them of the treat.)

Hopefully these tips will help you with your little bundle of fluff.

Food for thought: I didn't write this hub to promote puppy mills, nor am I a breeder that sells puppies for the purpose of money.