Yorkie Bichon Basics

Want to conjure up an image of pure adorableness within your brain? Who doesn’t?! So try this: imagine combining the adorable Bichon Frise with the irresistible Yorkshire Terrier. Did your heart just melt? How could it not?! Well good news, you don’t have to limit yourself to imagining this remarkably cute hybrid. This incredibly cute little pooch actually exists. In fact, you can even introduce the Yorkie Bichon into your family if you are in search of a super cute pup to call your own. These dogs are real and they will live up to your dreams.

In fact, the Yorkie Bichon is more than just a pup with good looks. These dogs have substance to back up their eye candy. They are friendly, fun, and loving. They will fill your heart with joy and slather love all over your family. To bring a Yorkie Bichon into your home is to bring a little fur ball of pure happiness into your life. Sounds perfect, right?

So, will you be bringing home one of these pups asap? You’ll want to do the proper research first and fortunately you’ve come to the right place for that. To find out everything that you need to know about the Yorkie Bichon, simply keep your eyes glued to this page and scroll away. Everything is about to be revealed. Read on.

The Yorkie Bichon is a cross between a purebred Bichon Frise and Yorkshire Terrier.

Origin                       

The Yorkie Bichon is a designer crossbreed from the United States. But, apart from the country he originates from, there’s little else we know about this adorable fluffy dog. Sadly like pretty much all hybrid dogs, there simply isn’t much documentation available about the breed’s history. One of the main reasons why the history of the Yorkie Bichon is so full of mystery is the fact that mixed breed dogs haven’t always been thought of as designer dog breeds. It stands to reason that there have been many accidental mixed breed litters of the Yorkie and Bichon Frise throughout history, way before Yorkie Bichon got his name and status as a hybrid. We’ll never know for sure.

However, based on what we already know about the designer dog breeds in general, we can pretty much figure out how it happened for the Yorkie Bichon. It’s highly likely that it shares the origin story with many other designer hybrids from the United States and that it was first developed sometime in the last 20 years. Other than that, we simply don’t know much about how this hybrid came to be. Thankfully, we do know quite a bit about why you need to bring one of these remarkable (and mysterious) pups home.

Pedigree

The Yorkie Bichon is a cross between a purebred Bichon Frise and Yorkshire Terrier. In most cases, this a 50-50 percent mix of the two breeds, resulting in a pooch that stands to inherit traits from both parents. This type of crossbreeds is also known as first generation hybrid, and it’s the most varying type of designer dog. What does this mean? Well, as his mom and dad are purebred dogs belonging to different breeds, a Yorkie Bichon is always unique. Sometimes, the puppies in the litter favor the Bichon Frise more, other times, it’s the Yorkshire Terrier who is more influential in the mix (it’s hard to predict how this mix will balance out, even amongst puppies born to the same litter). Of course, even though some details do vary with each dog, the majority of traits are shared. This is especially true of those that make this hybrid so popular, such as compact size, low-shedding or hypoallergenic coat, and loving temperament.

There are also multigenerational Yorkie Bichon, albeit those are not types of hybrids that can be easily found. This type of breeding involves introducing other, unrelated Yorkies or Bichon Frises into a gene pool of a Yorkie Bichon to make the traits of one breed more prominent. Finally, some breeders mate Yorkie Bichons to other Yorkie Bichons in hopes to create an actual new breed with a new set of traits altogether.

Food / Diet

To give your Yorkie Bichon the nutrition and energy that he needs, choose a high quality canine-appropriate food. Because these dogs are small, they may only need about ½ cup of dry dog food each day, but talk to your vet to be sure that you are feeding your particular pooch the right amount of food for his size and needs. And if you are going to feed your dog some canine wet food as well, you will need to adjust the amount of dry food that you are feeding him so that he does not end up gaining too much weight. Always provide clean, fresh water throughout the day. Also, when the weather is hot, your pooch may not want to eat as much food, and may only want to eat in the evening or at night.

It’s always wise to check in with your veterinarian before establishing or altering your dog’s diet. While pet blogs and dog food manufacturers often provide useful feeding guidelines, these should not be treated as gospel. All dogs are different after all, each with their own needs. Only your vet is qualified to determine the specific dietary needs of your personal pooch. So, always check in with your vet before changing your dog’s diet to ensure that you get the best results.

You can expect that your Yorkie Bichon will be a vivacious and smart little dog.

Training

You can expect that your Yorkie Bichon will be a vivacious and smart little dog. Even as puppies, these dogs show a high level of intelligence and an interest in learning how to do tricks. Start early because those impressionable puppy days are the best time to train. Establish yourself as the pack leader while still focusing on positive reinforcement and rewards based training techniques (anything less is closer to abuse that training).

Crate training is also a good idea for this breed, but spending time with your dog and getting him used to being groomed is important for your puppy too. If your dog starts showing negative behaviors, such as territorial aggression, fearfulness, or excessive barking, obedience classes may help. There’s no shame in seeking help in training your dog. It’s far better than ending up with a misbehaving animal who will cause you significant stress in the long run.

Weight

A toy-sized breed, the Yorkie Bichon weighs between 6 and 8 pounds.

Temperament / Behavior

Your Yorkie Bichon will exhibit a combination of traits from its parent breeds. You can expect that these dogs will be independent but will still enjoy spending loads of time with you. This means that you can leave your dog at home while you go to work without having to worry about him getting too anxious, but he will definitely be excited to see you when you return home. This makes these dogs a good fit in an apartment. Well, at least that’s true if you can get your Yorkie Bichon’s barking under control. These dogs do have a high-pitch bark, so they can make good watchdogs, but you should try to train your dog to not bark excessively.

Despite all of their positive qualities, Yorkie Bichons can exhibit destructive behaviors, and they can be stubborn, as well as a little too curious. Therefore, proper training is imperative, and you need to give your pet plenty of toys to remain occupied while you aren’t home. They will get up to trouble if you don’t train them right and keep them stimulated, so take these responsibilities seriously.

Common Health Problems

As with all other hybrid dog breeds, the Yorkie Bichon has the potential to inherit some of the diseases that are common to its parent breeds. However, there is no guarantee that your dog will ever become ill with any of those conditions. A lot will depend on the genetics of an individual dog, as well as the type of lifestyle he leads. To make sure that your pooch is as healthy as can be, always get a puppy from a reputable source (not puppy mills or pet stores), feed them a well-balanced quality diet and provide plenty of exercise.

Some of the ailments that you should watch out for include Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, slipped kneecaps, hypothyroidism, progressive retinal atrophy, dental problems, and eye problems. Make sure to maintain regularly scheduled checkups with your vet (especially as your pooch ages into its senior years) to ensure that any health issues are identified and treated as early as possible.

Life Expectancy

The Yorkie Bichon has an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years.

Exercise Requirements

These small dogs need a moderate amount of activity and exercise daily. They are naturally active, inquisitive, and energetic, so you can enjoy a variety of activities with them both indoors and outside.

If you have an enclosed and safe backyard, you can let your Yorkie Bichon run around and play outside with some toys when the weather is appropriate. Your dog can also go for short walks, go to the dog park to play with other little dogs, and play with toys inside the house. Makes sure to help your pup burn off their energy every day or they will find ways of using up that energy that you won’t appreciate.

Yorkie Bichons are naturally active, inquisitive, and energetic.

Recognized Clubs

The Yorkie Bichon is not recognized by the American Kennel Club, as it is considered to be a hybrid breed. However, there are many smaller clubs and organizations that accept designer dogs into their fold. The Yorkshire Terrier and Bichon Frise mix has many different names, though, and each of the organization recognizes the breed under a different name. Dog Registry of America, Inc accepts all names, including Yorkie Bichon.  American Canine Hybrid Club names this breed Yo-Chon, and the Designer Dogs Kennel Club Borkie. Similarly, International Designer Canine Registry® recognizes this mix as Yo-Chon or Borkie both, and the Designer Breed Registry as Yorkshire Frise or Borkie. A lot of names for such a tiny pooch!

Coat

The Yorkie Bichon features a dense, full, and soft coat. Both the Bichon Frise and Yorkshire Terrier are hypoallergenic, so these dogs will be hypoallergenic as well. However, they do shed quite a bit and will need daily brushing to keep their coats healthy, smooth, and free of mats and tangles.

Bathe your dog whenever he gets too dirty, and have him groomed by a professional to keep the coat trimmed and away from the eyes. This adorable little fur balls grow out their hair quickly, so regular grooming and trimming is a necessity.

Puppies

These tiny puppies are very delicate and should be handled with gentleness and care. Instruct your kids to do the same, as these puppies can easily get hurt. They need a soft touch and deserve it too.

Teach your puppy the rules of your house from a young age, including what is considered a toy and what is off-limits.

You should socialize your puppy as early on as possible in order to get him used to being around a variety of people, other dogs, and other animals. Early socialization and training will also help your dog get used to varying situations and noises so that he won’t end up becoming fearful or nervous.