Chonzer Dog Breed

As both parent breeds are companion animals who come from lineages that were bred to be watch dogs, the Chonzer is somewhat the same although much more of a companion animal. Perhaps the remarkable thing about these dogs are the coats. Mini Schnauzers have a very box-like profile whereas the Bichon Frise is groomed to have round, tubular features. Because of the parent breeds' conflicting coat styles, these dogs might not be the best for first-time dog owners due to the immense grooming requirements as well as the possibility that no amount of grooming might resolve some Chonzers' issues. Furthermore, these dogs are not recommended for households with small children.

Here are some of the good and bad things about the Bichon Frise Mini Schnauzer mix:

These small dogs have a big attitude, and it comes from the several centuries of their purebred parents being pampered as well as being expected to pull their own weight when it comes to work. Because of this, these dogs are keen on what tends to be a possible threat — provided they are trained and socialized properly.

While they can be a bit finicky, the Chonzer is nonetheless a sharp little hybrid dog. These dogs tend to be motivated by food as well as the desire to please you. This means that even when they are much older, they can learn lots of new tricks to make you happy and to get a treat!

Your Chonzer may get more of the reserved personality of the Mini or more of the mischievousness of the Bichon. Then again, she may have an equal balance of both parent breeds. As such, she could prefer to appear aloof when there are humans present, and then get down to devilish tricks when no one is looking!

These dogs tend to conserve their energy even as they carefully spend it throughout the day by simply walking about and keeping an eye on everything. They are fine with short bursts of high energy and medium-length walks. They should not do much jumping or other strenuous activities before they are at least a year old, however, as they can have fragile joints.

With many hybrid dogs, the generations — described as F1, F2, F1b, etc. — tend to tell how the mixed breeds' offspring should turn out. That is provided the breeder knows how to do things, of course, and is not a backyard breeder (BYB). With the Chonzer, however, there seems to be less focus on making these mixed breed puppies more like one or the other of their purebred parents. (This can be done with F1b and onward, where back-breeding to a purebred will help the genes of one breed be more prominent in a hybrid dog.)

Many breeders seem to believe that the Miniature Schnauzer parent often takes precedence in the coat of the Miniature Schnauzer Bichon Frise cross. Due to this, you should expect the coat to be a bit coarse and somewhat wirey rather than having the cottony softness of the Bichon. Still, there are no overly common coats or real variations for these dogs. As your Chonzer ages, however, you might notice the coat color changes too. For example, a salt-and-pepper-colored coat may turn to basic gray later in the life of a Bichon Frise Miniature Schnauzer mix.

Size is perhaps where variety is most noticed with the Miniature Schnauzer Bichon mix. While there are no formal size varietals, there is still some range within the miniature category that best describes the Chonzer size. While the 10-pound difference between the basic range of 25 to 35 pounds may not seem like much, with dogs it is a considerable range of weight. Of course, this affects their height too, and that can vary from a mere 10 inches tall the way up to about 18 inches.

These spunky little dogs are extremely friendly with those she trusts, and while Chonzers are forever on guard against threats, they will maintain a holding position with new friends and strangers until they either need to sound an alarm or understand they are truly trustworthy. They are resourceful and will spend much of their time tending to knowing whats where all the time. They often do this by just exploring the immediate area or the entire house.

Chonzers can be good with mature kids, but children need to understand that the small size of these dogs must be considered. They also play well with most other dogs and non-canine pets. They will no doubt try to play with larger dogs to prove they can keep up the "big dogs." In any case, they will love nothing more to be happy, to be with you all the time, and to be in your lap while you relax!

Both parent breeds have many and serious health issues, and then there is the over- and underbite features of both breeds that can create a dreadful condition. Hybrid vigor seems to have little effect here. There are also the vast differences in the coats and the way the hair behaves and must be groomed which can create a messy hair-fur combination that no amount of grooming might resolve.

Below is a list of the many ailments that can befall one of these Mini Schaunzer/Bichon Frise mixes:

• Allergies
• Eye problems
• Hip Dysplasia
• Urinary stones
• Skin infections
• Hypothyroidism
• Tooth-crowding
• Patellar luxation
• Jawbone problems
• Myotonia Congenita
• Vaccination sensitivity
• von Willebrands Disease
• Congenital Megaesophagus

Chonzers have an average lifespan of about 10 to 13 years.