10 Things You Didn’t Know about The La-Chon
The La-Chon is a designer dog that can make an excellent household companion for a wide range of interested individuals. One part of its ancestry comes from the Bichon Frise. Meanwhile, the other part of its ancestry comes from the Lhasa Apso.
1. Designer Dog
As mentioned earlier, the La-Chon is a designer dog. Mixes have existed for a very long time. However, the intentional creation of designer dogs started up in the late 20th century because of people who wanted to combine the most desirable characteristics of different well-known breeds in the same dog. Generally speaking, designer dogs are exactly what most people would expect, which is to say, combinations of characteristics from both sides of their ancestry. The issue is that they tend to be less predictable than their purebred counterparts, so that is something that interested individuals should keep in mind.
2. Its Ancestor Wasn’t Named for the Poodle
On one side, the La-Chon was descended from the Bichon Frise. Bichon seems to have come from the Middle French bichon, meaning a “small dog.” However, there are people who speculate that it was shortened from barbichon, meaning “small poodle.” Something that was in turn derived from barbiche, meaning “shaggy dog.” This line of speculation is improbable because the word bichon is known to have been used as early as the late 16th century, thus putting it well before the word barbichon that is known to have been used as early as the late 17th century.
3. Its Ancestor Can Trace Its Roots to Spain
It is said that the distant ancestors of the Bichon Frise were introduced by Italian sailors to the Iberian Peninsula where they proved to be popular with the local population. Later, both Spanish sailors and Italian sailors introduced those dogs to a wide range of other regions. For example, there are a number of modern breeds descended from dogs that the Spanish brought to the Canary Islands. Similarly, the Bichon Frise is descended from dogs that the Italians brought to the rest of continental Europe.
4. Its Ancestor Can Trace Its Roots to France
To be exact, the ancestors of the Bichon Frise were developed into companion animals by the French, thus resulting in the Bichon Frise itself. The breed is known to have seesawed in popularity in its homeland. To name an example, the Bichon Frise became popular during the reign of Napoleon III before wearing out its welcome. After which, there was another renewal of interest after World War One. Regardless, it is clear that the Bichon Frise had plenty of appeal because otherwise, it wouldn’t have spread out of its homeland to a wide range of countries in a wide range of places.
5. Its Ancestor Has an Affinity for Water
The ancestors of the Bichon Frise can trace their roots back to water dogs. As a result, it is interesting to note that Bichon Frises have an affinity for water, which is in addition to their fondness for retrieving things. Things that may or may not be present in La-Chons as well. Having said that, Bichon Frises are very much companion animals, which makes sense because even their ancestors were often used as companion animals onboard ships. As such, they tend to be playful, affectionate, and sociable creatures, though they can become territorial under certain circumstances as well.
6. It Isn’t Quite Clear What Its Other Ancestor Was Named For
Meanwhile, the La-Chon’s other ancestor is the Lhasa Apso. For those who are unfamiliar, Lhasa has been the capital of Tibet since the mid 17th century, so there is no mystery about where that part of the name came from. In contrast, it isn’t quite clear what Apso refers to. One line of speculation says that Apso is just an Anglicization of the Tibetan for “goatee.” Other lines of speculation range from the Tibetan for “billy goat” to the Tibetan for “bark guard.”
7. Its Other Ancestor Was a Watch Dog
Lhasa Apso look very adorable. As a result, it can be difficult to remember that these dogs were once used as watch dogs. As the story goes, Lhasa Apso were used alongside Tibetan Mastiffs. They got the job of protecting building interiors. Meanwhile, their bigger counterparts were stuck outside where they served as an earlier line of defense.
8. Tends to Need a Fair Amount of Grooming
Generally speaking, La-Chons need a fair amount of grooming. They tend not to shed much, which makes sense considering that Bichon Frises are reputed to be hypoallergenic. However, La-Chons tend to have long hair that is prone to becoming tangled and matted. Weekly brushing combined with the occasional trimming should be enough to minimize the chances of such issues coming up.
9. Tends to Be Friendly Dogs
Personality-wise, La-Chons tend to be on the friendlier side of things when it comes to their human family members. They are often smart, affectionate, and outgoing, though they are also often stubborn. As such, interested individuals can do very well with La-Chons provided that they keep that last part in mind. When it comes to someone or something other than their human family members, La-Chons can show a less friendly face. Some of them have been known to bark at strangers. Furthermore, La-Chons might have issues getting along with other dogs and other household pets unless they have been socialized from an early age.
10. Tends to Be Energetic But Not Particularly Active
In most cases, La-Chons have plenty of energy but won’t be particularly active. Thanks to this, interested individuals should be fine so long as they remember to provide their canine companion with daily exercise as well as daily play-time to keep the latter both happy and healthy. Fortunately, La-Chons are on the smaller side of things, so they can do very well even when they are living in apartments rather than houses. Even so, it is a good idea to bring them out to play at dog parks as well as similar facilities from time to time, particularly to make them well-socialized.
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