Teddy Bear Dog Breed: 7 Facts, Characteristics and Is This Shih Tzu Bichon Frise Mix Worth it?

Growing up, have you had plenty of stuffed toys you used to enjoy playing with friends or on your own? You may even have a stuffed toy as an adult that you can enjoy playing or enjoy having it around the room.

These stuffed toys, more often than not, are mostly puppies or teddy bears. And I’m sure you once wanted your toy teddy bear to hug you as much back as you hold it.

What if I tell you there’s a middle ground to all this? Nowadays, there’s a Teddy Bear dog breed that’s as small as the stuffed toys we used to have, capable of playing with us and will love us the way we love them-we call them the Teddy Bear dog breed.

If you want to know more about the Teddy Bear dog breed, keep reading.

What is a Teddy Bear dog breed?

Teddy Bear dogs are the byproduct of the Shih Tzu and the Bichon Frise mix breed (more commonly known as Bichon). Despite what the title says, Teddy Bear dogs aren’t officially considered or recognized as dog breeds yet; however, many people already have them.

According to the American Kennel Club or AKC, the Teddy Bear dog breed will be receiving its official name and recognition after a few more generations. After all, this dog breed is fairly new.

What are the characteristics of a Teddy Bear dog?

Teddy Bear dogs bring justice to their name as they are really like moving Teddy Bears, like when Pinocchio was given life except that this Pinocchio is a dog that is very much like a teddy bear.

Teddy Bear dogs are tiny dogs with fluffy fur, big round eyes, and distinct nose – very much like the stuffed toys that we used to have, or our kids currently play.

Teddy Bear dogs are like kid’s toys in size, they can be easily carried because they fit right in a kid’s arms and they are incredibly light, weighing only 8 to 17 pounds. Usually, a full-grown Teddy Bear dog can grow as tall as 13 inches and not more than that.

This type of breed is very safe around children, they are friendly, not aggressive, loving, affectionate, and just want to cuddle. Most of the moment, their personality is as nice as honey-dipped candy. Seeing Teddy Bear dogs become wild and aggressive is very uncommon. These pups are also loyal and easy to train.

Describing a Teddy Bear dog simple task as they are packed with personality, character, and surprises!

7 Facts you need to know about Teddy Bear dogs

1. PEOPLE-PLEASER

Teddy Bear dogs are extremely friendly, and they have a lot to do with your emotions. They want to be able to play with anyone at their disposal, so they don’t tend to leave out anybody as a practice, meaning everyone they meet is already their friends.

There’s no need to fight over who the Teddy Bear dog loves more. Spoiler alert: it’s all of us!

2. Watch me RUN

Don’t let the size of the Teddy Bear dog fool you. Their feet may be extremely small, but how quickly they can run will surprise you. Seeing them sprinting at full velocity will leave you wondering how with such short gaps between their feet they can achieve that much speed.

These dogs have a lot of high-energy, if don’t have a healthy output for it like a regular walk in the park, they’ll look for something or some way to get that energy out of their system, one way that they can do that is by sprinting at full speed whenever they get the opportunity to do so.

Like most dogs, Teddy Bear dogs will also result in chewing furniture or anything they see if they have built-up energy inside that they just don’t seem to be shaking.

Just as most dogs, Teddy Bear dogs will also result in chewing furniture or anything they see if there’s built-up energy inside of them that they can’t seem to shake.

3. Anything but POTTY TRAINING

Don’t get me wrong, Teddy Bear dogs are smart, BUT they have a hard time trying to understand the concept between potty training.

It will be a piece of cake to teach them to understand instructions like’ sit,” remain,” eat,” down,’ and’ fetch,’ you can teach them all in a matter of days. Potty training, however, is a different story for some mysterious reason. Some Teddy Bear dog owners indicated that they had to train their Teddy Bear dog properly for more or less 8 weeks.

Be sure that you’ve packed a lot of patience if you’re going to potty train your Teddy Bear dog. Don’t let the time scare you, once your Teddy Bear dog has understood the concept of potty training, you’ll be glad that you invested the time that you did in teaching your dog the proper way to handle his business.

4. I need nothing but LOVE and TOYS

There’s nothing better than a dog who wants your love, time, and attention that’s exactly what the Teddy Bear dog is. Nevertheless, take note that this is not your regular “pat on the head and we’re done” kind of relationship, no, it’s so much more.

Remember when I said that these Teddy Bear dogs have loads of energy? This also reflects the amount of love and affection they need-it’s a lot! This breed is renowned for being in need, so if you’ve ever seen a Teddy Bear dog in public, they’re nearly always next to or just next to their master or individual.

What happens if you don’t get enough love and affection from your Teddy Bear dog breed? They chew everything and anything that is in their path. Their demand for your love and attention is extremely high, making their tendency to bite and chew just as high, especially in their younger days, about 3 to 6 months old.

If you don’t have much time for your Teddy Bear dog, maybe leave him or her temporarily to someone who has some free time or leave a chew toy for your Teddy Bear dog. Just make sure you’re prepared in case your Teddy Bear dog decides to eat your furniture.

5. NO SHEDDING, no problem

In most cases, Teddy Bear dogs don’t shed. It’s one of their key features, and they are very well known because of it.

We can thank the parents or ancestors of the Teddy Bear dogs, the Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise for this amazing feat. And because of this, we don’t need to have our Teddy Bear dogs groomed that often.

They already have short hair and they barely even shed, what more could you ask for?

6. We’ll be together for YEARS

Not a lot of people know about this, but smaller dogs generally have a longer lifespan. The Teddy Bear dog is no exception.

As you should understand by now, this specific breed is in a small category compared to other dogs. In turn, their lifespan is considerably larger than other breeds. A Teddy Bear dog’s life expectancy is 14 to 16 years, which is a lot of memories to cherish, love, affection, and sweet moments.

7. Made to be HYPOALLERGENIC

Bichon Frise and Shih Tzu breeding were explicitly intended to eliminate dander. If you don’t already know, dander it is made up of many microscopic skin specs that are usually shed not only by dogs, but also by cats, birds, mice, and basically any feathered or fur animal.

This dander that we speak of can easily trigger allergy for those who are wholly allergic and even only slightly allergic. The byproduct of the Shih Tzu and Bichon Frise is expected to be hypoallergenic because the amount of dander is minimized or totally removed.

Thankfully, the expectations were met because people who used to have a hard time owning dogs can now be with a dog like the Teddy Bear dog.

Is the Shih Tzu Bichon Frise mix worth it?

There are some pros and cons to consider here if you’re thinking of getting a Teddy Bear dog.

First and foremost, you must ask yourself what kind of person you are. Here are a few guideline questions that you can use to assess yourself:

• Do you have enough time for a pet?
• Would you be able to walk your dog, maybe once or twice a day?
• Are you generally allergic to dogs?
• Are you scared of dogs running up to you?
• Are you patient enough to train a dog?
• Do you have any knowledge about training a dog?
• Are you energetic?
• Are you responsible enough to satisfy the needs of your dog?

You see, if you have a lot of spare time that can be used to walk a dog, play with a dog, pet a dog, and even train a dog, the Teddy Bear dog is looking good for you.

The Teddy Bear dog should definitely be on your list if you are usually allergic to dogs, but you want to take care of one! This could be your opportunity to experience being a dog owner without the allergy’s nasty side effects always lurking in the shadows.

Finally, the Teddy Bear dog is perfect for you if you don’t have a lot of dog training experience. When it comes to potty training, you just need to be extra patient.

It’s reasonable to say that the Teddy Bear dog breed is compatible with just anyone, including you, considering all the facts we’ve addressed in this article.