Teddy Bear (Shihpoo and Shichon)
Our Teddy Bear puppies are ONLY available from our network of families around the Greenville, SC, area.
While many of the Doodle breeds can be referred to as Teddy Bears (especially Cavapoos, Cockapoos, Maltipoos, Mini Goldendoodles, Mini Labradoodles, and Mini Bernedoodles), the term “Teddy Bear” has primarily been applied to Shihpoos and Shichons (aka Zuchons). At Crockett Doodles, we use the term Teddy Bear puppy specifically to apply to our Toy Poodle x Shitzu cross (aka Shihpoo) as well as our Bichon Frise x Shitzu cross (aka Shichon/Zuchon) and Maltese x Shitzu cross.
Teddy Bear puppies are wonderful with children and adults alike. Like so many other Doodle breeds, Teddy Bears seldom meet a stranger and really enjoy being with people, whom they accept as part of the pack. Teddy Bears tend to have a pretty good mix of fun and calm. Most Teddy Bear puppies really enjoy a good cuddle session, and often have their forever families laughing with their hilarious antics.
Many of our small breed Doodles look very similar. In fact, some families have a hard time identifying the difference between a red Cockapoo, red Cavapoo, red Maltipoo, red mini Labradoodle, red mini Goldendoodle, and red Teddy Bear. In some cases they can look nearly identical (particularly to an untrained eye). We like to be very transparent that one thing that sets apart many of our Teddy Bear pups is their facial structure.
Some (but not all) of our Teddy Bear pups have an under-bite (aka canine malocclusion). Perhaps you’re wondering why some of our Teddy Bears have an under-bite when it is so uncommon for all of our other pups. The reason is quite simply that the Shih Tzu is a flatter faced dog breed (brachycephalic is the exact term), so an under-bite is considered normal for Shih Tzus. Many familiar breeds are also brachycephalic (e.g. Boxers, Boston Terriers, Pugs, Pekingese, English and French Bulldogs). The majority of dog breeds (including Poodles and Bichons) have long canine muzzles. When we cross a toy Poodle or a Bichon Frise with a Shih Tzu to get our Shihpoo and Shichon / Zuchon Teddybear puppies, there is a chance that the pup will inherit the flat-faced underbite from the Shih Tzu parent and there’s a chance that they will inherit the more typical facial structure of the Poodle or Bichon parent. Whereas normally, we would consider a canine malocclusion as a fault in a puppy, we do not with our Teddy Bear breed since it is normal for one of the parent breeds (the Shihtzu).
Advantgaes of Teddy Bear Puppies
(These advantages are typically the case, but cannot be guaranteed to be true of each individual Doodle puppy.)
- Healthier due to Shihpoo and Shichon hybrid vigor. Usually a Teddy Bear is healthier than a purebred Shih Tzu.
- Hypoallergenic Teddy Bear coat (particularly true of F1b Shihpoos and Shichons)
- Fun-loving and cuddly Teddy Bear personality
- Teddy Bear puppies are usually excellent with kids
- Small breed (Teddy Bear puppies are one of the smallest doodle breeds)
Pricing of Teddy Bear Puppies
Black ($900-1300)
Black Shihpoos are possible because of black Poodles; they are cute and hide dirt well; black is a rare color for us with our Teddy Bear puppies; we specialize in parti-colored, chocolates, and lighter colors (apricots, creams, blenheims, and reds).
Chocolate, Cream, Caramel, Black/White, or Black/Tan ($1500-1800)
At Crockett Doodles we believe that almost any Teddy Bear puppy is cute; some people love chocolate, cream, apricot, or caramel Cavapoos. Others prefer a parti-color Teddy Bear. Our most common parti-color combinations are black and white or black and tan.
Blenheim, Chocolate, Red, Red/white, or Tri-color ($1900-2300)
Red, chocolate, and parti-colored Teddy Bear pups are definitely our specialty. These are the colors people ask us for the most often. True tricolor Teddy Bears are somewhat rare and highly desirable. Forever Homes often think they look a lot like a tiny tricolor mini Bernedoodle. Blenheim Teddy Bear pups have a white base coat with apricot markings.
Mini (plus $600)
Our mini Teddy Bears usually range from 5-20 pounds full grown. Our litters of mini Teddy Bears are often very small (just 2-4 pups in the litter may times), and the mini pups just require much time and attention. Often we wait until Teddy Bears are 10 or 11 weeks old before letting them go to homes to be sure they are ready for a new environment, as they are still so small at 8 weeks old.
Teddy Bears are cute and cuddly.
Timing
+ $200 for a Christmas pup (This extra charge encourages families to wait for a non-December Teddy Bear puppy if they’re not set on a Christmas puppy. Some families wait specifically to get a Teddy Bear Christmas puppy for their kids.)
6% Sales Tax Applies to all puppies Picked up in the state of South Carolina.
