The perpetual puppy: New breed of dog ‘never grows old’

This dog could be a little long in the tooth, but you’d never know it looking at its baby-faced appearance. Even when it’s fully-grown, the cava-poo-chon still looks like a puppy – and it’s the latest in the current trend for small pets.

Bred by Arizona-based Linda and Steve Rogers, the cava-poo-chon is a cavalier King Charles spaniel and bichon frise mix bred with a miniature poodle. The pair enlisted the help of a geneticist and reproductive veterinarian to develop the ‘tribrid’ – or triple cross. According to Ms Rogers, cava-poo-chon combines the best of the three breeds and are offered with a choice of colour and two types of coat: curly or very curly.

The dog’s small stature means it will never lose its youthful looks and Linda says there is no reason why the dogs can’t enjoy a 20-year lifespan. However, the American Kennel Club refuses to recognise the cava-poo-chon as an official breed, with one expert describing some specially-bred small dogs as expensive ‘gimmicks’.

Dog trainer Steve Haynes, who is working with 50 first-generation cava-poo-chons, said: ‘There’s always been a market for these forever-ish young dogs. Until recently, specialised dogs like miniature Yorkies and miniature Maltese were the go-to dogs.’ With such a specialised range of ‘features’, it is perhaps unsurprising the cava-poo-chon comes with a hefty price tag. If you want one it will set you back between $2,000 (£1,237) and $3,500 (£2,165).

source: www.metro.co.uk

perpetual – örök, állandó
to be long in the tooth – öreg
appearance – kinézet, megjelenés
fully-grown – teljesen kifejlett
current – jelenlegi
to breed – tenyészteni
bichon frise – egy kutyafajta, ugyanaz magyarul
veterinarian – állatorvos (vet)
triple – tripla, háromszoros
according to – valaki szerint
breed – (kutya)fajta
coat – itt kutya bundája
stature – termet
youthful – fiatalos
lifespan – élettartam
to refuse – elutasítani, megtagadni
to recognise – elismerni
gimmick – trükk
go-to – fő, fontos
unsurprising – nem meglepő
hefty – vaskos, súlyos
price tag – árcédula

True or false?

1. The cava-poo-chon is officially a new breed of dog.

2. The cava-poo-chon looks like a puppy even when it’s fully grown.

3. The breeder used three other dog breeds to produce the cava-poo-chon.

4. The cava-poo-chon comes in two colours: white and ginger.

5. The cava-poo-chon is very expensive.

answers: 1-F 2-T 3-T 4-F 5-T