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So after looking at other breeds, you've decided that a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the dog for you! They are a wonderful, happy, sturdy little breed, and are truly the ultimate companion dog. While they will announce when someone comes to your door, they are hardly the best watchdog. They will view any intruder as a friend they haven't met yet. They are not yappy like some small dogs, and quite content with life as long as they can be around their people. Be forewarned...it's tough to keep Cavaliers off the furniture, as they were bred solely to be companions to their people. Not allowing them to settle right next to you on your favorite chair is pretty sad for these happy little dogs! Cavaliers are not a breed that does well when left home alone for long periods of time. Also, they do not do well when left alone in the back yard. They were bred purely to be companions to their people, and they become very lonely when their people are away for longer than a few hours a day. Many people who work elect to have more than one Cavalier-they thrive in the company of other Cavaliers. Cavaliers do shed, but not the same way as double-coated breeds do. Their hair comes out in single strands, in much the same way that human hair does. If you are allergic to most dogs, you will probably be allergic to Cavaliers as well. They require some grooming in the form of brushing-usually while you're sitting watching TV in the evening is a good time to comb out ears, etc. It's quite relaxing! Cavaliers do not require weekly bathing-once a month is fine, unless they get into something! Too frequent bathing dries out the skin and can lead to itching. As a drop-eared breed, they can be prone to ear infections, so care should be taken to keep the ears clean and dry. It is important to know who you are buying your puppy from. Always ask if the breeder is a member of any of the Cavalier clubs across the country. It's very risky to buy from newspaper ads, or pet shops. At best, these pups are usually from back yard breeders who probably are unaware of the breed's health issues and importance of health testing, or at worst, from puppy mills that just breed their stock season after season, with no health testing and all too often, no medical care and horrible living conditions for their breeding dogs. These are horrible places for the breeding bitches, many of which are kept in cages their whole lives, to be bred season after season. Once they are no longer able to produce, they are often killed to make room for more breeding bitches (the lucky ones end up in rescue, but sadly, others don't). Puppies are taken from their mothers at much too young an age and then are packed in crates and shipped off to be sold by brokers or pet shops. Because of the terrible conditions many do not even survive the trip to the pet store or broker. Puppies from these sources commonly have both health issues and temperament issues as they were never properly socialized with humans. We cannot stress enough how important early, proper socialization is to the development of a young puppy. Please do not support these individuals by buying one of their puppies. While you may feel that since the puppy is here already it needs a good home, in buying that pup you are only encouraging them to continue their inhumane practices. A word of caution here...while the internet is a wonderful way to find a good, ethical breeder, it is the absolute worst way to buy a dog. Prospective buyers are sent a picture of a cute, cuddly, happy looking puppy when all too often, what they get is a very poor representation of the breed, often sickly, with temperament issues and sometimes not even the same puppy as in the picture they were given. Please click on the link above titled "puppy mill caution". When you come across a person who tells you that their friend or relative raises Cavaliers in Ireland and then sends them over here to be placed, chances are 99.9% that this is really where they come from. These pups are usually what you get when you buy from a broker. Please do not support these people and encourage them to continue their inhumane practices by buying from them. I used to advise people to beware of anyone who wants to meet you at a location other than their home (to "save you the trouble of having to drive so far") as this was usually a big red flag that there may be something they don't want you to know about where the puppy came from, and sometimes it still is. A good breeder will want you to see where the puppy was raised and meet at least the dam of the litter--the sire may or may not be located on the premises. (An exception to this advice may be if a stud dog owner receives a "puppy back" as a stud fee). Many breeders elect to keep only girls as it can be quite a bit of work to keep both intact males and females under the same roof. Lately, though, some breeders who have agreed to have prospective buyers come to their homes and it turns out to be burglars intent on stealing their dogs. As a result of this, some good breeders are electing to meet prospective buyers in other locations than their home. Another fear that has loomed recently are animal rights people...these people feel that no person should own a dog or cat, and that they should be "enjoyed from afar in the wild". We all have the fear that they will try to release our dogs, or even worse. This is why some very good breeders are changing the methods they use to meet the public. Be prepared to answer many questions from good breeders...while it may seem a little invasive, good breeders will need to know quite a bit about any prospective homes their "babies" might go to (some even ask for pictures of your home and yard). They will want to know if you have a securely fenced (puppy-proof) back yard, do you have a pool, ages of any children in the house, work schedules of any adults, etc. They may also ask if you've had pets in the past, and if so, what became of them (did you ever need to re-home them or did they live out their days with you). It always helps to include this information in your initial email or phone call to the breeder. Breeders owe it to the puppies they were responsible for bringing into the world to give them the best possible start in life. Please don't be offended at the questions...it's the breeders who don't ask you these (and many more) questions that you need to be wary of. You should want a breeder who will take an active interest in making sure you are able to have a wonderful life with your new puppy. On finding a good breeder to work with...we highly recommend only working with breeders described above, even though it may take a while to finally bring home your puppy. Good breeders just can't immediately fill all the requests that are received from good, responsible homes. This is why most good, ethical breeders have no reason to "advertise". We are listed on club websites, and that's how most people make contact with us. That, and we meet many people at dog shows (one of the best ways to find a good breeder). Our best advice is to find a breeder you like, and then try to be as patient as you can...it will be well worth the wait. These breeders will probably only sell you a pet puppy on a spay/neuter contract as well. Good breeders will know which of their puppies are of breeding quality (not all Cavaliers, or any breed, should be bred--only the best examples of the breed and the healthiest!). This is the standard protocol to prevent their puppies from falling into irresponsible hands and being bred against the breeders wishes, and also, of course, to not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem. You can expect to pay from $2000 to $2500 (and sometimes higher) for a pet quality puppy from a good breeder, depending on where the breeder lives. (Pet quality puppies should be as healthy as show quality--they may just have a cosmetic flaw that prevents them from being shown successfully). Show prospect puppies may be more, depending on the breeder. That may seem like quite a bit but when done right, it's not inexpensive to breed these little dogs. You won't save that much money by going to a less than ethical breeder/broker, and often in the long run you'll pay more than that in temperament issues and vet bills over the life of the puppy. Due to health issues, this is not a breed to try to find on a bargain basement basis, as you usually get what you pay for. The breeder of your puppy should be willing to be a "partner" in raising your puppy for the life of that puppy. Use them as a resource when you have questions about anything from health care to training, etc. Most breeders will note in their contract that if for any reason you are unable to keep the puppy, they have first right to take back that puppy to be sure it is rehomed to another good family. When contacting breeders, be sure to only work with breeders who have done the appropriate health testing on their breeding stock and are willing to show you the health certificates. Good breeders will usually want you to see these, and might also include copies of them in the puppy packets when you buy your pup (along with registration and puppy rearing information). These checks should be done on the sire and dam (mother and father) of the litter. The appropriate health tests to ask about are:
The health testing is done on the parents of the litter as many congenital diseases do not appear in the puppies--they usually develop as the puppy ages. Some breeders believe that, because of the small size of Cavaliers, hip dysplasia is not an issue in this breed. As more and more Cavaliers are being checked for this illness, it is becoming apparent that it is an issue, and breeders should be taking note of this and getting OFA ratings on their breeding stock. A word about Mitral Valve Disease; this is what is called a polygenic disorder, which means that there are several genes that work in combination to cause this illness. If a breeder tells you that they don't have to check for this as it doesn't run in their lines, that is not true. As all Cavaliers come down from a very few dogs, it is in all Cavalier lines. This disease is quite serious in Cavaliers, and it is truly sad that one of the sweetest, most wonderful breeds around is afflicted with this disorder. While you can't totally eliminate the risk, you can minimize your chances of having your puppy eventually come down with this disease by buying from a breeder who does do health testing annually on their breeding dogs by a board certified cardiologist. While there is never any guarantee that your puppy will always be free of MVD, buying from a good, ethical breeder who does recommended cardiologist checks will very likely increase your chances that your puppy will be healthier later in life. There is another disease that occurs in Cavaliers (as well as other breeds, and even in humans) that is becoming more well known in the last couple of years. It is called Syringomyelia (or SM for short) and it is a neurological condition similar to what is known in humans as Chiari Type I malformation. It is likely also a polygenic disorder (as with MVD), and mode of inheritance is currently unknown. More research is being done all the time on this disease. Currently the only way to formally diagnose this disease is through an MRI. Rather than going into this disease in depth, there is a most excellent web site that contains the latest, updated information on all health issues known to be affiliated with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. That site is www.aboutcavalierhealth.com and we very highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Cavalier. This is a great site to help you make an informed decision as to whether this is the breed for you. Breed Clubs: There are two national breed clubs for the Cavalier. The first one in existence was the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, USA. Cavaliers were not a recognized breed in the American Kennel Club for many years, but the breed was finally recognized in 1996. This club was offered parent club status (AKC is a 'club of clubs', and each breed has a parent club that is responsible for its welfare and care) but after a vote of the CKCSC, USA membership, that offer was declined. 12 Caring breeders who were members of CKCSC,USA realized that with AKC recognition of the breed (and the resulting popularity), there would be dangers to the breed without an effective parent club. They voted to incorporate and form the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, Inc. and offer themselves as parent club to the AKC. Jo Ann is a member of the ACKCSC, and also is a member and past board member of the local ACKCSC affiliate, the Bay Area Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, Inc. Jo Ann is also a member of the ADOA (American Dog Owners Association), which is an organization that promotes responsible dog ownership. Their web site is www.adoa.org if you would like more information on them. You might ask if it's better to buy a dual registered dog (a dog that is registered in both CKCSC, USA and AKC). The answer is, it depends on what you would like to do with your dog. If you are interested in conformation or obedience, then unless your dog is dual registered, you may only participate in shows sponsored by the club in which your dog is registered. If all you want is a loving companion and pet, then it is certainly appropriate to buy an AKC only registered dog. There should be no difference in the health or quality of a dog that is not dual registered. Just follow the same guidelines about working with good breeders. As of 2003, the CKCSC,USA now permits AKC registered dogs to also be registered with their club. Please note that the American Kennel Club, however, is the only registry in the United States that is recognized by any foreign country. There are many "registries" that are created solely to benefit the commercial breeder. One should only buy a puppy that is eligible to be registered in AKC.
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