Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Owners/Experts? I have a question...?

Question

I am 19, and I still live at home...we had to put our 14yr old Golden Retriever to sleep a while ago and I miss having a dog! My mom isn't ready to have her own dog yet, but I was looking at pictures and websites and I fell in love with the King Charles Spaniels! Would they do okay if he/she stayed in the house most of the time?...and i am in college..have class during the day but i only work a few hours a night..would they be okay alone for that time? Also where is a good place to get a healthy puppy from? I read that these dogs have heart and eye health problems.. so i know a breeder would probably be the best place to go...Thank you for any help!!

Answer 1

Like all small/toy breeds these little guys can be alittle hard to house train and for the first 6 months of their life require frequent trips outside to potty, you don't want to teach them to use papers in the house (not fun to clean up). As far as their inherited defects eyes, nose (trouble breathing for some), heart, and neurological (brain) when you speak with a breeder they should discuss the history of these with you and they should be upfront about any history in their particular female and males used for breeding. They should be able to provide you with a pedigree that you can then look up with the breed organization and see if they had problems in the past. A reputable breeder breeds to improve the quality of the breed and would/should not breed dogs that have defects for example the mother should not have eye or heart issues nor the father, because it is inherited so breeding those with the problem confirmed only increases the chance the puppies will develop those same problems. Definitely buy a book on crate training, this will help with the housebreaking. These little guys are fun to be around and generally loving loyal dogs. Good luck with your decision.

Answer 2

If you have a busy life and are hardly at home, you're better off with a cat. But if you have your heart set on another dog, the Cavalier is a companion dog, as well as lap dog.
A good place to get one is from a breeder, but the parents (both) should be on site for you to see if there are any behavior problems in the puppies.
You want to choose a breeder that isn't a "puppy mill'; that is, one that breeds many different types of dogs for money.
Also, you could tell the breeder that you are not looking for a show dog, and that may lower the price a bit.
The heart and eye health problems are due to several generations of intensive in-breeding. But not all dogs have these problems. It would be best to ask the breeder if you could take the pup you intend to adopt to your own Vet for an exam to see if it's healthy. If they won'tlet you do this, have a clause in the paperwork that allows you so much time to get a Vet check. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Well, the first question is .. do you have enough time for potty training? If not, why not adopt a puppy (6 months-1year) from a shelter? They will already be spayed/neutered and be potty trained. You still get a puppy but without all the hassles! You didnt say where you live, but check out http://www.petfinder.com .. you can check out a list of shelters near you, alot of shelters are breed specific so you may get lucky!

Here are some 'baby' Cavaliers!: http://search.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi (search more better by putting in your state)

Here are some really good tips in finding the RIGHT Cavalier breeder: http://www.cavalierhealth.org/breeders.htm

Here is a breeder in Colorado: http://www.charaescavaliers.com/contactus.htm

Oh and stay away from ANY breeder who DOES NOT register with the AKC. You DONT want APR, APRI (those are puppy millers).

"All of our adult cavaliers are cardioligist heart certified and opthamalogist eye certified." <-- That is what you want to look for! http://www.mtcavalier.com/

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Parent Club: American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, Inc.
Breeder Directory: See Parent Club website - Breeder Referral List
Regional Clubs: See Parent Club website - Links
( http://www.akc.org/breederinfo/breeder_search.cfm )

More breeders: http://www.ackcsc.org/breeder.htm

Just make sure to do alot of research on a breeder! Ask lots of questions about health testing, vaccinations and worming. Where the dogs are kept (I prefer in the home). If you can, take a vacation to see the kennel. A good breeder will have NO problem with it. You may not be able to see the pups though, if they are very young as they dont want you to spread any germs to them. See if you can see the mom and dad of the litter. You should be able to see at least ONE parent (sometimes they have a stud/female from another breeder) .. if they dont let you see the parents .. WALK AWAY. Oh and, they should SHOW their dogs and they should have won some titles, ask about that too.

Hope that helps! & Good luck in your search!

Answer 4

Hi,
I don't know anything about a King Charles Spaniel, I share my life with a Springer. Much bigger.

What I do know is that no dog should spend most of his time alone.
Dogs are pack animals, they need a leader, and love and attention.
They need to be trained, and played with.

It sounds like you need to complete school and get on with your building your life right now.. a pup can wait.

I understand the hurt and lonelyness you feel missing your Golden... perhaps volunteering with the local animal shelter would be a good thing for you right now. Would you consider that?

You have love to share, on a part time basis, so why not find a way to give it, part time.

I think you'll make a good Human mom one day, just not right now.

I wish you the best of luck with school and puppy love!

:)

Answer 5

If you are going to be gone from home for long periods of time, perhaps you should look into an older dog, instead of a puppy.

Puppies require a lot of attention for house training and the such. Some breeders will have an adult dog available for 'adoption', as well.

Answer 6

my sister got one about 9 months ago they are a lovely dog but they do need a lot attention so leaving it at home all day alone wouldn't be the best move. having said that they are a house dog really friendly and easily trained will give you great deal of affection and companionship all its life. there may be problems with their heart and eyes but also if you start seeing them scratching or pawing at the back of their necks this would be the start of paralysis as they do suffer from this as well. hope this helped

Answer 7

Cavs are HUGE in Oz. Go to any show and you will meet a Cav breeder. You need to make friends with a Cav breeder that is doing everything right. Find someone that will mentor you on how to produce well bred dogs. This includes health, temperament and conformation. Cavs have some very serious health problems that are definitely a HUGE concern. You need to make yourself aware of these issues and do your best to breed away from these problems.