Puppy hunt begins

After a lot of research on the interweb we've decided to get a CKCS. This site helped the decision in no small part! We started to look around for puppies the other day and have seen 1 already.

It was the last one left in the litter and seemed extremely shy and nervous and was trembling a lot, is this somewhat normal or should the pups be a little more inquisitive. The breeder said the trembling was just excitement. There were a few other reasons that lead our decision not to get that one... as bad as it felt saying no to something so adorable.

I heard that this might be a bad time of year to look for puppies since breeders like them born early in the year, is this true?

Is it ok to ask if anyone knows breeders near by? I'm in Dublin, Ireland.

Thanks for any help!

Welcome to the site!

Do NOT take the shy, trembling puppy -- there's something wrong either healthwise or temperamentally with it. That is NOT normal and shyness is incorrect behaviour for a puppy -- a puppy should be outgoing and inquisitive.

You need to contact the IKC breed club secretary (see list of secs at www.ikc.ie) to look for breeders who might have litters (never, ever use the Buy&Sell or online ads or newspaper ads as no reputable breeder ever uses these to advertise puppies). But that will only be the starting place for finding a good breeder who breeds for health. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to find health focused breeders who heart test properly in Ireland and IKC breeders will be the only ones doing this -- but it is quite easy to get IKC registrations so you should start ONLY with proper breeders involved with the breed club, not just anyone with IKC reg, and you will need to ask for the health certs --very very few iKC breeders will be breeding properly!


I provide a lot of info on finding a puppy in Ireland in the 'puppies' section on my rescue site here: www.ckcsrescue.com.

Also there's important information here:

http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=10890

and here:

http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=11335

Normally it takes time to find a reputable breeder and may involve several months on a waiting list as good breeders do not generally have puppies available right away, and most only breed a litter or two per year.

This is a breed with several potentially very serious and expensive health issues that crop up at a much higher rate in puppies from casual breeders so I cannot stress enough how important it is to use reputable breeder who health tests PROPERLY and can PROVE it with certificates or vet references. We have many members who have experienced heartbreak and huge costs by going for the cheaper puppy available right away. Take your time and do very careful research.

BTW the breeder was lying to you. Also puppies are available year around -- no one can arrange when bitches go into heat (breeders would be thrilled if it could!), so it is not true that they are available earlier in the year only. Also -- please note that I don;t allow breeders to be named and discussed on the board nor for available puppies to be posted -- but people are welcome to contact you privately by email or PM if they have suggestions (see the Getting Started section for what is allowable in posting and why).

Have a look at this recent thread on geting a puppy in Ireland, as well:

http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=20220

Thanks for your reply, we're going to be very careful about finding the right breeder, we're not in any hurry to get a dog.

This might be a silly question, but can you tell me about putting your name on a waiting list for a litter? Would you just put your name on a list if you found a breeder you really liked/trusted and would like nearly any of their dogs?

Is that basically buying the puppy i.e are you under any sort of obligation once they're born?

Is putting your name on a list generally the best way to go about it?

Please listen to Karlin and read her informative pages. I learned too late when I bought my Irish Cavalier. It had all symptoms which should have been a signal there was something amiss with my pup. Even to the day it left over the bridge it was trembling so hard it was difficult to even hug him. He had seizures, stomach parasites, pain with his chest, legs, and worst exhibited signs of SM. Would flinch and yelp with pain when I would gently hold his ears to brush with a baby's brush even. Bottom line he was a unhealthy pup that was way too easily gotten. Be very careful. Do your homework and interview your potential breeder. JMHO HTH

Gerry - if you find a breeder you like definitely put yourself on their waitlist. If you find two you like....put yourself on both lists. It's okay to be interested in more than one breeder. You aren't under any obligation to buy a puppy from either one. Usually breeders have so many people to contact that if you already have a puppy or are waiting for a particular sex/color the breeder will have plenty of other people to go to next.

Regarding wait lists, and breeders should confirm this, I think it is fine to be on more than one wait list but you should not mislead a breeder that you are only going to take a puppy from them if that is not the case and if you do take a puppy from another breeder, you should let the other breeders who may have you on their list know (unless, course, you are wanting to add a second, third or more, as so many do). Good luck to you in your search. :xfngr:

Karlins the expert so im sure she is right, but i must say that when we went to pick up Belle she was alittle shy and did shake. I loved her anyway as she seemed so vulnerable. She is now 9 months and full of mischief and fun . She loves us so much and we are very happy with her.

ppotterfield said:

Regarding wait lists, and breeders should confirm this, I think it is fine to be on more than one wait list but you should not mislead a breeder that you are only going to take a puppy from them if that is not the case and if you do take a puppy from another breeder, you should let the other breeders who may have you on their list know (unless, course, you are wanting to add a second, third or more, as so many do). Good luck to you in your search. :xfngr:

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I will certainly second that, when people approach me to go on my list I make it very clear to them that they should look around elsewhere as other breeders may have colleagues I don't know of who may a nicely bred litter of puppies available. I have had folks on my list who when I have called to say I have a litter available inform me they found a puppy through some-one else, this is a little annoying, not in the way that I am cross some-one else sold them a puppy, but in the fact that I consider it good manners to let other people who's list you are on that you are now happily owned by a new puppy!

So get on the lists of people who you feel you can trust and would like to buy a puppy from, then once you are fixed up let the others know so they can move other people up their list!!

Good Luck in your search for a puppy, he/she is out there waiting for you you just have to connect is all!! :lotsaluv:

I have people call all the time wanting to be on a waiting list. I usually steer them to other breeders that I know and trust. I would be upset if I held a pup for someone, told others he wasn't available and had them say, "we got one already".