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My Story

Zumie05

Well-known member
Hello fellow Cavalier fans. I just wanted to share why I decided to join this forum, even though I do not have a CKCS!

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a breed of dog I have been considering for at least the past 2 1/2 years. Really the only reason why I have not got one is because I am scared to death about choosing a breeder and worried I may end up with a pup that will not work out with my lifestyle.

When I got my first "pure bred" dog on my own, as a newbie I made all the newbie mistakes. I wanted a big, calm, intelligent dog (one that would take after my parents' dog, Zumie) and after a lot of reading about different breeds I chose a Rottweiler. I ended up with a horribly bred and sickly dog with a personality that I did not expect based of the breed description. My dog, Gary, I later on discovered was from a puppy mill. I was mortified.

By 7 months old Gary was limping and crying and was diagnosed with hip dysplasia in both hips, elbow dysplasia in both elbows, and both his shoulders were also bad. Basically it was so bad, it was 1) get him surgery on all his joints so he can walk again and have a quality life, or 2) put him down, because he could not walk even on pain meds and glucosamine. Now imagine the cost of surgery on 6 joints. Being a new home owner, I could not afford this.

Luckily for Gary, my parents in law adopted him (because I trained him very well and has a great personality) and got surgery for him. Rather than a Rottweiler personality, Gary is more like a Golden Retriever or a Lab. He is a great dog and a good ambassador for the breed; many Rottie critics that meet Gary realize that it is how you raise and train a dog which makes them a good or bad dog. However, he is very hyper and high strung even now. Not that it is a bad thing, I am just not a high strung person myself and need a more relaxed dog. Gary living with my parents in law ended up being a match made in heaven, because he fits in beautifully with them.

Because of this experience, I am scared to "buy" another dog. Over the past 2 years I tried a few different methods other than purchasing another pure bred. I tried a shelter dog. This for me did not work out. Unfortunately with dogs sitting in cages, there really is no way to tell what their personalities are like. I just am not meant to try living and training with a more dominant almost feral dog... so I regretfully and embarrassingly took him back to the shelter.

I felt like I have such bad luck with animals, and they are definitely not disposable. However, it is important to make sure pets are matched up with the right families instead of just letting any old person have any old pet. My parents have an awesome shelter dog, Zumie, that I rescued and trained when I lived with them. I love training dogs, I even worked as a novice dog trainer for about 3 years which was so fun and I learned a lot. I would bring Zumie to classes as the demonstration dog and it was great. Honestly we got lucky, she is just the most perfect dog and I wish I could steal her, but the reason why I got Gary was because my parents would not let me keep Zumie when I moved out.

Then I researched about how to properly select a breeder and instead of getting a dog (I was still scared to try a pure bred dog), I got a pure bred Ragdoll cat. My cat, Solo, is the most awesome cat in the world, has the personality I expected, is healthy, and I am so happy with him! One thing I believe that made a difference is that the breeder took a very large part in matching me up with the right kitten based off of my lifestyle.

Next I tried contacting a rescue group that fosters dogs so they know their personalities better. I fostered a dog which was a good experience, I like the idea of fostering because you LEARN about the dog, so that later you can find the perfect home for them... I also fostered a cat, and volunteered at the shelter that I got my first "shelter" dog from that didn't work out. I felt I had to do my part and give back. I took pictures of the pets and made them profiles on petfinder.com which was quite a rewarding experience :)

Now after trying other methods, I think I want to dive back into purchasing a pure bred since it worked out so well with Solo. I am still nervous about it, once you buy a pet its done. I worry most about finding the right dog that fits my lifestyle. I am hoping to find a great Cavalier breeder that will really help me in selecting the right pup for me.

I am still partial to Rottweilers too; I think that one day when I have a larger house I may get a real Rottie, a correctly bred one too :p For now I think I would really love to own a Cavalier.

Thanks for listening to my story :)
 
Hi and icon_welcome
good luck with your search for the right breeder and puppy. Hope it doesn't take too long, and that you get your dream dog.
 
Hello

And welcome to you ,just curious as to why you have chosen a Cavalier and why you think a Cavalier would fit into your life style .Please remember they are first a people breed and thrive on human companionship as we do with them, and they don't like being left alone . We have four and each of them are totally different characters but of course all of them have all of the wonderful Cavalier traits ,and my wife Dawn is at home full time so the girls are never left alone. Look forward to reading your next post ,very enjoyable first one ,thanks:)
 
Hi & welcome!

Cavaliers are the most amazing breed of dog, they are loyal, loving, kind & gentle, mostly they are calm (although my Penny breaks this rule!!) they do have a lot of health problems, which are costly, even if you go with an excellent breeder, they can not guarantee that the dog won't get MVD or SM, eye & ear problems the list goes on...so be prepared to accept that this may happen but you may also be lucky enough for your dog not have any health problems....it's a game of Russian Roulette! Are the health problems enough to stop you getting a Cavalier...HELL NO, the love and happiness you two can share will out weigh any potential problems; all I am saying is choose your breeder carefully, there are ethical breeders out there, and enjoy sharing your life with a cavalier-I know I do!!

FYI there are always Cavaliers in rescues, my Penny is one, and not all of them have health/temperament problems, maybe look into this also, I have found rescuing dogs very rewarding & so far had no major problems....just an idea :) Good luck with whatever you decide & I will look forward to hearing of your progress & seeing the photos too
 
Hi and welcome, I agree very much with the advice above. I have recently rescued an ex puppy farm Cavalier, she has a few little issues we are dealing with. Despite her bad start in life all her characteristics are 100% cavalier. She is totally adorable. icon_welcome
 
icon_welcomeLike you I was very hesitant about getting a cavalier because of health problems. When our golden died 4 1/2 years ago, I first thought we would get a cavalier but I was scared. We got another golden who is beautiful and wonderful in every way. In meantime I did more research on cavaliers; found a great breeder with dogs healthy back through the grandparents (for both parents).

Our Abigail is now almost 2 and a dream girl. I know that either dog may develop health problems in the future but knowing their background somewhat eases my concerns. Still I set money aside just in case.

As Mark says be sure your lifestyle is suitable for a cavalier. Since you have a ragdoll cat, I imagine you like a fairly laid back animal. ( our daughter has a ragdoll). Cavaliers love to cuddle but do need exercise and can be somewhat of a prima donna.
All in all they are easy to live with and get along well with other animals and people.

Heather R
 
Hello

And welcome to you ,just curious as to why you have chosen a Cavalier and why you think a Cavalier would fit into your life style .

Correct me if I am wrong, for I am still a newbie.. but I am attracted to the Cavalier because I have heard/read they are for the most part;

*A more submissive/soft breed - to me this means they will not need harsh training and will be less likely to be stubborn and and hard to train
*Super friendly - I don't want a dog that will be shy or scared of strangers
*Generally like other animals - I have a cat and may get another dog later in the future
*A breed that can be a couch potato with you - I am a more lazy person and really chill around the house for the most part so I don't think a hyper dog like a Border Collie would be a good choise (don't worry, I plan on exercising my dog I just don't want to have to go on a 5 mile walk to get my dog enough exercise for a day :p)


Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I have already emailed a few breeders and am asking a lot of questions. I am not sure if it is allowed on this forum or not to get any recommendations on breeders? I live near Seattle, WA if anyone has a recommendation.
 
icon_welcomeLike you I was very hesitant about getting a cavalier because of health problems. When our golden died 4 1/2 years ago, I first thought we would get a cavalier but I was scared. We got another golden who is beautiful and wonderful in every way. In meantime I did more research on cavaliers; found a great breeder with dogs healthy back through the grandparents (for both parents).

Our Abigail is now almost 2 and a dream girl. I know that either dog may develop health problems in the future but knowing their background somewhat eases my concerns. Still I set money aside just in case.

As Mark says be sure your lifestyle is suitable for a cavalier. Since you have a ragdoll cat, I imagine you like a fairly laid back animal. ( our daughter has a ragdoll). Cavaliers love to cuddle but do need exercise and can be somewhat of a prima donna.
All in all they are easy to live with and get along well with other animals and people.

Heather R

It makes me feel better hearing success stories, I am glad everything turned out well for you! I LOVE my Ragdoll cat, he is a total couch potato and very laid back, loves to cuddle, and follows me everywhere. He does get "crazy" spurts once in a while but thats ok.

I know with Cavaliers being a little more on the sporty side they may have more energy.. this is why I want to find a breeder who will closely look at my lifestyle and find the one puppy that will be a perfect match for me. I looked into other less active breeds and really only came across English or French Bulldogs or Newfoundlands or St. Bernanrds. Really I don't want a GIANT dog, nor do I want a dog that is more difficult to train.

Gosh I feel so picky lol..
 
Correct me if I am wrong, for I am still a newbie.. but I am attracted to the Cavalier because I have heard/read they are for the most part;

*A more submissive/soft breed - to me this means they will not need harsh training and will be less likely to be stubborn and and hard to train
*Super friendly - I don't want a dog that will be shy or scared of strangers
*Generally like other animals - I have a cat and may get another dog later in the future
*A breed that can be a couch potato with you - I am a more lazy person and really chill around the house for the most part so I don't think a hyper dog like a Border Collie would be a good choise (don't worry, I plan on exercising my dog I just don't want to have to go on a 5 mile walk to get my dog enough exercise for a day :p)


Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I have already emailed a few breeders and am asking a lot of questions. I am not sure if it is allowed on this forum or not to get any recommendations on breeders? I live near Seattle, WA if anyone has a recommendation.


All of the items you mentioned are present in the cavalier! Our Abigail gets along well with dogs, people , children , loves to cuddle, was fairly easy to train, would get along with no exercise but she does need some walking and exercise in the yard to keep her trim! Best of luck with finding a breeder, go to one of the 2 cavalier national clubs for info on breeders near you; then check them out!!

Heather R
 
Hi zumie

If I was being picky I would disagree with your comment submissive / soft breed as I can assure you the individual characters of these lovelies is so great .My Daisy is totally independent has her nose in everything and thinks she is the top girl and we are here to do her bidding, so submissive she is not and soft only when she wants and on her terms ,she also likes to remind me that she is a Loranka and therefore the Cav equivalent of royalty ,but she is little miss trouble and a dangerous daisy too .So actually they are all sweet and lovely and I wouldn't be without any for the world and your biggest problem will be like mine was cos once you get one you will want another then another and so on .Good Luck and thanks for posting .

best wishes

Brian:)
 
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