I do understand this thread was started with one intention and opened into a different discussion without new members realising there are issues with this topic.
Please read the 'getting started' section which specifically mentions that it is not acceptable to discuss breeding one's dog, planning to breed one's dog etc on this forum and gives the reasons why.
The forum is also closed to breeder members for reasons also noted in the Getting Started section, whether backyard breeders (which is what anyone is who is breeding their own dog for a few puppies, whether to make money or not), club breeders or commercial breeders. I have made a tiny number of exceptions, primarily for reputable, well known breeders in cases where people are personally known to me and are known health advocates, or are former breeders with a strong health advocacy role. At this time these number fewer than 6 out of over 5000 members.
I am well aware there are a couple of breeders primarily from the UK who post as apparent 'regular' members who think they are successfully in disguise -- we simply watch your posts and for now, leave you here (for my own reasons). Most of the time, I will eventually delete you as members.
A runt should almost never be bred. The term is not used for any smaller puppy and has a specific and useful meaning for an UNDERSIZED puppy that may remain undersized for an inexplicable reason (and if owners are too sensitive to hear this from a vet when a breeder didn't responsibly explain the implications to the buyer of taking an *undersized runt* then they are either too sensitive to own a dog or at least should be grateful to be properly informed and can keep an eye out for any potential issues thanks to their vet's observations. My own breeder would not sell the runt of Jaspar's litter when I went to select a puppy, not til much later when he was sure he was gaining weight and growing normally, and responsibly told the buyer that the pup had been the runt). Dogs that are the smallest in the litter and remain small when littermates become a normal size often will have underlying health issues as the reason why, and they may not be apparent for many years or UNLESS a person MRIs -- because smallness can be due to a neurological issue such as hydrocephalus which is not always symptomatic. Unfortunately those deceptive breeders selling 'small/teacup' cavaliers are doing so by breeding runts -- undersized adults -- and these will have a far higher risk of additional health problems.
Please: as Sins says, this breed has so many pressing health issues that simply owning a nice dog or having one's vet say breeding is OK must NEVER EVER be the basis for taking on such serious responsibility. Such indiscriminate breeding has greatly increased the tragic, widespread health problems of a breed whose most serious, endemic, costly and painful health problems are MVD and SM, which require specialist testing to diagnose and CANNOT be based on a vet's comments -- MVD is seen in well OVER 50% OF ALL CAVALIERS by 5-6; SM in close to those figures according to a survey sample of 800 asymptomatic dogs, and 70% with SM and almost 100% with MVD by 10+ , which likely, eventually means odds are EVERYONE's on this board has or will have one or most likely BOTH serious problems
). An MRI costs a minimum of £200 in the UK and more typically, at least £1000-1500, or $1000-2500 in the US.
Absolutely no cavalier should ever be bred without at MRI for both sire and dam, and ideally with same having been done on all four parents of the sire and dam. Doing anything else is pure selfishness or greed, and totally disregards the health of the breed and every individual dog one produces.
Closing this thread.
