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Any other big Cavs out there?

Susanna said:
Karlin, do you think the breeder was just giving me a line about breeding bigger Cavs to improve the breed? I know it's too late now, Brian is mine forever, but in hindsight I'm confused about size vs genetic problems. Larger nosed=better breathing which puts less pressure on the heart valve issues. Larger skulls to accommodate their brains to avoid SM. Longer legs to weed out hip dysplasia. A few more reasons, she said..
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I don't think Karlin has seen this, but sadly these are **EXACTLY** the sort of excuses breeders give for producing poor specimens of the breed, and/or using other breeds. Often a Springer stud dog is used, as this gives a much bigger litter, and the puppies still look quite like Cavaliers when small.

I have seen quite a few obvious Springer/Cavalier crosses, they all tend to be long in the muzzle - the US breed standard states Length from base of stop to tip of nose about 1½ inches; much bigger than breed standard - although many Cavaliers do not fit in the standard, they still shouldn't really be much above 25lb at the right weight; tend to have flecking in the coat etc.

You obviously love and treasure Brian and that's the most important thing - sharing your experience may well help other people looking for a puppy to not be misguided in this way.
 
My sammy is just over 15kilos and has alot of flecking in his coat, could that mean he is a cross springer/cav?
 
A lot of freckling on the face/ neck MAY be an indicator that there is some springer in there, but you'll really never know. There is sometimes a fluke 33 pounder/ 15 kilos, but it is definitely not the norm.

There are some breeders mixing in some Springer so they can have more pups per litter so they can make more money. Do you know how many pups were in the litter? That may be another indicator.

Most likely you just have a big Cavalier.
 
There was 7 puppies, he was alos the largest. And he has alot of little black spots on his neck and back where it should be all white. Im not sure if that is what freckling is.
 
The average litter size of a Cavalier is 4 puppies. The average litter size of a Springer Spaniel is 7 puppies.

I'm just posting the info...*not* assuming anything about your baby. ;)
 
yeah his got black spots which are kinda similar, but not as defined, even if he was cross bred, we have had him for 5 years and i really wouldnt trade him for anything. However i do think he looks like all the others just bigger.
I will put some pictures up when i figure out how to.
 
My 3 are all different. Remus is pretty large. Leopold is small & Loki is long and lean. The big guy, Remus, looks most like a standard Cavalier. If not for his size he could give any of the show dogs I've seen a run for their money.
 
I've been thinking Japser looks far far chunkier in bone structure than other (mainly female ) cavs I've seen. They look reallly delicate & refined by comparison. He looks like a real common jack!! He's also really tough & hardy ... more like a gun-dog than a lap dog. We'll never know if he's a full cav & I'm not that bothered so long as he stays healthy.
 
samboy said:
My sammy is just over 15kilos and has alot of flecking in his coat, could that mean he is a cross springer/cav?
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This sounds like my Brian. I'm in the car now, but when I get home I'll take some photos and post. He has freckles on his nose, legs and belly. I don't know how many were in his litter, but I'm going to try to find out today. I never saw his parents, but was told they were both Cavs. Not that it matters, but I'm really very curious now.

For now, judging from his pic in my avatar, does his nose look too long to be pure Cav?
 
9 months and 5 days old as of today.
28 lbs
15.5 inches high at the rump
24 inches long from front crown to tail base
2 inches from base to tip of nose

I registered Brian today with DRA (Dog Registry of America), and his pedigree and birth certificate will be sent to me. Then maybe the mystery of why my baby is so big will be solved.

Brian is in the middle.
2008_0721brian521090046.jpg


2008_0721brian521090063.jpg


2008_0721brian521090052.jpg


Belly freckles
2008_0721brian521090059.jpg


2008_0721brian521090053.jpg


Leg freckles
2008_0721brian521090055.jpg
 
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Well, the Dog Registry of America was a dead giveaway. I wouldn't send my money in and waste it on a DRA registration. Don't feel bad. My Pixie was registered with the "continental kennel club". You can't even trust the registry since they allow you to register dogs that do not have any documentation. Some allow you to send in photos of your dogs as "proof" that they are the breed you are claiming and will let you create a registration that way. There is no way to know what the ancestry of your dog is when they are registered with a registry such as DRA. Those are the favorite registries of puppy millers or sometimes back yard breeders (though many BYB's will actuallyuse the AKC).
I think your boy does look like he has some springer in him perhaps. He is a lovely boy, though, and I know he will bring you great happiness!
 
brotymo said:
Well, the Dog Registry of America was a dead giveaway. I wouldn't send my money in and waste it on a DRA registration.

I think your boy does look like he has some springer in him perhaps. He is a lovely boy, though, and I know he will bring you great happiness!
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:lol::sl*p: Too late! As of about an hour ago, the DRA has my money! Gee, I have a lot to learn. I saw Dog Registry of America, and thought "this sounds legit." I should have known better when I read they accepted photos as proof. Anyway, I don't care what he is, he's makes me so happy. But does it matter if I find out he's mixed, I mean may I still post here?


Aileen said:
he is beautiful:l*v:
---Aileenand the gang (Barney---Jazzie---Jake)
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Thank you! It's hard to get him to stay still for a picture!
 
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Susanna said:
But does it matter if I find out he's mixed, I mean may I still post here?
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Of course you can still post here :D we look forward to hearing more about your boy and watching him grow up.

He is lucky to have such a dedicated and caring owner.

I'm sorry you had to find out the hard way about breeders, but the important thing is that you have learnt, and hopefully others will learn too.
 
he is a beautiful boy and no less special than anyone elses cavvy babies here. Do stay. My Pixie was the light of my life, and I couldnt have cared less if she was mixed with hamster. I'd give 1000 finely bred show cavs up for the chance to have my sweet puppy mill Pixie back again. Just live, learn, and when you get the uncontrollable urge for another cav, you will know what to do!
 
Of course you can post here! There are lots of people on this forum whose dogs come from indiscriminate backgrounds. All of mine but one are "poor breds"- Winn weighs 32 pounds and could very well have something else mixed in there, although he is AKC registered. It really means nothing. Ollie looks like he could part daschund (spelling?) Don't worry, as long as you learn for next time, ALL that matters is that you love Brian and he brings you all the joys Cavaliers are known for!

Forgot to add, he's a real cutie!
 
Susanna - I think Oliver and Brian must be related! Oliver is big - he weighs 26 pounds now, but has been up to 32 at one point. He is well over 15 inches at his shoulders and he has the same freckling that Brian has on his legs, his nose, his belly, actually everywhere Oliver has white, he has freckling. I got him from a backyard breeder before I knew the dangers of that and I've always felt that he has some sloppy breeding in his background. But, like you, I would never give him up and I love him as much as my undeniably pure-bred cavaliers. He was my first cavi and led me to get three others. After Oliver, I couldn't get enough of the breed. I also happen to love his freckles. Gives him a little character.
 
Susanna said:
Any other big Cavs out there? PICS ADDED

My 8 month old male Cav weighs 30 lbs, is on a diet/exercise regime, but not only that, he's taller and longer than most Cavs I see. I knew he'd be a big boy, according to the breeder who breeds the litters for the larger size, but I guess that's not common, since Brian stands out.

Are there any large Cavs here?
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Yes! My almost 11 mo. cavi wieghed in at 27 lbs at last vet visit and he is not overweight. He is about 24 inches long and 15 inches tall at the withers. Neither parent was very small so I think he got his big boy genes from one or both of them. He is beautiful though and every day he gets compliments from strangers we pass on our walks. Recently we passed a 4 mo. old cavi and it was the size of our puppy when we picked him up at 9 wks! They played together so sweetly! We have a rough and tumble part cattle dog rescue so it's actually good he isn't a petite little guy. If i figure out how to add pics I will add some.
 
I've two that are up around 26lbs. When I ran a cavalier rescue, the largest dogs we ever took in were over 40lbs!! One of those was a bit overweight but another was quite large. Sometimes such dogs have some other cross in their background at some point. I have been told that sometimes people have crossed to cockers or springers to get larger litters in the past as cavalier litters are usually small-ish. On the other hand the breed was reconstructed in the early 20thc and there are many rumours about what lines might have had which breeds crossed in at the time to return a longer nose to a small spaniel.
 
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