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When do they stop resembling rats?

C

Cockerspaniel

Guest
It seems to me -I'm new to this - that a lot of young KCCS are a bit rat-like. Am just wondering at what age they grow out of that and look cute and hairy?
 
Cockerspaniel said:
It seems to me -I'm new to this - that a lot of young KCCS are a bit rat-like. Am just wondering at what age they grow out of that and look cute and hairy?

OUCH-- to me they look like lil guinea pigs (beauty, of course is in the eye of the beholder). By age four weeks most cavalier pups are gorgeous- IMO- Sandy
 
If they look like rats as opposed to hamsters or guinea pigs they don't sound like they come from very good breeders! :lol:

I was asked when I sent around a pic of Jaspar at 3.5 weeks announcing my new puppy, whether I was sure I hadn't been sold a hamster instead. :lol:

Seriously though if the puppies are long and skinny and more ratlike than plump and sturdy and a bit flat faced, I'd be concerned about the quality of breeder. Sounds all wrong for cavalier puppies of more than a few days old!
 
Righto. At what age do they stop resembling guinea pigs/hamsters and start looking like the splendid Cavaliers that Karlin and others have posted here?
 
Cockerspaniel said:
Righto. At what age do they stop resembling guinea pigs/hamsters and start looking like the splendid Cavaliers that Karlin and others have posted here?

A poorly bred cavalier will never look splendid. AT birth - all puppies have a lot of the same charactoristics. I would never have called any of my puppies "rat like" at any time. Maybe I am just missing something. I wish I could have a picture of what you consider "ratlike". Sandy
 
An adult coat only starts to come in by age 1 and often not til later. My two both are maturing very slowly -- they are only getting in their proper adults coats at 2.5!!

I thought they were adorable from puppyhood onwards -- The hamster stage passes by 4-5 weeks or so. :)

And Sandy is absolutely right -- a poorly bred cavalier will never, in puppy or adulthood, have the proper form or coat.

Most breeds/mixes do not get an adult coat starting to come in until around 1. And like other long-haired breeds cavaliers will very noticeably completely blow their puppy coat usually around age 1.

I suppose all people have a different view of what might be attractive or unattractive in a breed. It is really hard to know the basis for thinking the pups aren't attractive without knowing if this is a general observation from having seen many puppies from many places, or having seen some particular puppies. icon_nwunsure I sure love the puppies and the way they look, at any age -- I'll take 'em all. :lotsaluv:
 
I think all little pupps though cute do not look like what we think they should until about 2 weeks when their eyes open and they start looking like real canines. Never have I seen a "ratlike" cavalier or for that matter any other pup looking "ratlike". They do look funny when their eyes are closed and their ears are so very small but even then there is a cuteness about them.
 
Our Bo (tri) had a very nice coat of hair when we brought him home at 8 weeks. By 10 weeks, his 'body hair' was quite short, while the ear hair reamained longish, and he had minimal feathering on his legs and tail. He's about 5 months now, and it seems to be filling out again...but he definitely looked like a different dog with less hair.

KC
 
karlin said:
Most breeds/mixes do not get an adult coat starting to come in until around 1. And like other long-haired breeds cavaliers will very noticeably completely blow their puppy coat usually around age 1

the tumble weeds in my house verify this :lol: harry is 1 and we have hair everywhere, and harry's fur sticks up all over, just like his name sake's hair sticks up (harry potter ;) )
 
Our Bo (tri) had a very nice coat of hair when we brought him home at 8 weeks.

It's so interesting how different they all can be in terms of coat as puppies. Jaspar and Leo had very tight coats and their adult coats have come in very, very slowly -- I've had several breeders explain this is sometimes the case in some lines (though this wouldn't I suppose be great for a dog someone wanted to show in puppy classes).

Then I note the pics that Sandy and Bruce have posted of their litters show puppies with far more coat than my boys ever had -- indded as puppies their coat is onger on the back and thicker than my adults boys!! And many of the puppy pics in the Gallery show pups with heavier coats.

All the toss of the genetic dice. Though that said I liked my fellows and their little short soft coats.

This was Jaspar at about 5 months with a very short coat and his tail hair still all rolled up around his tail. I love how their tail hair eventually starts to 'unfurl'... :)

DSC01118.jpg
 
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