for all you multi cavi households x

[shell1805]

what made you decide to have more than one cavi?? im currently trying to decide whether to get bentley a friend and im torn in two. part of me is desperate for another one, but im also worried as to how bentley will take it. can you guys let me know yor experiences (though i know that no two experiences will be the same)

help x

[Tania]

Hi,

We got Molly and Dougall at the same time, (different breeders) it wasn't planned it just happened that way. It has been great, they love each other and are great mates.
After both of them were diagnosed with cm/sm I became very worried. Dougall relies on Molly a lot, we decided to get another to perhaps dilute the situation a bit.
We now have Dotty who has fitted in very well but Molly and Dougall still stick together like glue.

When you add another dog, it does change everything, you have to think about silly little things like going out, walking, in the car, more grooming etc. Can you cope?

I am sure Bentley would like a friend but there is definately a lot of things to be considered very carefully.

Have a look under The Cavalier Information Library "Buying and Preparing for a Cavalier, there is a thread " I am thinking of adding" there is lots of useful information here. Good luck.

[Brian M]

Hi

I originally had three cats and July 2006 we lost our Ben so Luke and I persuaded my wife Dawn can we pls have one small dog then Poppy came along and I found her so captivating I soon wanted another so on this occasion Dawn succumbed to many hundreds of pounds of bribery then our Daisy came to us ,so two was an odd number so another wad of cash to Dawn and Rosie came .We then had a gap of 12 months before I had the courage to try the same trick and complete the set so last Aug came my Lilly and no more no thats me lot.

[Mindysmom]

Our first family dog was a golden. It became clear fairly early on that he did NOT like being an only dog. I worked out of the house part time and he hated being left alone. I didn't think that I could cope with another large dog so we got a Cavalier (Mindy). Mindy was never a playing dog so they never really played but were always in the same room. I didn't realize how attached they were until Zeus died shortly after my youngest went away to school. Mindy was inconsolable. She was 11 and had never been an only dog. I had wanted a Cavalier pup since we got Mindy (she was 8 months old) so it seemed the right time and Max came into our lives. He brought her renewed zest for life. Although I'm sure there were times she wished she was an only dog (he wanted to play 24/7) he worshipped the ground she walked on. As we realized that Mindy wouldn't live forever I became concerned about how Max would deal with the loneliness. I loved having a puppy so much that I never really considered any other option. I was prepared for a longish search but it really didn't take long until I was able to find a health focused breeder with a pup. It probably helped that sex and colour were immaterial to me. Rylie came to us when Max was not quite 1. He and Max got along famously. Mindy felt that she really shouldn't be expected to tolerate another pup and pretty much ignored him. He was very good at taking her social cues and mostly left her alone. She did allow him to cuddle up with her from time to time as long as he backed into her (Max like to chew her ears so she wouldn't tolerate Rylie coming at her head first). Sadly Mindy's cancer got the best of her and we had to help her to the bridge a month after her 12th birthday. Now I have just Rylie and Max. Having two just 10 months apart has been challenging only in finding individual training time as they both want to be with me. Walking two or three dogs was never a problem (except in the winter when 12 booties was just too much for me to cope with before work in the morning). Two is a nice easy number to take places. I honestly can't imagine having only one. Vet bills of course are doubled as are food and grooming costs.

[Karen and Ruby]

Having two is so much better than one.

Ruby was 3 and perfectly behaved before Charlie came home. He is a little devil dog but love him all the same. I would struggle if she wasnt so so good though!
Ruby adores him and he certainly bought her a new lease of life.

Only down fall is the cost- as both of mine have serious health conditions im spending over £100 a month in vets bills and food and where I work full time and have a dog walker (since my ex and I split up in Jan) im spending £200 a month for that aswell.

They literally take every penny I have - still wouldnt change it though!

[Cathy T]

We got Shelby when Jake was 14 months old. I was so concerned we would "ruin" Jake. He was our spoiled only boy....but it all worked out fabulously. He and Shelby have never been snuggle buddies but they get along great and enjoy being with each other. We enjoyed the two so much.....that we just recently added our 3rd and he's only added to the joy in our house. Again, the concern with disrupting the balance. And, again, no problems. Took Shelby a while to warm up to him but they all 3 have a blast together and love to play.

[Zoe bowie]

My first experience with cavaliers was with my Zoe, I got her when she was 8 weeks old, it was great I had 6 full weeks at home with her as I wasn't working at the tome, then after the 6 weeks I went back to work & instantly I saw her personality change, she became very lonely & sad, so I decided to get another one for company. I rang her breeder to see if she had any let, and she had Georgia there, from the moment Zoe & Georgia laud eyes on each other, they were best buddies, they were litter mates & knew it!! They were polar opposites in ever way but thick adthieves lol! That's why when my relationship broke down, I couldn't bare to separate them!

So then my search began again, this time I decided I wanted to help with rescues, I first fostered DES (not a cavalier) but knew from the instant I did he'd never be leaving, but also knew I would wait for a rescue cavalier, then penny arrived, I stately Penny & DES clicked, they love each other so much, it's obvious to everyone, he let's her away with so much lol! Then Bonnie arrived and to be honest she's not much trouble at all, having 1 dog to me sadhus biggest adjustment now that I've 3 it's all routine, they get on great mostly, as others have said it's the financial costs that are the biggest thing, but if you are prepared for that, I'd say get Bentley a friend, it wi be great

[shell1805]

thank you all for your responses, i have read 'thinking about ading another' and have been giving it some serious thought. the ting is i have had 2 dogs, i know what happens to the dynamic but thats not my concern really as i know we can make it work. it's just bentley is such a mummys boy and im worried that will change if we get another. like he thinks i am trying to push him out. ive never had a dog that is so attached to me before and i think that bond is what is holding me back. im going today to see a breeders litter, just to have a look and see how bentley re acts to puppies. wish me luck x

[meljoy]

OOh let us know what happens. Ive been thinking about adding another....most likely a rescue but have the same reservations as you. I worry Leo wont get on with another dog in the house...although he's a very sociable fellow.....

But I believe in fate and what will be will be, and if Im supposed to adopt another then he/she will find their way into my life somehow

[shell1805]

i still havent quite got my head around what i just saw so im sorry if this comes out like a massive ramble.

ok, well i got to the breeders house and the lady greeted me kindly and i felt at ease. she said i could go and bring bentley in but i said that wanted to see the puppies 1st and then bring him in. she looked a little puzzled but let it go. all the puppies were out in the garden. only there wasn't just cavi's. there were chuaua's and bise frise puppies. she then told me that there was only a blenheim boy left and a tri boy and one tri girl. she handed me the tri boy and went to get the blenheim boy (all the while the puppies were runnig everywhere) i couldnt see any parents anywhere except the bise frise mum and she was not happy at all barking the whole time.

dont get me wrong, they all looked well looked after but the whole situation was odd. anyway, she then handed me the blenheim boy and i noticed a little lump on his tummy. when i asked what it was i was told it was un umbilocal hernia and was cosmetic. nothing to worry about, thats what the vet had told her. this caught my attention and i then asked how the heart test went. she looked puzzled and said that there had been no heart check and to be honest she didnt know that they needed one as they weren't her puppies as she was selling them for a friend. hence why there was no mum about.

against my better judgment and becasue she kept asking for me to go get bentley i asked the hubby to bring him in. her response once she saw him made me laugh in frustration. ' wow, what is that cavi crossed with, he's huge!' crossed with, bentley is a bloomin pedigree and what a cavi should look like. what the hell was she selling if he wasnt what she was expecting to see!!!
she then progressed to let in the puppies. bentley's reaction was heartbreaking. they cornered him in the corner and he wet himself

that was it i had to get out of that circus!!!! the day i got bentley was amazing. i got asked loads of questions, i got to ask loads of questions and all the medical history was there. this was the total opposit of that!!! it was a shambles and to sell a dog when you don't even know the medical history, how do you know what you are selling.

bentley's reaction was so upsetting, i never want him to be scared especially not with a potentisl sibling. that wouldnt be fare on either of them.

im just in shock