for all you multi cavi households x

for all you multi cavi households UPDATE back from breeder

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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

update:

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

Hi Shell,
That was certainly an interesting experience! How did you find that breeder if you don't mind me asking?
Firstly,the reason I got a second cavalier was that instinctively I felt it was the right time.I'd had a few fostered rescues so knew two would be perfectly manageable.I knew it would be extra work,but I've not regretted it for a second.
Sometimes you can waste your time looking for a puppy and not knowing where to turn to get one from a reputable breeder.
I think take your time and wait until the right pup comes along.
There are a number of avenues you can follow to find a pup.
If you go to the cavalier club website,you'll find a list of regional cavalier clubs,each one of those has a puppy register coordinator.If you speak to any of those and explain what you want,they'll do their best to put you in touch with a breeder who prioritises health.There are breeders out there who are currently planning litters from health tested parents/grandparents, or who may have litters.
If you haven't spoken to Margaret C,then do! The advice on how to interpret health certs is invaluable.
I hope you find the perfect companion for Bentley very soon,
Sins

I should add that I'm not surprised at Bentley's reaction.It can be very stressful for a cavalier to be surrounded by strange dogs in a new environment.Don't let that put you off getting a companion for him.Once you gently introduce a new pup under controlled circumstances in your own home,it will be different.
Sins

Shell, I have recently joined the multi dog household five weeks ago, now having a l2 week old pup joining a l0 year old and know how difficult decision for you it will be. I second all that Sins has said, I did a lot of research as the cavalier scene is very different from when I got my dog l0 yrs ago and I know so much more now than all those years ago. I got in touch with a cavalier club regional puppy coordinator and also spoke to Margaret C and she was brilliant and gave me lots of advice. One thing that the breeder told me was not to bring my older dog with us as I said about bringing him to see the puppy - but she gave us advice on how to deal with the situation if we took the puppy home, I thought this a bit strange but Margaret gave me some advice on this. Hope it all works out well for you, our little Ollie has worked out well for us, it takes time, and we are still getting there as far as Jasper is concerned, it`s the bouncy and ear biting Jasper finds hard.

sins, i found the breeder through a friend who mentioned that her family knew someone that breeds them icon_nwunsure (thats what makes this worse for me i think)

if im completely honest and now that i have calmed down, what else should i have expected? i didnt do any research on this woman and what did i expect to find?? no one can be that lucky, especially with how the cavi situation has got with so many 'breeders'!

ive got in contact with bentleys breeder (bentley came from our local pet shop, the owner i have known my whole life since i was little. when i got bentley he gave me all the breeders details and phone number incase i wanted a dog from her in the future and i could go direct to her. i was impressed with that )any way, i am now on a waiting list as she only has 2 litters a year and isn't breeding again till next year, once a pup is available for me she has said i can come and see where bentley grew up (it's going to be one of bentleys sister's pup!!!!)

any way, this is what i should have done in the 1st place, this has just shown me that rushing this process will only turn out badly!!!

x

Hi Shell,
Y'know, I'd have to advise being wary of buying a puppy from a breeder who has previously sold pups to a pet shop.
Will the pups even be KC registered,because the Kennel Club Code of ethics states that members "Will not sell any dog to commercial dog wholesalers, retail pet dealers"..
The Cavalier Club code of best practice also states that members should "Not sell stock to a third party or a pet shop or puppy dealer "...
No matter how nice they seem or how pleased you were with Bentley,or how few litters they breed ..unless the stock that they are currently breeding from are KC registered and health tested for MVD and SM,then you are taking a leap into the unknown.
There are also many other issues that can crop up in cavaliers that occur more frequently in pups who are bred from backyard enterprises.
Don't just wait for this person to breed their next litter,please make contact with those who can point you towards reputable breeders .When you talk to any reputable breeder,you'll quickly see the difference between them and a BYB.
A cavalier is a big investment,both emotionally and financially,you owe it to yourself and Bentley to get the best value for your money.
Have you considered the possibility of a rescue cavalier?

Sins

hi sins
thank you for all your advice, bentley isn't kennel club registered but his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents are. however she never registers her litters. now i have my own views about the kc that i am not going to go into, they are my own, but thank you so much about all your advice.

ive had a few days thought, and have been home ill so spent lots and lots of time with my little man and to be honest im back on the fence about getting hima friend. im goin to see when the time is right etc, calm down from the initial 'oooo i want a puppy' and think with my head and a little with my heart lol

Hi
thought i would thow my tuppence!

We had Cava about 6 months and i decided i wanted a pal for her. We went back to our breeder and he had a litter that was ready to go in a few weeks. So i waited till they were ready to go before going to see the, and i did all my thinking in this time about costs, training, extra work etc etc.

The day we went to see the pups we brought Cava with us, there were 6 pups ( 3 were already booked ) so we only had 3 to chose from. We got to see them running around and interact with their mother. One pup kept approaching Cava, sniffing her and licking her face. That was our minds made up and we took Spud home, he picked us really.

Cava was very excited to see the other pups and just wanted to play with them, Im so sad your dog got upset when he was introduced to the dogs maybe it was ,as you said there were so many of them and he just got frightened.

Spud & Cava initally were wary of each other ( for like 2 days ) but when cava got into bed beside him i knew that was it. They are inseperable and cry when they cant even SEE the other one!

Yes there is extra work with cleaning them, costs etc but to be honest nothing compares to Cava having her little pal to snuggle up with and play with. The only person thats left out sometimes is me!

Best of luck with your search and you will find the right companion for Bentley.

I decided to get another Cav mainly because after getting Sparky I am completly head over heels with the breed but also because Cassie, My JRT, will be 13 soon & I wanted to get a friend for Sparky so that he would have someone to play with now so Cass could have her quiet time without being disturbed & also when the enevetable happens Sparky wont be left on his own as he's such a baby! I had been thinking about getting another for about 6 months & then Lucy was brought into work to be found a new home & that was that!! I was half looking for a tri-colour or a blk & tan male but ended up with a mental female blen who fit into our household perfectly!

Sparky & Lucy are now the very best of friends & Cassie loves them both & loves her undisturbed quiet time! It worked out perfectly & we couldnt be happier with our 3!

We originally wanted two puppies and then after researching decided on a pup, we would then wait till he was a year and get a 2nd pup. When we enquired around Breeders and found one we liked, she offered us another solution.

She had a 12 month old boy who had been intended for showing but had not taken to it, he had had one failed placing and was shy, timid, jumped at his own shadow and was yearning to bond with someone but the breeder knowing he was going to be sold as a pet had not wanted to bond to him only to give him away. We went and met him and he seemed to take to us right away... rather shy and timid but he allowed us to hold him.

We decided to take him and we also got a puppy from them 10 weeks later. This was January and March this year, so we now have D'Artagnan our shy, timid, cuddly, shadow-fearful older boy and Porthos our brave, outgoing, dominant, 7 month old.

I wanted two because we both work full time and all the breeders and people we spoke to recommended two so that they would play and have another companian whilst we worked. Two are hard work....but so worth it