Help!

My kids are pressurising me to get another CAV......I love Tess so much. If I were to lose her today, my heart would break in two....I have only room in my heart for one CAV at the minute....Please talk me into it NOT to get another Cav !:neutral::neutral::neutral:

IF you were going to get another Cav would you consider rehoming a rescue one? Our two Cavs have been rescues and have been a really wonderful addition to our home. Sonny was about 2 when we got him and Kaley was nearly 8 but both settled very well. But then Cavs are just the most adorable dogs:luv:

Carol

On a serious note (though not sure if you are seriously asking! )I would definitely not base such a decision on what kids want, ever -- they will always want another dog/cat/pair of shoes/ice cream/little brother or sister/etc etc etc. And often after getting what they 'want' they immediately forget/ignore that new item/responsibility. :lol: Adults need to be the decision makers as kids are not the ones who care for, pay for and look after an addition. And most dogs will still be at home long after any child age 8-9 or so heads off to university -- meaning, parents have all the 'old dog' responsibility too.

Make the decision when it is right for you and the commitment is right for you.

Just as an aside: I will state with no apology that when doing rescue, I almost always automatically ignored any application for a rescue dog that started with an adult stating that 1) their child wanted a dog so they were applying or 2) they wanted to get a dog for the child. Worst possible 'main' reasons!

Hey Robbie... I can relate very much to what you say

I love Gracie soooo much. Hard to imagine being able to love another sweetie as much. Karlin made a good point in a post I had about getting another female Cav that was available. She noted it is best to wait until the first dog is at least 16 to 18 months to add a second one. One reason we have started to think about a second Cav (but sticking to a male!) is that we see how much Gracie loves playing with other dogs and does not get to do it very often. We also know from meeting other Cavs who are so precious that we would enjoy having another to complete our family. That being said, this is a very personal decision that you should think over carefully. Good luck!!!

robbieswan said:

My kids are pressurising me to get another CAV......I love Tess so much. If I were to lose her today, my heart would break in two....I have only room in my heart for one CAV at the minute....Please talk me into it NOT to get another Cav !:neutral::neutral::neutral:

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Nope, sorry. I am with your kids on this one. Cavaliers are better in pairs. (I know i am awful)

Goda wrote: Cavaliers are better in pairs

My first four Cavaliers were all singles, and they loved getting all the attention from their human and building a really close relationship; none of them ever showed much interest in playing with other dogs and didn't seem to miss it . When I added a rescue to the household 2 years ago, Oliver (who had been on his own for 6 years) and I both took several months to adjust to having another dog permanently in the house, and Oliver makes it quite clear that he is No 1, thank you!

The children's wish to have another Cavalier may stem more from not wanting to share Tess with each other - they want to have one each to fuss - rather than any concern for the dog! Perhaps they need a lesson in sharing rather than a second Cavalier?!:lol: If at some future date, Robbie, you decide to get another Cavalier, you have a rescue (Many Tears) almost on your doorstep which always has lots of Cavaliers taken from puppy farms. This is where my Aled came from, and they won't rehome them is there isn't another dog already there to show them the ropes.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

Imagine,another few years and your kids are in Uni or away working and you have a houseful of cavaliers that they wanted,that's how it goes,I'm afraid.
They have the memories,you get the hard work and the vet's bills!
Sins

We had our first family dog 11 years ago when the children were 14 years and 9 years old, it was my daughter that wanted a cavalier so in a way started the ball rolling, although I did want a dog but a cocker spaniel, I am glad that we did`nt get a family dog when the children were younger as we would not have been able to do the family things with the dogs. I would agree that it is not wise to get another dog because the children want one as they move out , as my daughter did when 19 years old, get jobs etc and it is the grown ups that are left with the caring, the vet fees and insurance fees etc. We added a second dog to the family when our eldest dog was 10 years because hubby and I wanted one, well mainly I wanted one and had been saving up to get one for a long time.

I have shown this thread to my kids and they have backed down..As stated, when they leave school, we will still have 2 dogs to look after. Thanks for all your advice.