The golden cross is very worrying -- I have seen somone flogging this poor mix as a 'rare' dog and charging ridiculous amounts. Sheesh -- no crossbreed is 'rare' as anyone can stick two breeds together :sl*p: -- but the reason you don't often see mixes between two completely different sized breeds done deliberately is... DEATH :x -- even those just out for the money of selling 'designer crossbreeds' (which themselves flood every shelter in the country, abandoned by their owners!) generally care enough about their individual animals not to risk killing them. But some idiots seriously risk the health of a dog by crossing it with a much larger dog if the smaller dog is the mother -- over-large puppies could kill her in the process of being born --and a much larger female could attack and harm or kill a pestering smaller male trying to mate with her. If people are breeding and selling this mix, you know exactly what their ethics are: none.
There are shelters and rescues full of wonderful dogs where often the people know the cross and the approximate size, or young adults where you can see if the size is right. Petfinder.com for example regularly lists crosses including cavalier crosses. Then, there are many, many slightly larger breeds including a huge range of spaniels -- the welsh spaniel actually has markings like a blenheim, for example, and cockers are a lovely medium size. Pounds and shelters are regularly filled with various lovely spaniel crosses of all sizes.
Your female is small for the breed
. Many cavaliers would be nearly double her size, so there's lots of room for a 'larger' cavalier!
And many are larger than breed standard -- up to around the size of a cocker. Why not work with a fully health testing breeder (eg one who MRIs, cardiologist tests and follows the breeding protocols -- google breeders Laura Lang or Anne Eckersley for help and advice -- often no one locally properly tests). Or, work through cavalier rescue in your region or visit Lucky Star's website -- whee you will know exactly the size of the cavalier you are getting.
There are so many options to support either rescue, good cavalier breeders, or shelters to find your perfect second dog!
As Kate says -- I'd avoid the deliberate crossbreeders, who will NOT have started with good breeding stock from health focused breeders for the parents as no health focused, responsible breeder would ever sell puppies to someone who is going to cross them deliberately and sell them.
They put too much time and money into preserving the breed; and anyway, crossbreeders wouldn't pay what a dog from properly health tested lines would cost anyway -- they get cheap dogs on open registration from other questionable breeders. Vets will confirm how many health issues they see in such crossbreeds as a result.
If you are looking for cavaliers in your region please be very cautious -- there is more than one disreputable breeder in the area that I know of from websites as well as this woman in your area, who has been convicted for fraud and is back with a house packed with up to a hundred cavaliers, carrying on as she did before: because the Dept of Justice did not require that she give up her little industry
and I know of people who have dealt recently with her (and run the other way, fast):
http://www.cavaliertalk.com/forums/...o-Ore-Essex-Royale-Ambiance-Cascade-Cavaliers
