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Not a Cavalier mom yet, but soon!!!

Hi everybody. I'm Helen, I'm 15 and I never had a pet before. Although, I've always loved animals, i just never had the chance to get one. Several months ago,after a health problem, I felt the need of adopting a life companion. So, i proposed it to my parents and (fortunately) they accepted it with enthusiasm, as they also wanted a pet.Shortly after, I started searching for breeds and I saw the beautiful,joyful,playful and amazing Cavalier King Charles Spaniel! It was love at first sight:l*v:!!!Moreover, as a kid of technology and willing to find as much as possible about the breed, I discovered some awful things :(. I never imagined that pet shops were buying their puppies from horrible places like puppy mills or back yard breeders:mad:. I didn't even know about puppy mills or bybs, how people treat the puppies' poor mothers and that they are doomed to be bred until their death :(.Thanks God I always search before making a decision, because if I hadn't, I may now have been with a puppy mill dog, with possible inherited diseases(like epilepsy or even worse siringomyelia and MVD) or morva and parvo. Anyway, my family and I contacted our kennel club( my country is in FCI),they were only 2 breeders, we contacted both, but visited only the one(the other was very far, in an island to be exact), both gave us the best impressions and both of them have perfect and the most important healthy and happy dogs :). Now we're waiting for the mating and the litter is expected at the end of May. We want a Blenheim girl, I hope we'll be lucky :). Finally, I'd like to ask some questions:
1) I know that Cavaliers need brushing and combing,but I saw that some trim them. Is that right?
2) Only puppies need scissoring in their paws or adults too?
3)How often should I clean their eyes and ears(and with what) ?
4)What kind of dog shampoo should I use and how often should I bathe them?
5)Is one hour walk(except the playing) good?
6)Which dog food would u suggest?, because I know that the good ones are the ones with proteins and no carbohydrates, but I don't want to make my puppy overweight.
7)I live in a country, where in summer the temperature reaches 109 F(43 C), what can I do to protect them while we'll be travelling by car(from 10 min-2 hours)?
8) What crate size do u suggest me to buy?

Sorry for my long post.

P.S. Sorry for any mistakes, I'm not a native speaker :)
 
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Hi Helen! First I want to tell you WOW amazing that at he age of 15 you have in good sense to do your research in the breed you want. You are wise beyond your years!!!! Smart kid.:cool:

Let me start be answer your questions?

1) I know that Cavaliers need brushing and combing,but I saw that some trim them. Is that right? Your cavalier will be a pet you can trim however you like....personally I like the cavalier natural look but if you can't keep up with their long feet then have them trimmed totally up to you.
2) Only puppies need scissoring in their paws or adults too? You are going to want to learn how to trim the fur between their toes or find a groomer who can do it. Yes for pups and adults.
3)How often should I clean their eyes and ears(and with what) ? You can wipe any tear drippings from their eyes with a wet paper towel (just water) if your cavalier is have running eye A LOT this is something you want to check out with a vet. As for year ears I steer away from using products just warm water you need to know how too watch out for signs of infection. Fletcher (my cavalier) is 9 months old and I have cleaned his ears once.
4)What kind of dog shampoo should I use and how often should I bathe them? People have a lot of opinions about dog/puppy shampoo and how often to bathe- personally I think all about personal preference, ask your breed what he/she recommends as far a product. I bathe Fletcher about once a month or when I must (like he got pretty muddy the other day) if you bathe too often you can dry out their skin and cause itching and problems.
5)Is one hour walk(except the playing) good? Every pup/dog is different but its VERY important for cavaliers to be fit. Also I'm a firm believer that a well exercised has less behavior problems. A tired dog and a happy one.
6)Which dog food would u suggest?, because I know that the good ones are the ones with proteins and no carbohydrates, but I don't want to make my puppy overweight. Exactly an overweight cavalier is NEVER A GOOD THING this is a question for your breeder. Watch out for treats too.... Since this is your first dog (Fletcher is my first puppy) I decided to feed kibble and fresh fruits and veggies (strawberries, melon, blueberries, baby carrots, frozen green beans) be careful ask here before you feed any "people food" there are so many owners on here who know SO MUCH about great things to feed your dog.
7)I live in a country, where in summer the temperature reaches 109 F(43 C), what can I do to protect them while we'll be travelling by car(from 10 min-2 hours)? What about air conditioning??? Does the car have it? If so just make sure puppy's travel create is somewhere in the car that is air conditioned. NEVER LEAVE HIM INSIDE A CLOSED UP CAR EVEN FOR A SECOND. Since you live in a hot climate you are going to have the learn the signs of heat related illnesses in dogs and learn to take precautions like water water water and I have used a baby stroller fan as well for Fletcher. My cavalier LOVES to swim hopefully yours will too. We were able to take Fletcher to the beach, kayaking, and we spend some super fun afternoons in the backyard pool.

:cool: What crate size do u suggest me to buy? I had a hard time with this too. Fletcher has an ICrate made by Midwest its 30 inches long, 19 inches wide and 21 inches tall. It is big for him but I'm glad it is. Also you may want to set up an X pen area for your pup, a tip that WORKS so well its pictured and explained in the Dunbar books listed below.

Check around this site there is a free downloadable book (actually 2) by Ian Dunbar "Before You Get Your Puppy" and "After You Get Your Puppy" that are wonderful. Follow his advice....helped me a lot.


I hope I answered your questions. Please do check around the forums there is a TON of great information here.
 
1) I know that Cavaliers need brushing and combing,but I saw that some trim them. Is that right?
Grooming daily will keep their coats looking their best, trimming the fur on the pads of their feet is needed. They will matt easily if not kept in check
2) Only puppies need scissoring in their paws or adults too?
Nail clipping should be done every 4-6 weeks depending on how fast they grow, overgrown nail will lead to foot problems and pain.
3)How often should I clean their eyes and ears(and with what) ?
I get a product from our vet for cleaning the ears, it's made by VET Solutions. For the eyes, I've only just wiped them clean in the morning with a damp facecloth.
4)What kind of dog shampoo should I use and how often should I bathe them?
For shampoo, I used a good quality shampoo that doesn't contain Sulfates, parabens, waxes.
5)Is one hour walk(except the playing) good?
Puppies will tire easily, just take your time and increase your walk based on how the dog does.
6)Which dog food would u suggest?, because I know that the good ones are the ones with proteins and no carbohydrates, but I don't want to make my puppy overweight.
I liked to use grainfree with less fillers in them and good quality human grade meat in them. I used to use Evo until Purina bought them out, then I went with Orejen (canadian)
7)I live in a country, where in summer the temperature reaches 109 F(43 C), what can I do to protect them while we'll be travelling by car(from 10 min-2 hours)?
Where do you live? When traveling in a car temps can exceed the outside temps, Air Conditioning is a good idea, and never leave a dog in a car they overheat very fast. Lots of water for the trip and stop often to get out and check on dog.
8) What crate size do u suggest me to buy?
I think mine is a medium 24"Long x 16 or 18"Wide, I also made a barrier for the crate depending on the growth of the dog.
Sorry for my long post.

P.S. Sorry for any mistakes, I'm not a native speaker :)
You did great, better than some people who's first language is English! :) It's great that you are doing your research prior to getting a dog. I'm sure that others will be by to add any additional information that will be helpful.
 
Thank everyone for your answers, you helped me a lot! I'm from Greece and you can imagine how hot the climate is here [it's 8 pm now and it has 20oC (68F)]. We have air conditioning in the car, but you cannot have it for 2 hours, because it isn't good for car's engine. If i buy an electric little fan and have lots of water with me is she going to be okay? She won't have problem when i''l be in my city, but every summer I go to my summer house, which is in an island and the port, where you get the boat is 2 hours from here. This trip is my only concern because at this time she will be a puppy. We won't have problem either in the boat because it has air conditioning either in my house. It's the car trip that I'm afraid of. Mid when you say orijen? I have heard that is an excellent food, but I have also heard that many dogs can't digest it because it has lots of protein. Thank you again for the answers :)
 
I prefer a harness instead of a collar. How much food? It depends if you feed a lot of fresh fruits and veggies the bag of kibble will go longer but.... a bag (8 pounds) last us about 2 weeks give or take. Your breeder and vet will recommend an amount of food per day/meal.

I would LOVE to visit Greece! All the history and culture, the FOOD! Super cool.
 
The only thing tht concerns me is that my puppy is going to be healthy. That's the most important thing. Thank you for the answers for once again :)
 
Welcome! :)

To have the best bet of getting a healthy puppy that grows into a healthy adult dog, be sure to read through the puppy buying guides and links that are in the right hand column on the main forum homepage. Unfortunately this is a breed with several serious health issues -- in particular you want to be sure your chosen breeder MRIs her breeding dogs, uses a cardiologist (not just a vet) to check hearts, and follows the SM and MVD breeding protocols (for example parents dogs should be at least 2.5 years old, they should be heart clear within a year of the mating; they parents on both sides should both have been heart clear till at age 5; at least one dog should have scanned as an A grade dog for syringomyelia, etc). The breeder should also check eyes and patellas, ideally also xray hips.

It can be complicated to understand the needed tests and the protocols, hence we link to a number of sites that help in understanding all of this.

Be sure to take out insurance on your dog, and be sure it is a policy that covers genetic illness.

Many vets have said to me that it is much better to use a harness on a small breed than a collar. Using collars in any dog, is linked to trachea and spinal problems, and as there is a high degree of syringomyelia in cavaliers, and syrinixes tend to form around the neck, some neurologists say it is definitely better not to walk cavaliers on collars that may put pressure on the neck area. But you will want a comy collar (never a choke chain) with identifying tags of course! :) ).

There are millions of opinion on food. I feed some kibble but prefer prepared raw or cooked diets. I think that since with people there's lots of evidence that eating processed foods is not healthy as a sole source of food, and fresh foods are extremely important to a good diet, that this must extend to dogs as well. Kibble is a highly processed food that has to have vitamins added back in artificially.
 
Firstly thank u for the answers Karlin :) . As I said before we have already chosen breeder and as I've seen here the breeder follows that protocol(glad she does). Our breeder in her over 15 years of breeding she had only one case with sm and the dog unfortunately passed away :( . I hope I'm going to be lucky. And I never put a choke chain in my dog, dog must learn things positively and not negatively from my point of view.
 
I want to ask sth. If u have to carry your cavalier with you would u choose a soft carrier or a plastic one? And in a travel with ship for four hours what should I do and because she's going to be a puppy what should I have with me and where she would pee(the ship doesn't have soil) and should I have it out of her carrier and and... Ouff so anxious. Do you have any similar experience or any advice? Thank you very much :)
 
On a ship, will she be under your seat? or just sitting near you? Can she come out and sit on your lap part of the time or in the carrier the whole time?

I would think of future travel you may do with her. Will you be taking public transit or in your own car? If you would be taking buses or subways or possibly flying with her under the seat, then a soft sided carrier. For car trips, I'd consider a plastic carrier or a metal crate. I have a metal crate for my guys at home and they love to go in there to get some quiet! I had a nice fabric cover made for it. And I also have crates for long car rides. (we use seat belt restraints for short car rides)
 
In the ship will be in a place like living room so the space will be big. Because cavalier is a small breed they are allowed inside the ship also i can take her in the ships deck.but is somebody requests putting her back I'll have to do it. Also, in sea travels because of her age she will have to pee, what should I do in that case?and also what plastic size carrier would be the best and should i have things in it like toys and dog diapers?P. S i don't drive because I'm 15 but our transports will be with car :) and thank you for answering
 
Alright, they me see if I understand this clearly. You will have your puppy when you travel to your summer house, which is a 2 hour car trip then a 4 hour boat ride?

You should go with a hard plastic travel crate because of the heat I would try to get one that has the most holes for air flow (they do make them with doors on both sides which would be great for air flow) I would buy the biggest size you can travel with, after all your puppy will grow up and you will need to use this travel crate all the time. Then lay out an old towel then a puppy pad on the bottom of the trave for travel. Puppy pads are better I think for travel because they are disposible if she pees on one just replace it as soon a possible. You are going to need to travel with several puppy pads, a few old towels, her water, food, toys, harness and leash. Remember don't ever put a dog inside any kind of crate with a collar/harness on. Traveling with a puppy id just like traveling with a baby, they need their own "diaper bag" and they require you to bring a lot of things just in case. If you have time between the car and boat I would get her out and walk her around some, hopefully she will pee and poop then. Remember water, water, water if its hot outside. Puppies sleep a lot so I bet yours will sleep most of the trip anyway.

My cavalier travels very well. I have taken him everywhere with me since the day I got him. He gets VERY excited when I put out his travel crate and hops right in.
 
You understood it very well :). And there will be about 40-1 hour waiting for the ship to come and in the port it has cafeterias and huge space to walk her :). The boat travel is the one that concerns me :/. Also, when should I feed her ? Because she will be a puppy I can hug her during the travel but not in the whole
 
I would try to feed her on her regular feeding schedule as best a possible (just like you would a human baby) You should check to rule on the ship about pets. In the US a pet would HAVE to remain in the travel crate the whole time. But I have found cavalier puppy's are so cute sometimes people don't care if you break the rules sometimes :) You have chosen a great breed for travel. We have taken Fletcher camping and even kayaking, he is happy anywhere as long as he's with us.
 
In the specific ship puppies-small dogs-ill dogs-guide dogs are allowed inside the ship and can be outside their crate. Big dogs, agreesive ones have to be in the ships deck the whole time. Also thats one of the reasons we chose it ! That we can take it I everywhere :)
 
I travelled with Lady by airplane when she was about six months old. I bought the Sleepypod soft carrying bag, it has mesh over the top and sides so it breathes very well, it also has a couple different straps which makes it really easy and comfortable to carry. I also like that the sides clip back at different spots so you can have it semi-open or fully open. They have some different models too since you dont need to meet airline restrictions. http://sleepypod.com/air . Its a quality product that uses very strong fabrics on the outside, and a soft plush padding on the inside. Another good thing about this bag is they sell pee pads that fit right pefectly the bag, they're very thick and will easily absorb any accidents she has. At six months Lady didnt end up having any accidents, she was in the bag maybe for a total of 3-4 hours but I took her out when we were in the terminal.

There are pros and cons to hard-sided versus soft sided. I just like the soft-sided since its more portable and can be used for all sorts of travel. The hard ones are more durable though and are more easily disinfected. Another con to the soft-sided is that if you end up with a bigger cav he/she may not fit in the soft-sided once they are full grown.

When you get your puppy you could start training her with training pads. I did that with Lady when I first got her and she got used to using them so when we travelled she could go on those if there wasnt grass around. Once the puppy gets older and can hold it longer you wont need them anymore.

Also you might want to be carefull about feeding your dog right before a car trip. Gracie gets carsick quite easily so I dont feed her if we are going to be in the car for more than about 20 minutes. If car-sickness or boatsickness is something that happens to your puppy though you can discuss with you vet and get a dosage for baby gravol.
 
Also because cavaliers tend to be obese what treats should I use in training? And because she won't have all her puppy shots how am I going to socialize her? Thank you very much :)
 
You could actually just use kibble for training as well, but I use Zuke's Super greens or Zuke's mini-training treats. They're made with quality ingredients and are small for training. You could even cut up some celery or carrot, or other fruit or veggie for something with less calories.

To socialize a puppy without shots, personally I just had Lady around dogs I knew, and knew they were vaccinated. Some people say to not even bring the dog outside until the third round of vaccinations, which I think is a bit of overkill. Dont bring the puppy to any dog parks and if you're on a walk dont let a stranger's dog interact with yours. Once all the vaccinations are complete you can put the puppy in an obedience class which will really help with training and socializing, and in general you can just be less careful about the puppy interacting with other dogs. Depending on what age your breeder lets the puppies go home, you might not even have all that long to wait.
 
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