I tried to post a response yesterday but I was busy and it timed out on me.
So here it is again: My father was a King Charles Spaniel breeder in Europe (English Toy as they are known, or not, in the US) and I had about 8 to 10 growing up. My father stopped about 10 years ago and I have always told my husband stories of our Kings. In coming to the US I never saw Kings and was always happy to see Cavaliers (though there is some 'rivalry' between the two breeds they really are alike in certain ways). My husband wanted a dog; originally he wanted a Westie like my parents' because she was cute--though I've told him all the stories of the trouble she has gotten into in her life...she never listened, the Kings did! Anyways, we thought about rescuing, no Westies to rescue, bought a house, still looking, another year goes by, tried to rescue a Cavalier mix at our county SPCA, looking at Cavalier rescue, husband still wants a dog, another year goes by, see Elizabeth Taylor on Sex and the City and tell my husband how nice Cavaliers are, still looking at Cavalier rescue, try to rescue an ET but never heard back, husband still wants a dog, looked at terriers from county SPCA but they didn't feel right, felt bad about it but as it turns out they had parvo too.
Finally, a few weeks later (after feeling a bit blue about the dogs that just didn't feel right) my husband shows me the dog he wants and that he's been researching all day--it's a Cavalier. I was a bit stunned, considering he wanted a Westie. He said in his research he thought they sounded more liek us (I agree). He had already contacted breeders; after years of waiting he was ready to get a dog. We drove 8 hours that weekend to see the breeder. The breeder had one 7 month-old Blenheim boy left--he had originally been sold months before, but the people had changed their minds and wanted a tricolor female. My husband soon gave me a look that said, oh yes, I want him! Bishop fell asleep in my lap, on his back, paws up in the air, happy as can be, a few hours later and we knew we had found our dog. This time it felt right. We drove 8 hours the next weekend and knew from then on that it was the right decision. My husband is so in love with his puppy; he had a Sheltie that he adored growing up but he says Cavalier are so sweet that he wants another--a tricolor this time (we'll see). I think for me it's a reminder of my adolescence (not happy times, but times when they made me happy and be able to deal with things happening). I see a lot of my Kings in Bishop and there will always be a soft spot in my heart for them--I just prefer them because I know them so well.
My husband always reminds me that our lives are better because of Bishop, even if at first it was a bit more difficult, but I know that Bishop has forced me to drive again (faced my fear of being hit again) and calm down (why can't Cavalier be reimbursed as "stress relief" medicine?) and realize that work is not all that there is in life--petting and playing with your puppy is more important than everything else in life (the majority of the time)!