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CareCAVALIER CARE AND PRODUCTS WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND |
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a delightfully-affectionate, playful and intelligent little dog that repays his owner's care and attention with an endearing devotion. Cavaliers are not kennel dogs. Because of four hundred years of close contact with their owners and as lap dogs, they make the most wonderful companions. They are happy, outgoing, loving little dogs who want to love you and be loved, to run and play in a safe place and to sleep in a soft bed... preferably your bed. They get along famously with children, cats, and other dogs. The ultimate companion, your Cavalier will enrich your life beyond measure! His wonderful temperment is that of a happy, devoted toy Spaniel -- tail wagging and eager to please. We hope the following information will help answer any questions you might have about the breed and will best inform you of what to expect for proper Cavalier care. GROOMING Despite the elegant, silky coats, the Cavalier does not require a great amount of care. Rather, Cavaliers need to be brushed out and bathed once a week as well as ears cleaned, nails trimmed and teeth brushed. According to the Breed Standard, Cavaliers that are shown in AKC conformation events MUST NOT be trimmed or scissored, so professional grooming is not advised. Luckily, Cavaliers are pretty much wash and go so professional grooming is not needed. SHEDDING While Cavaliers are clean and easy to groom, they do shed occasionally... but weekly combing and weekly baths, as well as a healthy diet (of which includes raw, natural foods and the essential oils), will keep the shedding to a minimum. MALE vs. FEMALE Whatever the temperment of the breed, the males will be the extreme. Therefore, because the Cavalier is probably the sweetest breed there is, the males are the sweetest and make the best pets. The boys are IN LOVE with you and the girls love you but can take you or leave you. Cavaliers are clean, intelligent, and eager to please so housebreaking a male is just as easy (and sometimes easier) than housebreaking a female. PET PURCHASE PRICE A Cavalier pet from a reputable breeder that does all the annual health testing by board-certified specialists and one that shows their dogs to confirm that the dogs they are breeding are up to the standard will range anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000+ so beware of pups sold for less than $2,000 as they are definitely the result of puppy mills and brokers and you will end up with either a puppy that fails to thrive and survive or one that will cost you thousands of dollars in vet bills and will probably never have the look or temperment that you are seeking so why waste your time, money and heart on what looks to be a real bargain when, in fact, it won't be. FENCE AND LEASH REQUIREMENT Cavaliers are active and sporting little dogs that require regular exercise. They have an instinct to chase just about anything that moves, and should either be on a leash or in a fenced yard or they will surely end up under the wheels of a car. Because Cavaliers never become street-smart, reputable Cavalier breeders will require a fenced yard as a prerequisite for Cavalier ownership. And, electric fences are not recommended as they allow preditors to enter the property keeping your Cavalier unprotected. An electric fence will not always contain a Cavalier... they have been known to run right through the shock and never want to return. EXCERCISE Cavaliers need either a moderate-sized fenced-in yard in which to run, or a minimum of one good walk each day (in addition to potty walks). Regular exercise is very important for a healthy heart. CAVALIERS AND CHILDREN Cavaliers love to interact with their owners and enjoy activity and play, making them especially close friends and confidants for children, and they have actually been referred to by many as "the nanny dog." Cavaliers are excellent with children, but the age of the children is an important factor in choosing a puppy. Because Cavalier puppies are so small, reputable breeders will not sell young puppies to families with children under the age of five. An older puppy or adult dog will be more suitable for such families. All children, of course, need supervision to ensure they do not hurt the dog. RECOMMENDED AGE TO BRING YOUR CAVALIER PUPPY HOME Reputable breeders will not let their puppies go to new homes until at least 10 to 12 weeks of age. Cavalier puppies are very slow to mature and they really benefit from staying with their mother and littermates longer than many other breeds. A Cavalier 9 to 12 months old is a good choice for a family with children under the age of five. Cavaliers have a long puppyhood and will still be puppies at this age and for a long time afterwards. Many people find that an older Cavalier is ideal. There are many advantages, among the fact that an older dog will already be housebroken and beyond the puppy chewing stage. Any concern that such a dog will never bond as strongly as one obtained as a young puppy is unfounded. Cavaliers of any age will bond with their new owners... If Cavaliers could sing, they would constantly chime in with "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with." CAVALIERS AND OTHER PETS Cavaliers are the ultimate comfort Spaniel and are usually delighted to have the company of cats and dogs of any size. If you have a large dog, you will need to watch your Cavalier puppy carefully while it is small. Because Cavaliers are Spaniels with a strong sporting instinct, they should be watched closely around birds and other small animals as well. In households where no one is home during the day, the companionship of another dog or a cat is highly recommended. WHY DOES MY CAVALIER MAKE THAT SNORTING SOUND? This is a Cavalier characteristic especially when excited and not a cause for great alarm. It is a sudden breath intake accompanied by a snorting noise. It can usually be stopped by placing the hand over the nostrils momentarily to restrict the intake of air through the nose. HEREDITARY HEALTH PROBLEMS ~ NO REAL 100% GUARANTEE It is important to understand than even if the sire and dam have been screened and found clear of any health problems, no breeder can guarantee that a puppy will never develop a problem during its life time. But, screening does lessen the chance. UNDESCENDED TESTICLES can be a common problem with this breed. The breed was developed in England from the English Toy Spaniel. From 1910-1940 it was common practice to breed dogs with undescended testicles. Although not recommend by the Kennel Club of England at the time, Cavalier breeders only had a few bloodlines to work with so inbreeding was the only way for them to achieve their goal. So, this is why we will see a Cavalier puppy with undescended testicles, or with only one descended testicle. This is not a health concern for the owner of a pet Cavalier, but would be for a stud dog owner. Cavaliers with undescending testicles may take up to 8 months to fully descend into the scrotum so give it a little time. UMBILICAL HERNIA also seems to be a common problem with this breed due to the small gene pool. An umbilical hernia is an opening in the wall of the stomach where the umbilical cord was. Occasionally a little fat may push through but quite often it will heal over and close as the puppy grows older. Umbilical hernias do not cause any health issues, and they are very easy to fix during spay/neuter time. LOW PLATELET COUNT in Cavaliers is normal and nothing to be alarmed about. Cavaliers sometimes have a lower platelet count which worries some veterinarians who do not know that this is normal in a Cavalier. Cavaliers may have a lower platelet count, but they also have larger platelets. The platelets must be hand counted to get an accurate reading.
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