Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owners, check in!

[mg]

I went to a Cavalier play group the other day and my dog got to meet other Cavaliers for the first time since he was a baby. I always knew my dog was bigger than the breed standard, but I didn’t realize what a monster he was going to be in comparison to the others!! :lol: Thankfully there were a couple other big Cavaliers there so Dublin didn’t totally stick out like a sore thumb. There seems to be a lot of variety within the breed.

So…tell me about YOUR Cavalier! And, of course, share pictures of the cuties! If you feel comfortable sharing where you got them from, that could be fun too

Here’s my buddy, Dublin. He is 3.5 years old and is the best barn dog ever! I clip his body and trim his feathers so it’s easier to combat mud, burrs, and other barn grime. I got him from a woman in Missouri who wanted to get into breeding but realized how difficult it was after her second litter. He’s not fancy, but he’s a good boy. We practice agility obstacles at home, but have not tried competing yet. He loves it!

Looking more like a Springer than a Cavalier!
Going for a hack with his pony
XC course walking
Taking a nap with his pony
Classic Cav head tilt
Jumping!
Jumping again
Barn dog woes…30 burrs velcroed his ears together

[Alagirl]

[QUOTE=mg;6769848]

Barn dog woes…30 burrs velcroed his ears together[/QUOTE]

:lol:

[LauraKY]

He’s adorable.

[Louise]

Oh, he’s so adorable. Every picture I see of these guys convinces me that, when the time is right, this is the breed for me.

[oliverreed]

He IS adorable. That’s pretty much the dog I want when we retire. Sonesta here breeds them. I’d love to get a puppy from her but she’s awfully far away. Don’t really want to have to drive to Texas to get a puppy.

[Anne_FS]

mg, your dog is beautiful. Cavvys are beautiful & sweet and it’s no wonder people love them. I think they’re adorable. My only caveat is that you be very, very, VERY careful where you get yours.

I would see them at dog shows all the time and think how pretty they are & dismissed the health-issue comments I’d heard as anecdotal because I’m sure you can find lots of breeds with health issues. Then it turned out that I got to know people who had them. Heartbreaking. Between syringomyelia and heart disease, not to mention all the other things, these people lost 3 Cavvys in 5 years - all from 3 separate breeders who supposedly did health checks. Well, 2 of them did. She found out later that the one family (and he was a co-worker) knew dogs in their line had brain issues. The only other people I knew who had them just took it as a matter of course that yes, they have many health problems, but they’re such a nice breed they wanted one anyway.

I’m not knocking the breed; they’re wonderful. Just be very, very careful of where you get your dog.

[MsM]

He’s beautiful! How big is he? I have two. Mine are rubies and are also on the larger side. My boy is around 15 " at the shoulder, but his little sister pushes him around.
Sorry, no pictures - just got a new computer and there is nothing on it yet!
More than pretty, tho, they are fun, loving, funny little critters.

[mg]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone!

MsM- Dublin is just under 15" tall. He’s filled out in the last year too, but I think it’s more muscle than chubbiness. The other Cavs looked so shrimpy next to him! Get pics back on your new computer soon so we can see your pups!

[MsM]

Okay, found an old link.
Hope it works!
http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad119/msmavron/onelavender-e.jpg
Thats Ozzie on left and Cecily on the right.

[Sonesta]

You can see all of mine at www.sonestacavaliers.com. I’ve been showing and breeding them for 15 years. And while there certainly are some serious health issues in the breed you can find healthy dogs. Just make sure you are dealing with a reputable breeder who follows the breeding protocol set up for cavaliers by a group of Swedish geneticists. Known as the “Swedish protocol.” Learn how to know if you are dealing with a reputable breeder on our “Frequently Asked Questions” page on our website.

[incentive]

Cutest and sweetest dogs on the planet! And that’s coming from a confirmrd corgi person. I would love to have one, but there never seems to be one available when we have room at the inn. Thanks for sharing your photos!!

[Emryss]

Checking in.

My Cavaliers came from Sonesta.

Willie is 7, (where did the time go???) healthy as a proverbial horse (missing some teeth, though) and fun as fun can be. He has been a breeze to train, and pretty to boot. He was my very first Cavalier and my first show dog - he’s earned his AKC Ch, GCh. RN and CGC titles, all owner handled.

Star is now 4, coming 5, and spends her time with my nephew as a support dog. She romps about the property, supervising the miniature horses and generally being a nifty friend.

Patty is my current little show dog. She’s 2 years old and full of mischief! She is halfway to her championship and she did finish (tied) #5 Amateur Owner-Handled Cavalier in 2012 - which means she’ll have an invitation to show at Eukanuba this year. We very well may go, if we can swing it. Had to pass for Willie’s invite, so I think this time we should do it.

Great dogs. I cannot imagine my life without them, and I do thank Sonesta for taking a chance on a beginner show person!

[Sonesta]

Ah, thanks, Emryss. You have done a great job with my grandpuppies!

Where will the Eukanuba show be this year? You definitely should go!

[Parrotnutz]

[QUOTE=incentive;6770792]
Cutest and sweetest dogs on the planet! And that’s coming from a confirmrd corgi person. I would love to have one, but there never seems to be one available when we have room at the inn. Thanks for sharing your photos!![/QUOTE]

I have 2 cavaliers. Nosey my 10.5 yr old tri color and peanut my 5 yr old Blenheim. At any given time I also have a foster cavalier. I volunteer for cavalierrescueusa.org. Great organization that does right by their rescues.

[Sonesta]

And I’d like to point out that www.cavalierrescueusa.org is a great rescue, but note that virtually ALL of the Cavaliers that come into rescue come from BAD breeders (backyard, puppy millers, etc) because part of the Code of Ethics of reputable breeders is that we will ALWAYS and for ANY REASON take back and give a home to any dog we bred.

[supershorty628]

My parents have a Cavalier named Roo. He’s adorable and everyone loves him to death. Before him, they had a little ruby named Tigger (note that Roo came with his name, so the Winnie-The-Pooh theme is coincidental) who lived until 13 before they put him down due to congestive heart failure.

Pictures:
Roo as a puppy
More puppy Roo
Spastic Roo
All grown up!
Bliss Roo

Tigger was quite the jumper.
Tigger in profile
Supervising from the couch

[KTRider]

[QUOTE=Sonesta;6776708]
And I’d like to point out that www.cavalierrescueusa.org is a great rescue, but note that virtually ALL of the Cavaliers that come into rescue come from BAD breeders (backyard, puppy millers, etc) because part of the Code of Ethics of reputable breeders is that we will ALWAYS and for ANY REASON take back and give a home to any dog we bred.[/QUOTE]

Do you have any tips on how to get a reasonably well-bred adult Cavalier? Know any breeders that try to place some of their retirees? I lost both my little dogs in 2012, and am starting to look. I have a Chesapeake who is eight but pretty active, and I think she would enjoy a buddy. I’ve always loved Cavaliers, we used to run into quite a few doing agility.

[Parrotnutz]

[QUOTE=Sonesta;6776708]
And I’d like to point out that www.cavalierrescueusa.org is a great rescue, but note that virtually ALL of the Cavaliers that come into rescue come from BAD breeders (backyard, puppy millers, etc) because part of the Code of Ethics of reputable breeders is that we will ALWAYS and for ANY REASON take back and give a home to any dog we bred.[/QUOTE]

Sonesta, tell me about it. Unfortunately puppy mills supply puppy stores and they sell cavaliers plus other breeds at cheap prices and the public is just so uneducated and think they are getting a bargain…sigh. I would like to see only good breeders such as yourself and then there would be no need for rescue…sigh.
I just fostered a breeder surrender dog whose puppies sold for 2500.00, BUT the breeder would not spay her, never did her teeth and gave her over knowing full well all her medical needs would be taken care of by cavalier rescue!! This person is a club member too!!

[Sonesta]

[QUOTE=Parrotnutz;6777172]
Sonesta, tell me about it. Unfortunately puppy mills supply puppy stores and they sell cavaliers plus other breeds at cheap prices and the public is just so uneducated and think they are getting a bargain…sigh. I would like to see only good breeders such as yourself and then there would be no need for rescue…sigh.
I just fostered a breeder surrender dog whose puppies sold for 2500.00, BUT the breeder would not spay her, never did her teeth and gave her over knowing full well all her medical needs would be taken care of by cavalier rescue!! This person is a club member too!![/QUOTE]

If you report this person to the national Cavalier Club, they will investigate and if your allegations prove true, they WILL kick this breeder out of the club. They take this stuff very seriously.

[Sonesta]

[QUOTE=KTRider;6777108]
Do you have any tips on how to get a reasonably well-bred adult Cavalier? Know any breeders that try to place some of their retirees? I lost both my little dogs in 2012, and am starting to look. I have a Chesapeake who is eight but pretty active, and I think she would enjoy a buddy. I’ve always loved Cavaliers, we used to run into quite a few doing agility.[/QUOTE]

Best advice I can give is to contact as many reputable breeders as you can and let them know you’d like to be considered as a home for a retiree. But, I do have to warn you that most good breeders don’t place their retirees. They are too attached to them. I can tell you that I have right now 5 retired Cavaliers and I could not imagine letting them go. They are part of the family.

But I do have a few that live in what I call “foster homes.” These are my dogs that live with friends of mine so that they have their own families and just come home every 18 months or so to be bred. Whenever I decide they are “done” I sign over their papers and they become officially owned by their foster parents.

I generally have a standing list of friends and other puppy owners who want to “foster” one of my dogs. But they don’t go to the fosters after they retire, they go while they are still quite young and I pick them up to take them to the shows or to breed them. It works well for me and a couple other breeders I know.

But truly, once a dog has lived with me for several years, the attachment becomes to strong to think about sending them elsewhere.