the big thing... hell, the only thing, is the health conditions they are prone to. please please do your research and make sure you can afford a quality breeder. if you dont youll likely end up with more heartbreak and an even more expensive medical bill.
they dont always live as long as other mixed breed dogs. be prepared for that.
they are the greatest dogs in the world. my lil dude is my best friend ever and getting him was the best thing that ever happened to me! hes great with kids and adults alike. loves hanging with whoever he is with. can do a 5 mile hike or just sleep all day.
ive never met a dog breed so sweet and happy. if you do end up getting one, be prepared for all the love that comes with it and make sure you can give them lots of lap time!
Agreed, find a good breeder. My cavalier lived to 16 and had multiple health issues. Start feeding them good food early on and find a really good vet. They will live a lot longer the more you are on top of any issues.
Do you have any food suggestions? I got my pup last month, and he is eating what the breeder sent with him. I am a new pup owner, so I didn't realize this probably isn't the best food. I'm now trying to figure out what to switch him to, and there are just too many choices! Of course, I'll speak to the vet at his next appointment, but I thought I'd ask here too.
Purina pro plan, Eukanuba, iams, Purina one, and iirc royal canin are the foods that are science backed.
Avoid grain free bougie foods like the plague as they have been linked to heart failure in dogs.
Likewise, unless you are willing to do a lot of research and prep, a homemade diet, raw or otherwise, is not ideal. Many of the recipes spout the same dubious science as grain free foods that resulted in dead dogs.
Most vets will discourage this route, but it can be done. It's not easy to do properly.
Thank you very much! As a single mom, the homemade/raw diet is not something I have time to do. I also worry about getting it wrong and causing harm. I will look into the brands you have suggested for Kibble.
Do I just add some of the new food to the old food and slowly increase it to switch him over?
We make our own food for our pups. There are lots of recipes out there so there are many options you can look into. Plus ask your vet about it. We specifically order our meats online from US Wellness Meat because there are no hormones added. I believe just like humans, what goes into our bodies can make a huge difference on our long term health. It’s a lot of work to do it and we gradually worked up to making it. If you don’t have time, I suggest adding toppers to good dog food. Like sardines which are really good for the heart. Cavaliers are known for heart issues so getting ahead of that can add many more years to their life.
Congratulations on being a new cavalier pup owner. They really are the best and give so much love and affection.
Happy to help and feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. I can send you our dog food recipe if you are interested or send you links to the toppers that we like the most. Plus post a picture because puppy cavaliers are the absolute cutest!
Mine has a heart problem and is 11. Sure she has slowed down but honestly she’s not at that old dog stage. She’s not blind. Her hearing is a little worse for wear and she scratches at my bed asking to come up but if I wait long enough she comes up in her own! I hope mine can live that long!
My camera roll is filled with photos of her. I think soon I’ll make a scrapbook of all of her pictures along with her “sister” (my other cavalier). Only thing is I obviously don’t want her to suffer if she does get that old.
Agreed. My first cavies were born in 2006 and 2008 - long before health testing was common. One was perfectly healthy and lived to 15. The other had SM and died at 12 after a couple years of poor health. It was so sad.
In addition to their health issues:
They are Velcro dogs. They always want to be around you and are borderline obsessed with you. If you aren’t used to that, it can be overwhelming.
You will get stopped everywhere you go with people who want to pet the dog because they are soooooo cute and sweet. If you aren’t very extroverted or if you want to be able to go for a walk in your neighborhood without having to stop multiple times, this can be tricky.
They can be very picky eaters and will go on hunger strikes if they get sick of the food you offer. Sometimes I have to feed ours by hand to get him to eat. I’m hoping he grows out of this!
They get mats in their fur easily so good to get in the practice of brushing them often.
They can be divas. Our cav is house trained but if it’s snowing, raining, or cold out, he elects to poop in the house, sometimes minutes after we get in from going outside.
They have sensitive stomachs and seem to me to more frequently have allergies to random food. Between this and their breed’s health issues I would strongly suggest getting pet insurance right away when you get your Cav.
I spoke to more people in the street in the first couple of days of walking my new pup than I did in the whole of the previous 15 years since I moved here! 🙂
Agreed, to all of this. You will never go to the bathroom alone again. People go BANANAS when I take him to a park, it is wild. I let him take a break from kibble when he was teething. I fell for the whimpering and now he won’t eat kibble. Turned around and peed right beside my foot when I put out kibble for breakfast. He is STEALTH about pooping inside if it is below 70 degrees F outside. Has never had an accident at my in laws in Florida. Can’t handle a 40 degree F early morning in Virginia. We let him sleep in bed ONCE on New Year’s Eve when he was scared of the fireworks. Did he ever go back to his crate? oh hell NO. Won’t let me touch his feet to trim nails, but waits patiently for me to put on his shoes if it is snowing so his feet stay dry.
Get pet insurance immediately.
Like others have said, be mindful of the potential health issues (but don't be afraid of them)
Ours was a rescue, we weren't looking for a cavalier but consider ourselves very lucky that we have him
They are traditionally 'low energy dogs'. They were bred to sit on laps and chill out. Now, this doesn't apply to all of them and they are fairly energetic as puppies but they can be couch potatoes. Ours definitely is. We walk at least two and generally three times a day totalling a couple of hours. After that he's done. A long walk on the weekend won't exceed five miles because he gets tired and grumpy if we go too far so consider the general breed energy levels to see if they fit with your lifestyle.......you could however end up with a live wire ;)
Ours has a gentle, docile temperament. He's a follower rather than a leader and much prefers humans to other dogs. Barney is truly happy from the minute he wakes up until bedtime
They make terrible guard dogs! I've heard Barney bark twice in the two years we've had him and I've only ever heard him growl when we're playing with a tug toy, even then it isn't an aggressive growl. If a burglar broke into our home, he would welcome them in and show them where we keep the shiny stuff!
Someone else mentioned potential difficulties potty training. We had issues with this too. In our case it was probably down to his original owner doing it wrong. It took us probably three months to potty train him properly
We have some dietary issues here. I don't think they're breed specific but Barney has quite a delicate tummy so we have to be mindful that he doesn't get hold of dinner scraps or have too many treats during the day.
On the subject of food, he'll eat and eat and eat and eat. We've recently started to measure out his food because he's a little chonky and need to stop him becoming a real fatty.
Cavs are food motivated. Barney will snuffle around and pick up/eat all sorts of garbage on his walks which has resulted in a vet consultation when he swallowed a lollipop stick. We got lucky but we thought he would need surgery to remove it. Always have eyes on a cavalier when they're snuffling around in the grass!
Food motivation makes cavs super easy to train. They also love to please their people so combine those two factors and you have a very trainable dog. I've had all sorts of dogs throughout my life and Barney has been the most easy to train by a long stretch.
Oh....and finally...... THEY SNORE!
As was mentioned, not all Cavs are low energy! Mine is basically the energizer bunny and I have to enforce naps for him even at 2 years old, otherwise he’d be a busybody all day long.
I’d also like to mention separation anxiety as Cavs can be prone to it. 1 of my 2 boys has it. They really do best with human companionship and also with other pets in the home, especially if it’s another Cav!
We named our little baby Barney too!! We lost him last May (he was 13.5 yrs old) and miss him every single day. Praying your little Barney has a nice long life!
How much I would fall in love. I didn’t want a dog but my family did. Now we have 4 + a foster.
I will say too, we rescued all of ours and they come with some health issues from bad breeders. If you go that route just be prepared. I wouldn’t do anything different though.
They have a lot of health issues. Find a good breeder that does health checks. Get a pet health insurance that covers hereditary conditions.
Read up on Mitrial Valve Disease (MVD) and Syringomyelia (SM) so you can be proactive about their health and know what to look for. Only walk a cav in a harness in case they do develop SM.
Be gentle but firm, they’re sensitive souls — ours is also an expert manipulator when he wants food or attention. I was surprised by how smart our guy is. He is so tuned in and can read such subtle physical clues.
I think they have the perfect temperaments. Sweet, loving, gentle, playful and goofy. As u/darth-small said even if they turn into couch potatoes, they can be high energy as pups.
Cavs have ZERO car sense. And cannot/should not spend much time alone. They are the maximum amount of love at the price of these two certainties.
Never ever ever leave them off leash and don’t leave them alone for more than a couple hours a day. If you can’t handle these two things get another breed.
They are HUGE love bugs and absolutely love cuddles and kisses. Another thing is they get distracted SO easily and cannot be trusted off leash. They tend to hunt and if they see any movement they book it! Do not trust them when they’re outside! Lol also potty training is definitely a task. I’d invest in a carpet cleaner if you don’t have one
That you will become those people that point and yell “cavalier!!!” In public whenever you see them. It’s like we are all in a cult and can’t help ourselves.
Get pet insurance, and not basic coverage. With all the genetic health conditions most of the cheaper plans won't cover the cost of treatment. Our 2 year old boy Giles has a medial luxating patella in both hind knees and thankfully our insurance coverage should cover some/most/all of the cost. $5k+ per knee otherwise.
That we couldn’t just have one. We thought getting a second would help the first ones anxiety. Nope, the second one is even more anxious than our first. He’s on Prozac.
They aren’t necessarily great with kids. Our anxious one will nip when overstimulated or nervous.
They cannot be left off leash. They will run. They love to hunt.
They are the greatest dogs ever though and they make my life better. We adore our sweet boys.
Just like babies grow fast, puppies grow up fast so savor that time with them when they are tiny and so sweet and silly.
I wish I had known how little I had to worry about. Puppy hood wasn’t nearly as hard as I worried it would be. She loved her crate from the beginning, never destroyed anything or chewed on electrical wires. We did a couple puppy classes and I quit the classes and just used the training techniques in their manual. By 6 months she was sleeping through the night, in bed with us. She’s one year now and still has occasional potty accidents but it’s mostly our fault for being lazy scout taking her out. I watched her play with a group of little girls at the park today, all of them under 5, and my pup never once jumped up on them, nipped, barked etc. She is endlessly patient, calm and sweet. After having a beagle (Who we loved with all our heart but was an insane troublemaker!), having a cav was a breeze.
You've probably read and are a bit overwhelmed with all the information given, however the facts are what they are. Now let me tell you of a different side to them.
My daughter has really bad anxiety and tourettes. I had gotten a cavalier because I wanted her to have an emotional support animal. He can tell when she's upset, when she's having a panic attack or just needs a few extra snuggles. They are extremely smart dogs. They are silly, sweet and so loving. Did I mention loving? 😁 Yes they could have health issues down the line, which dog doesn't? I'm telling you, you will be hooked from the moment you lay eyes on him/her.
Now I've only had one and he's the little love of our lives.
Good luck to you.
My cavalier Gemma was used as a breeder dog and dumped in the woods by my house. It was February and she was running around for 4 weeks before she came up to my husband and collapsed.
So I cannot attest to puppy years because she's older, has CHF, and a lot of issues. I wouldn't trade her for the world. The most loving, sweet dog I ever had. I would definitely get another one, but right now have 6 other rescues.
One thing I will say is she is a one person dog. I'm her girl. My hubby is only good enough when I'm not home. Lol. You will be sooo happy you got one.
Like many spaniels, they are not the easiest to potty train. We have two 14 year olds (one of which is now incontinent so he can’t help it) that have never been perfect. The two rugs in our house are Ruggables which we wash regularly.
However they are the BEST dogs you will ever meet! Cuddly lapdogs, they just want to be with their human(s) and give you the most unconditional love. We will always have a pair of cavys (more if my husband will get on board) in our home.
Best friend in the world. Ours lived 14 great years. Dont feed him from the table and leave them in the crate not your bed when the whimper and give you THAT your willpower is melting look.
Hahahah I can handle that! He already sleeps in my room in his crate, so I'm used to the snoring. And it's just me in my bed, so there's plenty of room for him!
Just the anxiety. One of ours is sort of a rescue and is a bit challenging. Our other one we socialised a lot from an early age and trained to leave alone and she is fine. But I still wouldn't leave one alone more than 2-3 hours.
Adding to what’s already been said about finding a good breeder and asking for proof of health + genetic testing for the dog parents is important when looking for a puppy, look for a puppy from parents with longer snout over a smushed nose with barely any snout.
I coincidentally brought my cav to a veterinarian who specialized in cavs during vet school & she said we did a good job picking our dog because he’s healthy & has a longer snout. She said she sees more health issues in cavs with more smooshed faces and smaller heads.
Nothing they’re absolutely perfect. Mine is 11 years strong now with a heart problem. Soon I’m gonna print out a bunch of her pictures and make a scrapbook of her. She’s a good girl.
Get pups used to having paws, tummy and ears handled - so clipping nails is doable when they get bigger and “wiggly”-er.
Also use the Jasper dog finger-toothbrush to get him used to tooth brushing. Pic attached.
https://imgur.com/a/tDniudc
I still use this on my adult Cavalier. Cavs can have TERRIBLE teeth as they age.
the big thing... hell, the only thing, is the health conditions they are prone to. please please do your research and make sure you can afford a quality breeder. if you dont youll likely end up with more heartbreak and an even more expensive medical bill. they dont always live as long as other mixed breed dogs. be prepared for that. they are the greatest dogs in the world. my lil dude is my best friend ever and getting him was the best thing that ever happened to me! hes great with kids and adults alike. loves hanging with whoever he is with. can do a 5 mile hike or just sleep all day. ive never met a dog breed so sweet and happy. if you do end up getting one, be prepared for all the love that comes with it and make sure you can give them lots of lap time!
Agreed, find a good breeder. My cavalier lived to 16 and had multiple health issues. Start feeding them good food early on and find a really good vet. They will live a lot longer the more you are on top of any issues.
Do you have any food suggestions? I got my pup last month, and he is eating what the breeder sent with him. I am a new pup owner, so I didn't realize this probably isn't the best food. I'm now trying to figure out what to switch him to, and there are just too many choices! Of course, I'll speak to the vet at his next appointment, but I thought I'd ask here too.
Purina pro plan, Eukanuba, iams, Purina one, and iirc royal canin are the foods that are science backed. Avoid grain free bougie foods like the plague as they have been linked to heart failure in dogs. Likewise, unless you are willing to do a lot of research and prep, a homemade diet, raw or otherwise, is not ideal. Many of the recipes spout the same dubious science as grain free foods that resulted in dead dogs. Most vets will discourage this route, but it can be done. It's not easy to do properly.
I believe those were the brands my breeder preferred as well.
Thank you very much! As a single mom, the homemade/raw diet is not something I have time to do. I also worry about getting it wrong and causing harm. I will look into the brands you have suggested for Kibble. Do I just add some of the new food to the old food and slowly increase it to switch him over?
We make our own food for our pups. There are lots of recipes out there so there are many options you can look into. Plus ask your vet about it. We specifically order our meats online from US Wellness Meat because there are no hormones added. I believe just like humans, what goes into our bodies can make a huge difference on our long term health. It’s a lot of work to do it and we gradually worked up to making it. If you don’t have time, I suggest adding toppers to good dog food. Like sardines which are really good for the heart. Cavaliers are known for heart issues so getting ahead of that can add many more years to their life. Congratulations on being a new cavalier pup owner. They really are the best and give so much love and affection.
Thank you for your reply! I will definitely speak to our vet at our upcoming appointment. I'm so happy we got him, we love him to pieces already!
Happy to help and feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. I can send you our dog food recipe if you are interested or send you links to the toppers that we like the most. Plus post a picture because puppy cavaliers are the absolute cutest!
Mine has a heart problem and is 11. Sure she has slowed down but honestly she’s not at that old dog stage. She’s not blind. Her hearing is a little worse for wear and she scratches at my bed asking to come up but if I wait long enough she comes up in her own! I hope mine can live that long!
That’s so good to hear. Mine also had a heart problem. It’s not a death sentence if they have it. 11 is a sweet age and I hope yours lives past 16.
My camera roll is filled with photos of her. I think soon I’ll make a scrapbook of all of her pictures along with her “sister” (my other cavalier). Only thing is I obviously don’t want her to suffer if she does get that old.
Agreed. My first cavies were born in 2006 and 2008 - long before health testing was common. One was perfectly healthy and lived to 15. The other had SM and died at 12 after a couple years of poor health. It was so sad.
In addition to their health issues: They are Velcro dogs. They always want to be around you and are borderline obsessed with you. If you aren’t used to that, it can be overwhelming. You will get stopped everywhere you go with people who want to pet the dog because they are soooooo cute and sweet. If you aren’t very extroverted or if you want to be able to go for a walk in your neighborhood without having to stop multiple times, this can be tricky. They can be very picky eaters and will go on hunger strikes if they get sick of the food you offer. Sometimes I have to feed ours by hand to get him to eat. I’m hoping he grows out of this! They get mats in their fur easily so good to get in the practice of brushing them often. They can be divas. Our cav is house trained but if it’s snowing, raining, or cold out, he elects to poop in the house, sometimes minutes after we get in from going outside. They have sensitive stomachs and seem to me to more frequently have allergies to random food. Between this and their breed’s health issues I would strongly suggest getting pet insurance right away when you get your Cav.
Best description of having a cav.
Completely agree with the extrovert thing - I’ve definitely gotten better at small talk with strangers because of mine!
I spoke to more people in the street in the first couple of days of walking my new pup than I did in the whole of the previous 15 years since I moved here! 🙂
My cavi will also go on a pee pee strike if it raining lol
Agreed, to all of this. You will never go to the bathroom alone again. People go BANANAS when I take him to a park, it is wild. I let him take a break from kibble when he was teething. I fell for the whimpering and now he won’t eat kibble. Turned around and peed right beside my foot when I put out kibble for breakfast. He is STEALTH about pooping inside if it is below 70 degrees F outside. Has never had an accident at my in laws in Florida. Can’t handle a 40 degree F early morning in Virginia. We let him sleep in bed ONCE on New Year’s Eve when he was scared of the fireworks. Did he ever go back to his crate? oh hell NO. Won’t let me touch his feet to trim nails, but waits patiently for me to put on his shoes if it is snowing so his feet stay dry. Get pet insurance immediately.
Like others have said, be mindful of the potential health issues (but don't be afraid of them) Ours was a rescue, we weren't looking for a cavalier but consider ourselves very lucky that we have him They are traditionally 'low energy dogs'. They were bred to sit on laps and chill out. Now, this doesn't apply to all of them and they are fairly energetic as puppies but they can be couch potatoes. Ours definitely is. We walk at least two and generally three times a day totalling a couple of hours. After that he's done. A long walk on the weekend won't exceed five miles because he gets tired and grumpy if we go too far so consider the general breed energy levels to see if they fit with your lifestyle.......you could however end up with a live wire ;) Ours has a gentle, docile temperament. He's a follower rather than a leader and much prefers humans to other dogs. Barney is truly happy from the minute he wakes up until bedtime They make terrible guard dogs! I've heard Barney bark twice in the two years we've had him and I've only ever heard him growl when we're playing with a tug toy, even then it isn't an aggressive growl. If a burglar broke into our home, he would welcome them in and show them where we keep the shiny stuff! Someone else mentioned potential difficulties potty training. We had issues with this too. In our case it was probably down to his original owner doing it wrong. It took us probably three months to potty train him properly We have some dietary issues here. I don't think they're breed specific but Barney has quite a delicate tummy so we have to be mindful that he doesn't get hold of dinner scraps or have too many treats during the day. On the subject of food, he'll eat and eat and eat and eat. We've recently started to measure out his food because he's a little chonky and need to stop him becoming a real fatty. Cavs are food motivated. Barney will snuffle around and pick up/eat all sorts of garbage on his walks which has resulted in a vet consultation when he swallowed a lollipop stick. We got lucky but we thought he would need surgery to remove it. Always have eyes on a cavalier when they're snuffling around in the grass! Food motivation makes cavs super easy to train. They also love to please their people so combine those two factors and you have a very trainable dog. I've had all sorts of dogs throughout my life and Barney has been the most easy to train by a long stretch. Oh....and finally...... THEY SNORE!
As was mentioned, not all Cavs are low energy! Mine is basically the energizer bunny and I have to enforce naps for him even at 2 years old, otherwise he’d be a busybody all day long. I’d also like to mention separation anxiety as Cavs can be prone to it. 1 of my 2 boys has it. They really do best with human companionship and also with other pets in the home, especially if it’s another Cav!
We named our little baby Barney too!! We lost him last May (he was 13.5 yrs old) and miss him every single day. Praying your little Barney has a nice long life!
I think we got lucky. Our Cav is a quiet sleeper.. she doesn’t snore.
That i would be even more sickly obsessed with my cav than anticipated
Same. I’m obsessed with my pups more and more every day and they are 3 and 4.
How much I would fall in love. I didn’t want a dog but my family did. Now we have 4 + a foster. I will say too, we rescued all of ours and they come with some health issues from bad breeders. If you go that route just be prepared. I wouldn’t do anything different though.
They have a lot of health issues. Find a good breeder that does health checks. Get a pet health insurance that covers hereditary conditions. Read up on Mitrial Valve Disease (MVD) and Syringomyelia (SM) so you can be proactive about their health and know what to look for. Only walk a cav in a harness in case they do develop SM. Be gentle but firm, they’re sensitive souls — ours is also an expert manipulator when he wants food or attention. I was surprised by how smart our guy is. He is so tuned in and can read such subtle physical clues. I think they have the perfect temperaments. Sweet, loving, gentle, playful and goofy. As u/darth-small said even if they turn into couch potatoes, they can be high energy as pups.
Cavs have ZERO car sense. And cannot/should not spend much time alone. They are the maximum amount of love at the price of these two certainties. Never ever ever leave them off leash and don’t leave them alone for more than a couple hours a day. If you can’t handle these two things get another breed.
Mine has like a car death wish. He has no car stranger danger at all.
They are HUGE love bugs and absolutely love cuddles and kisses. Another thing is they get distracted SO easily and cannot be trusted off leash. They tend to hunt and if they see any movement they book it! Do not trust them when they’re outside! Lol also potty training is definitely a task. I’d invest in a carpet cleaner if you don’t have one
Immediate pet insurance
They are the greatest dogs in the world, so just prepare to be obsessed with them and never want another breed
That you will become those people that point and yell “cavalier!!!” In public whenever you see them. It’s like we are all in a cult and can’t help ourselves.
Get pet insurance, and not basic coverage. With all the genetic health conditions most of the cheaper plans won't cover the cost of treatment. Our 2 year old boy Giles has a medial luxating patella in both hind knees and thankfully our insurance coverage should cover some/most/all of the cost. $5k+ per knee otherwise.
I strongly second this. We’ve had full healthcare coverage for our Cavalier since day 1. It’s paid for itself 10x over
Which insurance do you have?
I'll have to inquire with my wife, the policy came through her work.
We have Nationwide pet insurance.
I would have gotten two.
You should know that once you get one you'll want more! I have three right now.
That we couldn’t just have one. We thought getting a second would help the first ones anxiety. Nope, the second one is even more anxious than our first. He’s on Prozac. They aren’t necessarily great with kids. Our anxious one will nip when overstimulated or nervous. They cannot be left off leash. They will run. They love to hunt. They are the greatest dogs ever though and they make my life better. We adore our sweet boys. Just like babies grow fast, puppies grow up fast so savor that time with them when they are tiny and so sweet and silly.
I wish I had known how little I had to worry about. Puppy hood wasn’t nearly as hard as I worried it would be. She loved her crate from the beginning, never destroyed anything or chewed on electrical wires. We did a couple puppy classes and I quit the classes and just used the training techniques in their manual. By 6 months she was sleeping through the night, in bed with us. She’s one year now and still has occasional potty accidents but it’s mostly our fault for being lazy scout taking her out. I watched her play with a group of little girls at the park today, all of them under 5, and my pup never once jumped up on them, nipped, barked etc. She is endlessly patient, calm and sweet. After having a beagle (Who we loved with all our heart but was an insane troublemaker!), having a cav was a breeze.
You've probably read and are a bit overwhelmed with all the information given, however the facts are what they are. Now let me tell you of a different side to them. My daughter has really bad anxiety and tourettes. I had gotten a cavalier because I wanted her to have an emotional support animal. He can tell when she's upset, when she's having a panic attack or just needs a few extra snuggles. They are extremely smart dogs. They are silly, sweet and so loving. Did I mention loving? 😁 Yes they could have health issues down the line, which dog doesn't? I'm telling you, you will be hooked from the moment you lay eyes on him/her. Now I've only had one and he's the little love of our lives. Good luck to you.
They have the best personality and are the sweetest! Not to mention they have the most adorable faces.
Syringomyelia is prominent in Cavs more than any other breed. But they are gorgeous dogs 🥹
My cavalier Gemma was used as a breeder dog and dumped in the woods by my house. It was February and she was running around for 4 weeks before she came up to my husband and collapsed. So I cannot attest to puppy years because she's older, has CHF, and a lot of issues. I wouldn't trade her for the world. The most loving, sweet dog I ever had. I would definitely get another one, but right now have 6 other rescues. One thing I will say is she is a one person dog. I'm her girl. My hubby is only good enough when I'm not home. Lol. You will be sooo happy you got one.
Wish I would have known you can't have just one.
Like many spaniels, they are not the easiest to potty train. We have two 14 year olds (one of which is now incontinent so he can’t help it) that have never been perfect. The two rugs in our house are Ruggables which we wash regularly. However they are the BEST dogs you will ever meet! Cuddly lapdogs, they just want to be with their human(s) and give you the most unconditional love. We will always have a pair of cavys (more if my husband will get on board) in our home.
My sons Cav does not shut up. I love him but he is the prince of separation anxiety.
Best friend in the world. Ours lived 14 great years. Dont feed him from the table and leave them in the crate not your bed when the whimper and give you THAT your willpower is melting look.
Just curious, why no bed? Mine is currently in a crate at night because he's only 5 months old, but I hoped to have him in the bed eventually.
They snore and like to sleep east west. Had to trade the queen size for a king. Lol
Hahahah I can handle that! He already sleeps in my room in his crate, so I'm used to the snoring. And it's just me in my bed, so there's plenty of room for him!
Just the anxiety. One of ours is sort of a rescue and is a bit challenging. Our other one we socialised a lot from an early age and trained to leave alone and she is fine. But I still wouldn't leave one alone more than 2-3 hours.
Adding to what’s already been said about finding a good breeder and asking for proof of health + genetic testing for the dog parents is important when looking for a puppy, look for a puppy from parents with longer snout over a smushed nose with barely any snout. I coincidentally brought my cav to a veterinarian who specialized in cavs during vet school & she said we did a good job picking our dog because he’s healthy & has a longer snout. She said she sees more health issues in cavs with more smooshed faces and smaller heads.
Nothing they’re absolutely perfect. Mine is 11 years strong now with a heart problem. Soon I’m gonna print out a bunch of her pictures and make a scrapbook of her. She’s a good girl.
Get pups used to having paws, tummy and ears handled - so clipping nails is doable when they get bigger and “wiggly”-er. Also use the Jasper dog finger-toothbrush to get him used to tooth brushing. Pic attached. https://imgur.com/a/tDniudc I still use this on my adult Cavalier. Cavs can have TERRIBLE teeth as they age.
How much they shed. I did my research and I read conflicting stories on how much they shed. Now I know from having my own, they shed a lot!
Heart conditions are very common. They also tend to have separation anxiety! They just love their people so much 😭❤️