Anybody have Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?

[DemBones DemBones]

I'd like to know more about them.

[oregonjen]

1. We have a Cavalier

http://www.cavalierboard.com/messageboard/index.php

Cavalier Connection is a great resource for all things Cavalier, including health, grooming, etc. Lucky Star Rescue and Cavalier Rescue, are two great organizations that home rescues.
Great companions, the ultimate lap dog and best friend. :hi:

[DemBones DemBones]

2. Thanks for the information. Is your Cav

one you got as a puppy or a rescue?

[oregonjen]

3. As a puppy

However, there are a lot of rescues around the country because of the economy. In the Northwest, not as many puppy mills, thank goodness, so there aren't as many rescues.

Petfinder is also a good place to search for Cavaliers.

[Tab]

4. I had never heard of them, but damn, they're cute

[Critters2]

5. If you're thinking of getting one, do plenty of research on the breeder.

The breed has a genetic tendency toward heart troubles, and therefore, short lives. A good friend of mine had one who only lived to be 5, with health problems the whole time. Her heart was broken when this beautiful pup died so young. After his death, she learned the statistics for heart problems in the breed. Her next dog is a cocker.

[Coyote_Bandit]

6. I almost adopted one

Got to try it out for a few days first to see how it got along with the dog I already had. They weren't great together - but they didn't have any major problems either.

The cavalier was a beautiful dog and fairly well behaved. But in the end I opted not to keep him.

I discovered that he had major difficulty on a short less than half a mile walk around the block. And I suspect that his grumpiness with the other dog was probably because he did not feel well. There were also other indicators of health issues.

In the end he went to a home with a reired stay at home couple which was probably much better for him.

I'll second the suggestion already made about doing a good investigation into the breeder. I'd also suggest having the dog examined and having his health carefully assessed before making a committment to him.