I was flicking through some reviews today and saw one for a breed of dog (which type eludes me for the moment), but it made me think of my beloved pet, Oliver.......

All through our childhood, my brother and I longed for a dog. We would repeatedly badger my parents, to no avail. However, most Sundays our hope would soar, when our Dad used to say he was off to "see a man about a dog" - it took years for us to realise that he was actually talking about going for a pint! Eventually, when at about the age of 15 my parents decided they were going to buy a dog, we were ecstatic! Seeing as this occurred over 20 years ago, you will have to excuse the lapses in memory, one of which being why my parents decided on the breed they did, namely the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Money was not free flowing in our house at that time, so I am still slightly perplexed as to why they didn't just go to the local dog pound, rather than fork out for the offspring of a champion no less, but I am so glad they did, because no-one could want for a better pet.

So, Oliver came to our house and we loved him from the first moment - as a bouncy, bounding eight week old puppy, he was into everything. It wasn't long before he grew out of his infancy, and matured into, without a doubt, one of my greatest memories of that era. Despite being a male (as males in the dog world can be prone to being a little more aggressive) he was the most loveable dog. My Mum was his favourite and he would curl up with her and sleep his heart out. In all the years of his life, he never once snapped or "turned" despite having many ailments enough to make any dog cranky. Despite his small stature, he was very protective of "his" house - he would bark like a maniac if anyone so much as approached the garden or front door, only to lose his bravado should anyone actually step inside the door. He also hated anything being pushed through the letter box, so there was always a mad tussle to see who could get there first. If Oliver was the victor, you would have shreds of paper, rather than letters!

Oliver was also a clever little chap and quite manipulative in his own sweet way. As a way of house training him, we would offer a choc-drop as a reward. As he got older, if Ollie fancied a bit of sweet, he would ask to be let out, only to "pretend" to do his business, so he could have a chocolate! He also had a hatred of cats, although we are not sure why, as we do not remember him ever coming into contact with one! As a joke we would hiss the words, "rats", "mats", "fats" - anything that rhymed with "cats" and he would shoot into a frenzy of barking!

Oliver was a spoilt dog, that's for sure - none of us could look into his chocolate brown eyes and not give him what he wanted - he used to hate being alone, and would sit on the chair looking out of the window until one of us came home. He would then launch himself onto us, once we had sat down, and near enough lick our faces off!

Ollie never slept in his own bed, from a puppy he wouldn't settle and soon found a permenant space in my brother's bed - as my brother got older, and went out later, if Oliver got tired, he would wait at the bottom of the stairs, ready for bed! My brother's bed was the only place he would settle!

Unfortunately, Oliver died at 10 years old, after being plagued with many an illness - the whole family was heartbroken. Ollie loved "walkies", so my brother buried him on his girlfriend's farm, so that he could run forever and forever. Even 12 years later, the thought of him brings a tear to my eye, and he is still sadly missed by the whole family.

Anyway - enough of my saga! Here are some facts on the breed of Cavalier King Charles:

**** They are NOT cheap! We bought Oliver for £100, twenty years ago! Having had a quick look at going prices these days, I see that they sell for at least £300. This price is dependant on whether you are buying a "pet" or a "show" dog. There are many breeders of show dogs, in fact Oliver's mum was a champion and Ollie had his own certificate of lineage. Also, Cavaliers do not have names such as "butch" or "pal", they have regal sounding names - Oliver's full title was Oliver Edward of Churchill - how grand is that?

**** The Cavaliers are not to be confused with a similar looking spaniel, the "King Charles Spaniel". To the uninitiated eye, the breeds look quite similar, but I always think of the latter as a more "scruffy, unchiselled" relation of the Cavalier. King Charles spaniels have a slight undershot, giving their mouth more of a stubby appearance. They are also smaller than the Cavaliers.

***** Cavaliers are primarily lap dogs and therefore crave human company and need to be in the house and not a kennel. They like nothing better than to be curled up with their master and will pine if you are gone for many hours a day. Therefore, they are certainly not recommended for busy, working families.

***** The Cavaliers of today are direct decendants of the dogs bred for King Charles 2nd (hence the name, obviously!)

***** There are four different colour types in this breed:

Black & Tan - preferrably without any white markings at all!
Ruby - the whole of the dog is the colour of rich red.
Blenheim - chesnut and white (the most common - Ollie was one)
Tricolour - black and tan.

***** Some Cavaliers can be "too highly bred", and this was true in Oliver's case. He had numerous problems all through his life, including various tumours and problems with his ears and eyes. If you buy a Cavalier, it is essential that you are aware of its breeding and which line its parents are from. One peculiar health problem the Cavaliers have is that they need their anal glands emptied regularly (by a vet, not at home!) - Oliver used to do a weird twirly motion on his bum, which is a sign of the ailment!

****** Cavaliers can be fussy eaters - Oliver would only eat pig's hearts and the best Pedigree Chum! One main meal a day is recommened for the breed. They are also prone to becoming fat (especially the females) and although they do not require masses of exercise, it does need to be regular. For a small dog, they can run for miles and miles and thoroughly enjoy being out in the open!

****** The life span of a Cavalier is 10-12 years.

****** Who are they suitable for? Well, just about anyone and everyone! As I mentioned, they are the most docile dog you could ever imagine. They are great with kids and not aggressive at all. They are also very happy characters, with their tails permenantly wagging. All they want from you is your companionship and as long as you feed them and cuddle them, they will love you forever! They are also relatively small, so could easily live in more confined spaces, such as flats. Unlike many "show" does, they are not highly strung at all!

****** Grooming - they have extremely long ears and you may need to trim the edges from time to time! Likewise, the hair under their tummy can grow long and needs regular trimming. The dogs have a wonderful glossy, soft coat of hair and are wonderful to pet!

So, all in all, I couldn't recommend a Cavalier strongly enough. We have never had another dog since, in our family, but if I ever decided to get another one, a Cavalier would be without a doubt my first choice! I may be biased, but I can not honestly think of a better pet for the family!