I loved Jasper. He became one of my favourite pets. I know, I know, I shouldn't have favourites but he was gorgeous! Sure he could be highly strung sometimes but he was so cute and adorable you couldn't help but love him
~*~ History ~*~
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel's originate from King Charles Spaniels, don't get them confused, they are separate breeds. They were bred to have a more pronounced head and a flatter face. Cavaliers were a cross between King
Charles and the Cocker Spaniel.
Your puppy will be with you for the rest of its life, so a bit of time and effort to find the healthiest and soundest puppy will be of benefit in the long run. Don't buy a puppy you have ANY doubts about. There are many breeders who do not put in as much care as they should. For various reasons we had to travel between 4 different breeders before we chose Jasper and although this was time consuming and frustrating at the time it did pay off.
The reason I am talking about breeders rather than pet stores is that there is very little (if any!) health guarantee on a pet shop puppy, and unfortunately you will never know what sort of background those puppies have come from. They may also not have been socialised as much and may have developed bad habits.
There are a few things you should note before buying your puppy to give you an idea of whether or not you are choosing the right puppy for you. There are:
1. The puppies should have been raised inside the house with the rest of the family and day-to-day life going on around them. This will mean that your dog will be used to most situations and will be well socialised with humans, other dogs and possibly other dogs.
2. The puppies should offer a written health guarantee and the puppies should be checked for hereditary diseases. You should suggest that you get the puppy checked by your local vet and if anything is found to be wrong then a full refund should be available. Also if a serious hereditary disease is found within the first year then some sort of compensation should be available.
A good breeder should be available throughout the life of your dog to answer any queries you may have, also, if, for any reason you cannot take care of your dog the breeder should be happy to take it back. 'Good breeders care about their dogs and will want your puppy to be happy and have a good home throughout its life
~*~ Feeding ~*~
Water should be available all day every day.
A puppy will be on 3-4 meals a day. Your breeder will be able to tell you which type of food your puppy is on. An adult dog should have one main meal a day. This should be about 2 cups of dried food.
Cavalier's love food and so will ask for more after they have finished their meals. It can be easy to give in to those gorgeous brown eyes but you must be aware that it is easy to over feed your dog.
We had real problems with Jasper and his want of food! We eventually compromised and gave him two meals in a day but with only one cup of food in each meal. This helped a little and is a good way of feeding your dog if you find you have real problems just giving him one meal a day.
~*~ Health ~*~
There are too many health problems for me to list here. As with any pedigree dog they are very susceptible to health problems. A few you will need to look out for are heart murmurs, eye conditions in general, ear infections and patella (knee) problems, especially dislocation.
~*~ Character ~*~
Cavaliers are very playful gentle dogs. They are great with children although if you are going to have a cavalier with children a male would be best as they are more forgiving if they accidentally get hurt when playing with your children.
Jasper would love nothing more than running round the garden with my three-year old cousin. They would sometimes play very roughly, Jasper was very careful not to hurt my cousin and would often put himself between my cousin and any hard objects! However, whenever Jasper would get hurt or knocked over, he'd just pick himself up, come for a bit of attention then go back to his game!
The one thing to note here is that Cavaliers are inside dogs. They are not the dog to choose if you want to keep them outside as they can get very destructive.
~*~ Exercise ~*~
Cavaliers are just as happy to be sat inside next to you as they are to be outside! Having said that they do love a good run around a park and they do need the fresh air. Jasper had about 3 half an hour to an hour walks a week and this was enough for him.
~*~ Colours ~*~
Cavaliers come in a variety of colours. Their coat should be long, silky and straight.
Jasper was a very pretty ruby and white, however the other colours available are:
Black and Tan
Ruby (intense red) Ruby does come with white markings however if your going to show your dog this is undesirable.
Blenheim - Chestnut on white
Tricolour - Black and white with tan on the head, legs and tail
~*~ So, would I recommend a Cavalier? ~*~
Yes. Cavaliers are gorgeous dogs and will remain loyal to you throughout their life. They are great with kids and adults alike. However, they are highly strung and expensive and this should be considered when you think about getting a Cavalier.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Great review! Loads of information there! I am getting a Cavalier soon, my mum has finally agreed to me having one after 15 years of wanting one! She always told me when I was younger that if I still wanted one when I was 23 then I could have one! i think she thought I wouldnt, but I do! i cant wait! i've just gotta save up to buy one now and be able to pay the vet fees and stuff! lou.x
KarenUK 14.03.2006 12:52
I had 2 CKCs when I was younger, they are wonderful dogs.
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illustrated throughout with full-color photographs - now revised and redesigned to be even more reader-friendly! Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are equally at home in a ca...
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Advantages: Available at many pet stores and supermarkets. My dog loves them. Come in different sizes. Disadvantages: None, except my dog would eat a whole box given the chance.
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