It's been a while since I did a pet review and so far I think I have covered Poodles, Yorkies and goldfish, so now its time to introduce you to my newest pet... Izzie The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!

I bought Izzie back in February at just 14 weeks old after wanting a Cavalier King Charles sine I was about 8 years old! I was never allowed one though as my mum doesn't like dog hairs... hence the reason we have 3 poodles and a yorkie (they don't moult!) So upon moving out of my mum's I decided it was about time I fulfilled a lifelong ambition... to own or rather be owned by a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!

*The Cavalier King Charles*

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels we're originally bred as lap dogs for Royal ladies, they were known as 'comforter dogs' for their extremely loyal and affectionate nature and would also often be the safe alternative to a Victorian water bottle and sleep on their mistresses beds to keep them warm during the nights. This is obviously a tradition that my Izzie doesn't want to forget as she insists on being my comforter dog by following me everywhere and sleeping as close to me as possible on my bed!

Cavaliers are medium in size, Izzie is fully-grown now and her head is just below my knee, she weighs approximately 12.5 kg, which our vet tells me is just about right.

Cavaliers come in 4 different colour varieties, Blenhiem (Ginger and white), Tri-Colour (White, Black and Tan), Ruby (all Ginger) and Black and Tan (as it sounds) Izzie is a Black and Tan and totally gorgeous!

*Izzie*

Izzie is now 9 months old, so far she has been a little menace but at the same time considering her age she has been a complete dream with training and behaviour compared to our other dogs!

As I said earlier I bought Izzie back in February this year from a breeder just outside Wolverhampton, it sounds really bad but she was a complete impulse purchase! I wanted a Spaniel for years and while round at a friend's house it suddenly dawned on me that I wasn't living at my mums any more so I could buy a dog! After searching through her local paper I found an ad for puppy Cavaliers, phoned it and arranged to go view them 2 days later. Trying to be good I convinced myself that if they didn't have the dog I really wanted then I wouldn't have one... of course that went out the window as I was going in search of a Tri-Colour, however when the breeder informed me he had no tri-colours but he did have one Black and Tan girl who was slightly older as she was from another litter I fell in love the moment I saw her and knew I had to buy her! The breeder questioned me on home life and work life and if I had owned a dog before, I explained that I had 4 dogs when I lived with my mum and I had grown up with dogs so I knew what I was doing and my work life wouldn't be a problem either, he then went on to tell me that if I wanted this dog I could take her with me that day as because of her age she was old enough to leave and she had also had all of her injections (great one less expense for me!)

We then proceeded to fill in what seemed like endless amounts of paperwork, it was actually only about 3 forms! While I was doing this Izzie was Micro chipped for me and they registered the chip too, they also contacted the pet insurance as she came with 6 weeks of pet insurance too! With all that I happily parted with £350 and left with my new fluff ball!

I thought for the first few days Izzie might be shy, however I couldn't have been more wrong! She was a little terror and into everything, however I didn't mind one bit as I was so pleased to have her, during the next couple of days I had to visit my mum and grandparents neither of whom were impressed that I had bought a puppy and all gave me the lecture on how a dog is for life and I must look after her and give her the stable home she deserves, I did take offence at this as I have always adored my pets and probably given them more attention than I do my family however I guess they were just worried as this was my first dog that was 100% my responsibility!

However as the months have passed and me and Izzie have hardly been apart their worries have gone and Izzie is the love of everyone's life... whether they want her to be or not!

*Training*

Thankfully training Izzie has been extremely easy! During the first week the only training I did with her was toilet training as this was the main one and I wanted to spend time getting her to bond with me. Toilet training was pretty simple once she had learnt where the back door was and once I had learnt that her little 'dance' round in a circle meant she wanted to go out! The breeder had done a lot of training with her though due to her age so I guess I kind of cheated on that one!

During week two with the help of some training treats (which I am trying to get round to reviewing) Izzie was quick to respond to sit, shake a paw and lie down, however we are still to this day working on stay!

Walking on a lead was also pretty easy to do as I took her out right from the start with my friends dog for walks and she loved it once she realised we were going somewhere new! While walking on a lead I have managed to teach her to sit at the side of the road before we cross and also to walk at heal, which she sometimes forgets if an exciting smell comes along!

Off the lead was something I had been worried about as I really wanted her to be able to have the freedom of Sutton Park, however I did not want to loose my gorgeous baby dog. So upon the suggestion of a friend I walked Izzie on a lead then very casually dropped the lead on the floor and let her walk... at least I could catch her that way and to my surprise she didn't wonder very far, so I got brave and un hooked the lead and right by my side was where she stayed! This was fantastic, until another dog appeared then there were amusing scenes of me running across Sutton Park in chase of Izzie and whatever random pooch she had taken a liking to that day! Thankfully with age and training treats Izzie will now walk past another dog off her lead and stay by my side until we get to the river where she will spend literally hours splashing about chasing her splashes and soaking herself, me and anyone else who comes near!

*Exercise*

Cavaliers will take as much exercise as you offer them. With my shifts at work being one week 6am till 2pm and then the next week 2pm till 10pm Izzie has got used to the idea that one week she will spend her afternoons in the park and then the next week she will spend it in the garden and of course the weekends involve long walkies round Sutton park jumping in every puddle possible, the muddier the better!

*Playtime*

Izzie is a very playful pooch and will spend hours playing in water, however if there is no water or it is too cold she will quite happily chase me around or play with one of her many toys. Izzie doesn't play fetch as she hasn't quite got the idea that after chasing the object she is supposed to bring it back, she chases it, looks at it and runs back without it then happily bounces back to the item with you!

*Grooming*

Other than a regular brush Izzie doesn't need too much grooming, I give her a daily brush at the moment due to the fact she is moulting, but normally a brush every other day seems to be enough to keep the luggy bits of fur away. Izzie loves being brushed so doesn't put up much of a fight!

*Other Dogs*

Izzie mixes extremely well with other dogs both in the park being social and also at home (we moved back into mums!) with the other 4 dogs who live there, these being 3 Toy Poodles and Pendle the yorkie. Due to Izzie's size the poodles often find themselves being trodden on by Izzie the giant, however recently after a few tellings off by them she has stopped jumping around and plays nicely, well the puppy version of nicely as mums 3 poodles are all puppies too, poor Pendle has a lot to live with!

*Temperament*

Izzie's temperament and Cavaliers in general are extremely friendly and loving dogs, I have not met a Cavalier yet who hasn't wagged its tail and tried to give me a wash! They're tails never stop and they are always pleased to see people!

*Lifetime*

Izzie is still only 9 months old and hopefully according to my research I will have her for a good 12 to 15 years, which in my eyes is a good lifetime for a dog however not long enough for me as I want my dogs to live as long as I do!

*Health*

As with all breeds Cavaliers do have their fair share if not more than their fair share of health problems. Prone to ear and throat problems Spaniels can run up quite a large vets bill with ears and throat alone, however the breed is also known for having heart problems (more common among males according to my vet) and also for hip and eye problems to name just a few, my advice would be make sure the breeder you get your puppy from is a registered breeder, go to the kennel club for a list if you are unsure, make sure you get pedigree papers and see both parents where possible and question the breeder on any health problems they may know of, if they are a good breeder they will tell you as they will be more interested in the welfare of the dog than the sale of it!

Izzie hasn't had any major problems since I had her other than a trip to the vets for extreme diorreah when she decided to raid my little bros room for sweets and it upset her delicate little tummy!

*Eating Habits*

Izzie will eat anything and I mean ANYTHING! She will eat her dog food for breakfast and tea, but also be quite happy to finish off my food... if I would let her, however I don't as I read in my research that due to their massive appetites cavaliers can get very overweight, very easy and very fast! So no scraps of food are heading Izzie's way I'm afraid!

*Is this the Dog for you?*

As with any pet I would say do your own research to be sure this dog is really what you want as every owner has different needs and circumstances, however I can tell you that once you get over the fact that these dogs can out-snore any human they are loving, friendly, lap dogs, they are fantastic with children and make a great family pet as well as a great companion dog.

I love my Izzie to bits and wouldn't dream of spending a day without her in my life!

Please Note: I am also on Dooyoo as loulou22 so this isnt a copy if it appears on there in that name! :)