Cavalier Info

The Canadian Kennel Club has good information on dogs of all breeds as does its American counterpart the American Kennel Club. The web site Cavalier Central, which also serves as home for the Cavalier King Charles Club of Canada, and Cavalier Connection have great up-to-date Cavalier specific information. Cavaliers Online has a wonderful site with exceptionally good information on health issues pertaining to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Canadian Show Dogs has a really comprehensive site and listings of upcoming events and registered breeders. Check out the Canadian Show Dogs Yahoo Group too.

Also for us Canadians, please visit Canada's Guide to Dogs. Our Tannus is the banner dog for the Cavalier section of this site. Check out our pretty boy here.

Research everything you can about the breed of dog you are interested in. Be absolutely sure that the temperament and lifestyle of the breed you have chosen is compatible with your own. Be sure that you are in a position to provide a FOREVER HOME for the dog you bring home. A dog should be a member of your family and NOT something that you consider disposable.

I would encourage you to meet the parents of any puppy that you are considering. You learn a lot about the quality of the dog from seeing where it has been bred and raised.

READ the "Puppy Buyers Guide"

I do not sell puppies to homes where I have not met the new owners. If you are in the Central Alberta area I would encourage you to make an appointment to come and see our dogs. We can answer a lot of your questions then.

As you may have noticed, there tends to be long lines of people waiting for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Even though a breeder may have a puppy available it might not be the right puppy for you. We breeders take a lot of time screening homes for our puppies and try to place a puppy in the best home for its temperament.

Cavaliers all tend to be open loving dogs. They are happiest when with their people. They are quite happy to be doing whatever you are doing ... sitting on the couch .. or out for a walk. They just want to be with you.

It has been said the female Cavaliers all LOVE you and that the male Cavaliers are IN LOVE WITH YOU. This has certainly been our experience.

They are not a dog that does well alone for long hours each day. They are very unhappy if they are crated or kennelled for long periods of time. They should NEVER be yelled at and CERTAINLY NEVER struck. You can completely ruin a wonderful dog by hitting it or even yelling at it. They should always be trained using ONLY positive reinforcement.

Cavaliers have absolutely no road sense and should NEVER be outside of their fenced yard without a leash. They are easily distracted and can take off after a squirrel or a butterfly and loose their way very quickly. I've seen our female Tara pull the leash out of my hand and literally climb a tree trying to get at a squirrel.

As a potential owner you should be aware that there are very serious genetic health problems in most Cavalier lines. Mitral Valve Disease affects the heart and is a disease that breeders are working very hard on eliminating from the breed. They are also prone to eye problems and as most other dogs, their hips and patellas should also be checked regularly. They are also know to develop diabetes. See Our Cavalier Health page for more detailed information.

There are several things that you as an owner can do to reduce the risk of health problems.

1. Their diet should be strictly controlled and they should never be allowed to overeat. An overweight Cavalier is much more likely to develop Mitral Valve disease than one that is within the recommended weight guidelines.
2. As with humans, overeating can bring on Diabetes as well.
3. Keep their teeth brushed and clean. The bacteria found in the mouth has been linked to triggering Mitral Valve disease. If they must have their teeth cleaned by a vet, there should be a course of antibiotics administered prior to the procedure.
4. Vaccines should only be administered when needed and NEVER combined.
   Read A New Approach to Vaccination of the Canine, by Leanne Bertani, MD, for a good introduction to this subject.
   Yearly vaccination is not required and each vaccine has been proven effective for a specific minimum period of time. Over vaccination and combining vaccines has been shown to be a potential trigger of Mitral Valve Disease in Cavaliers Please read the "Report of the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force: 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, Recommendations, and Supporting Literature." Also J Dodds Vaccination Protocol should help in answering your questions about vaccinating your Cavalier.

OFA

- Orthopedic Foundation For Animals
Maintains complete info on Hips, Elbows, Thyroid, and Congenital Heart Diseases

CERF

- Canine Eye Registration Foundation
Maintains complete info on inheritable eye diseases

All our dogs (over one year of age) have been checked Heart Clear by a Canine Cardiologist (OFA) within the past 12 months. They have also been tested by a Canine Ophthalmologist (CERF) within the last year. We test for hips (OFA) at the age of two. We do not retest for hips every year.

Our Cavalier puppies are all guaranteed to two years of age, against any genetic defects.

I hope that I have answered some of your questions.
If you have additional questions please feel free to contact us.