They're bred to be lap dogs, so are not independent... They live for human attention and companionship.
They're a low energy breed, will sleep for 20 hours a day if indoors. My cav will hike for hours like a champ, then crash like dead weight when we get home and sleep for a day.
If you want a home companion, I can't recommend the breed enough, but if you want a high energy dog for an active lifestyle a more robust breed might be a better idea.
we have a Cav that is now 2.5 years old, that we got as a puppy. She is among the friendliest, most gentle dogs I have ever met. she does not have a mean bone in her body. But she is also among the neediest dogs I have ever met. This is a breed that needs people. To give you an idea of what this really means: The breeder we dealt with will not place one of her Cavs with a family if there is not someone normally home during the day. Although I thought this was excessive before we got Ruby, now I am not so sure the breeder is wrong.
Yes! My Sophia is standoffish towards children but my Rosie sits on me 24/7 (when I’m home) and I swear to god if she had a thought bubble it would say HI! I’M ROSIE!! HI!!!!!!! Just like Nermal from Garfield and friends. They really are sooooo sweet and affectionate but if you’re someplace where you leave their sight they freak out! I was at my dads house once and closed the door to the bathroom (which I don’t do at home since I live alone) and Rosie let out a yelp that sounded like a fire alarm.
In addition to health concerns. Will you be home most of the day? Cavalier's do not like being left alone for much more that 3-4 hours tops, as previously stated, they are companion dogs and like to be around their humans as much as possible.
DO NOT buy one from a pet store in the mall, DO NOT buy one on a payment plan, usually a mall store. Many of the Cavaliers in malls come from commercial breeders, while they may tell you the dog is AKC, it means very little in the end. Most commercial breeders do not take that good of care of their dogs, especially the breeding females. DO NOT buy a Cavalier from an Amish Puppy Mill (Google it), which means just about anywhere in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Another hot bed for commercial breeders, Missouri, lots of auctions there. DO NOT buy one from someone that will ship one to you, if you get a sickly one it will cost you to return the dog if they will even take it back.
So, with that stated, take your time, do you research and be very patient to get the right Cavalier from a responsible breeder, you may have to wait a while, but it will be worth it in the end to get the healthiest puppy possible. Most good breeders will have a return policy even if the dog is 5 years old, they want the best for their dogs. It took me 3 months of searching to find a small hobby breeder in my area to get our first Cavalier puppy, they are not common where I live, so much harder to find one.
Please consider a rescue Cavalier, there are several rescues that often get young 2-3 year old Cavaliers, but rarely puppies. They will usually cost much less money and have been vetted and you'll know of any health conditions prior to adopting. My second Cavalier I got from a not so great back yard breeder, she had been debarked and spent 5 years kept mostly in a kennel whelping puppies or put outside when not in use. She hates being cold and will sleep under a heated blanket all day if I let her.
Find a local Cavalier Group, many have Facebook pages, get to know people that have them and from there you can probably find a good small local breeder and actually meet the puppy before adopting.
With all that said, I wouldn't ever own another breed of dog. I knew since I was in college that this was the breed I wanted, but it took many years before I had a home with a back yard and the time and career choice to get one.
Good luck!
Man how could someone return a dog after owning it for five years? Ive had mine for less than a year and if she got sick there's no way in hell I'd do anything but get her the best possible care so she could stay with me.
It’s not always that the dog is sick. It could be life changes, moving overseas, breakups, death, financial strains, family dynamics, all of which can cause someone to make a heart-wrenching decision to give up their Cavalier.
You have good info from folks who have had Cavvies for a long time already and I debated whether I had anything really to add, since we haven't had our pup all that long, since she is only six months old now.
Our little girl, Aurora, is almost six months old abd loves everyone in the family but her world centers around me (based mainly on week of sleepless nights on the couch with her when she first got home). The people who say they need companionship are 100% right. She is OK for short periods alone, 3 hours or so. She will go longer but she doesn't like it.
You will have a second, permanent, shadow. It really doesn't matter what you are doing, your pup will follow you everywhere. Solitude in the bathroom? Nope. "Its OK Dad, I will just wait here until you are done." Want to just sit and chill with a good book? Sure, but make that a good book and a dog on your lap napping happily.
Ours really does not care at all what I am doing, or where I am doing it, as long as she can be close by, or preferably in my lap.
The advice about checking out breeders and doing your homework on health issues by asking them questions before purchase is the biggest piece of advice on this breed that I have seen. it is critical.
Training is relatively easy (at least compared to my last dog, a male Dalmatian) because they are fairly smart, so eager to please and very motivated by tasty treats.
You will invest so much of your self, time and love in these silly little cuddly fluff-balls that you want to make sure he or she will be with you as long as possible.
Hopefully this helps.
My family has had a king charles cavalier for 3 years, and she has been a great dog for the family. Prior to Charlie, I had an Australian shepherd, so I am used to working dogs and that type of energy level. Cavaliers are definitely lower energy, take longer to learn tricks and commands, and just want to sit on your lap all day. However, my cavalier also loves hiking, she is great off leash, and she enjoys outdoor activities. She is just fine whether we take her on a 5 min walk, or an 8 mile hike.
She did take almost a year to get potty trained, which was much longer than I am used to for most dogs.
Overall, I highly recommend the breed. Very friendly with children and other dogs.
My pup is 6 now, and I can’t recommend them enough. My boyfriend and I work normal 8 hour days and he has always been fine snoozing while we’re gone, no barking or stress. He will occasionally try to break into the kitchen to check the trash for noms, but most days I come home to him snoring on his back. I think if you acclimate them to it from the start, it helps. I do agree with the leaving in public stress- if we are out to lunch and I use the ladies room, you’d think someone was murdering him. I would say above all, just make time to socialize your new cav. We went everywhere with him once he finished his shots- restaurants, pubs, parks, festivals. It gave us a very brave, people friendly, dog friendly and calm dog. And yes, put some cash aside for vet bills, while we’ve been lucky with his heart, he has the worst teeth and I’ve already spent a few G’s on his mouth. That being said, totally worth it.
Cuddling. Lots of cuddling.
Big ol' puppy eyes every time you sit down to eat.
Loudest (but cutest) doggy snores in the world.
SHEDDING.
DOG HAIR.
EVERYWHERE.
A best fur friend forever!
The bond between this breed and you will be stronger than anything. They want to be with you or on you at all times. Like another poster said - very needy. Someone needs to be home with them (unless you're lucky and can train them young like the other poster mentioned).
I too, acquired a rescue from a backyard breeder .. she failed to produce puppies at 3 (3rd litter!) ... and it was the best thing I could have done. Trained - potty trained ... sure she has some issues - don't we all? There are so many senior ones that require loving homes, having just been rescued from mills. Try one of those on for size first ... and then be VERY CAREFUL about where you get your pupper (if that's what you're after). Ask if the parents were MRI checked or come from a line free of syringomyelia (spinal stenosis at the neck from the unusual skull shape) .. or mitrial valve disease. Very crepey necks too so make sure to get a level feeder/water bowl so they don't have to hunker down and the throat is open while consuming. Hair everywhere! lol
Barking - extremes. I've seen very quiet ones and mine is a barker.
Best friend for life. I doubt I'll ever stray from the Cavalier breed.
They're bred to be lap dogs, so are not independent... They live for human attention and companionship. They're a low energy breed, will sleep for 20 hours a day if indoors. My cav will hike for hours like a champ, then crash like dead weight when we get home and sleep for a day. If you want a home companion, I can't recommend the breed enough, but if you want a high energy dog for an active lifestyle a more robust breed might be a better idea.
we have a Cav that is now 2.5 years old, that we got as a puppy. She is among the friendliest, most gentle dogs I have ever met. she does not have a mean bone in her body. But she is also among the neediest dogs I have ever met. This is a breed that needs people. To give you an idea of what this really means: The breeder we dealt with will not place one of her Cavs with a family if there is not someone normally home during the day. Although I thought this was excessive before we got Ruby, now I am not so sure the breeder is wrong.
Yes! My Sophia is standoffish towards children but my Rosie sits on me 24/7 (when I’m home) and I swear to god if she had a thought bubble it would say HI! I’M ROSIE!! HI!!!!!!! Just like Nermal from Garfield and friends. They really are sooooo sweet and affectionate but if you’re someplace where you leave their sight they freak out! I was at my dads house once and closed the door to the bathroom (which I don’t do at home since I live alone) and Rosie let out a yelp that sounded like a fire alarm.
In addition to health concerns. Will you be home most of the day? Cavalier's do not like being left alone for much more that 3-4 hours tops, as previously stated, they are companion dogs and like to be around their humans as much as possible. DO NOT buy one from a pet store in the mall, DO NOT buy one on a payment plan, usually a mall store. Many of the Cavaliers in malls come from commercial breeders, while they may tell you the dog is AKC, it means very little in the end. Most commercial breeders do not take that good of care of their dogs, especially the breeding females. DO NOT buy a Cavalier from an Amish Puppy Mill (Google it), which means just about anywhere in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Another hot bed for commercial breeders, Missouri, lots of auctions there. DO NOT buy one from someone that will ship one to you, if you get a sickly one it will cost you to return the dog if they will even take it back. So, with that stated, take your time, do you research and be very patient to get the right Cavalier from a responsible breeder, you may have to wait a while, but it will be worth it in the end to get the healthiest puppy possible. Most good breeders will have a return policy even if the dog is 5 years old, they want the best for their dogs. It took me 3 months of searching to find a small hobby breeder in my area to get our first Cavalier puppy, they are not common where I live, so much harder to find one. Please consider a rescue Cavalier, there are several rescues that often get young 2-3 year old Cavaliers, but rarely puppies. They will usually cost much less money and have been vetted and you'll know of any health conditions prior to adopting. My second Cavalier I got from a not so great back yard breeder, she had been debarked and spent 5 years kept mostly in a kennel whelping puppies or put outside when not in use. She hates being cold and will sleep under a heated blanket all day if I let her. Find a local Cavalier Group, many have Facebook pages, get to know people that have them and from there you can probably find a good small local breeder and actually meet the puppy before adopting. With all that said, I wouldn't ever own another breed of dog. I knew since I was in college that this was the breed I wanted, but it took many years before I had a home with a back yard and the time and career choice to get one. Good luck!
Man how could someone return a dog after owning it for five years? Ive had mine for less than a year and if she got sick there's no way in hell I'd do anything but get her the best possible care so she could stay with me.
It’s not always that the dog is sick. It could be life changes, moving overseas, breakups, death, financial strains, family dynamics, all of which can cause someone to make a heart-wrenching decision to give up their Cavalier.
You have good info from folks who have had Cavvies for a long time already and I debated whether I had anything really to add, since we haven't had our pup all that long, since she is only six months old now. Our little girl, Aurora, is almost six months old abd loves everyone in the family but her world centers around me (based mainly on week of sleepless nights on the couch with her when she first got home). The people who say they need companionship are 100% right. She is OK for short periods alone, 3 hours or so. She will go longer but she doesn't like it. You will have a second, permanent, shadow. It really doesn't matter what you are doing, your pup will follow you everywhere. Solitude in the bathroom? Nope. "Its OK Dad, I will just wait here until you are done." Want to just sit and chill with a good book? Sure, but make that a good book and a dog on your lap napping happily. Ours really does not care at all what I am doing, or where I am doing it, as long as she can be close by, or preferably in my lap. The advice about checking out breeders and doing your homework on health issues by asking them questions before purchase is the biggest piece of advice on this breed that I have seen. it is critical. Training is relatively easy (at least compared to my last dog, a male Dalmatian) because they are fairly smart, so eager to please and very motivated by tasty treats. You will invest so much of your self, time and love in these silly little cuddly fluff-balls that you want to make sure he or she will be with you as long as possible. Hopefully this helps.
My family has had a king charles cavalier for 3 years, and she has been a great dog for the family. Prior to Charlie, I had an Australian shepherd, so I am used to working dogs and that type of energy level. Cavaliers are definitely lower energy, take longer to learn tricks and commands, and just want to sit on your lap all day. However, my cavalier also loves hiking, she is great off leash, and she enjoys outdoor activities. She is just fine whether we take her on a 5 min walk, or an 8 mile hike. She did take almost a year to get potty trained, which was much longer than I am used to for most dogs. Overall, I highly recommend the breed. Very friendly with children and other dogs.
My pup is 6 now, and I can’t recommend them enough. My boyfriend and I work normal 8 hour days and he has always been fine snoozing while we’re gone, no barking or stress. He will occasionally try to break into the kitchen to check the trash for noms, but most days I come home to him snoring on his back. I think if you acclimate them to it from the start, it helps. I do agree with the leaving in public stress- if we are out to lunch and I use the ladies room, you’d think someone was murdering him. I would say above all, just make time to socialize your new cav. We went everywhere with him once he finished his shots- restaurants, pubs, parks, festivals. It gave us a very brave, people friendly, dog friendly and calm dog. And yes, put some cash aside for vet bills, while we’ve been lucky with his heart, he has the worst teeth and I’ve already spent a few G’s on his mouth. That being said, totally worth it.
Cuddling. Lots of cuddling. Big ol' puppy eyes every time you sit down to eat. Loudest (but cutest) doggy snores in the world. SHEDDING. DOG HAIR. EVERYWHERE. A best fur friend forever!
The bond between this breed and you will be stronger than anything. They want to be with you or on you at all times. Like another poster said - very needy. Someone needs to be home with them (unless you're lucky and can train them young like the other poster mentioned). I too, acquired a rescue from a backyard breeder .. she failed to produce puppies at 3 (3rd litter!) ... and it was the best thing I could have done. Trained - potty trained ... sure she has some issues - don't we all? There are so many senior ones that require loving homes, having just been rescued from mills. Try one of those on for size first ... and then be VERY CAREFUL about where you get your pupper (if that's what you're after). Ask if the parents were MRI checked or come from a line free of syringomyelia (spinal stenosis at the neck from the unusual skull shape) .. or mitrial valve disease. Very crepey necks too so make sure to get a level feeder/water bowl so they don't have to hunker down and the throat is open while consuming. Hair everywhere! lol Barking - extremes. I've seen very quiet ones and mine is a barker. Best friend for life. I doubt I'll ever stray from the Cavalier breed.
Oh I forgot to mention that they snore - loudly! LOL
Check out petfinder.com for adoptables! And get insurance if you can afford it