What Are The Ups And Downs Of Owning A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
Posted by: Alan in Cat Health Problem, tags: Cavalier, Charles, Downs, King, Owning, Spaniel, What
We MIGHT be looking for another puppy, and I’ve always loved Cavies. The Sheltie we have now was horribly bred (allergies, weight issues; possibly thyroids, possible hip problems, and on top of that, lyme disease), and we’re weary of getting another purebred. We would love a mutt, but you just don’t see mutt puppies around anymore.
Soo, I was thinking about before our Sheltie, when I really wanted a Cavalier! My mom was concerned about their health risks (the heart mostly). How often do you see things go wrong with these guys?
How are they as family pets? How much exercise do they need? How would they get along with cats, horses, and another dog? Kids? Grooming requirements? Are they prone to barking (one HUGE thing we wish our Sheltie wouldn’t do!!)? Chasing cars or people down the street (you can tell I have a herding dog!)? Can they run around freely in the yard (without a fence or leash)? Will they listen to you when you call them (when taught)? How hard are they to housebreak? What are some common behavior problems in this breed? How much $ do they usually go for (in the US)?
Over here, we have a big house, a good amount of land to run around on. Although we aren’t regular with exercise, we take the horses on good, long trail rides and our dog runs along. We do supervise them when outside, but our dog is pretty attached to the house (besides occasionally chasing cars and people down the road). We provide sufficient food and water, and plenty of toys to play with. They are allowed on the couch and bed, but not on tables and stuff, obviously.
So basically, we’re looking for a loyal, loving family pet to get along with everyone, that doesn’t require a TON of maintenance. We loveee our doggie right now, but she is driving us nuts and needs a buddy, haha.
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February 1st, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Ok, you have a lot of questions so I will try to answer in order
They are moderately active but can do very well even in an apartment. I would advise walking (any breed) for a min of 20 min a day just to kill boredom and help burn off extra energy. If you have a large yard for them to run that is awesome but better yet is a fenced one! Not big barkers at all! I have 8 in the house and they hardly bark ever…If our pigs are out they will bark, if someone comes to the door they all sit by the door with waggin tails! (no barking but I taught them this way too) Yes, a Cav is prone to chase. Some moreso than others but they do retain some of their early hunting instict. Fenced yard is best to keep your cavy safe. Yes, they catch on very easy and can be taught to mind pretty good. But sometimes that drive to chase the bird overcomes their obediance. Leashed is best and all dogs vary. Most of mine will recall immediately no matter what the situation. Again early bonding and training is VERY important! Average as far as housebreaking. I find large breeds to housebreak quicker than small breeds but amongst the toy breeds the Cav is real good. I suggest crate training and you shouldn’t have too many problems. Common behavioral problems? Seperation anxiety! This is NOT a breed for someone who will be gone 8hrs a day! They were bred to be a companion animal and simply not happy alone. Average price for a well bred Cavalier is 1500 or higher. I have seen them as low as 1000 and as high as 2000 for a pet quality Cav. (meaning limited papers)
Health risks are apparent with this breed. Your best bet is to purchase from a good Cav breeder who does health testing (& is willing to show you the papers) and provides at least a 2yr warranty. There are Cav bloodlines well know and sought after by breeders for their healthy hearts so if you stick with good bloodlines you would be better off. MVD is the major one but eyes and knees are important to also be certified for. Mitral valve will cause a heart murmer and ultimately congestive heart failure. Several breeds and a large majority of small breeds do, in fact, end up with congestive heart failure as they age. The problem with Cavs is they are prone to get it at a young age. So selectively picking your pup and breeder is very important.
AWESOME family pets. You really cannot go wrong with a Cavalier if you love to snuggle and be drowned in kisses
I have several horses and my Cavy’s ignore them. Except if our miniature gets out they think they can chase her back in. They too follow along when we go riding. Cars and Cavys don’t mix tho…they NEVER become street smart. I would be a bit concerned with your current dog teaching a new pup bad habits of chasing cares etc tho. Great dog overall, very loyal. My favorite thing about them is the fact they are a family dog and not a one person dog. Hard to come by with a small breed. They get along wonderfully with other pets and dogs and are extremely gentle with children. Cavy’s meet no strangers, they simply love everyone. Some might consider this a personality flaw! My mom is not a dog person and certainly does not appreciate my lil pack greeting her excitedly…so they must be taught to back off of people and not smother them!
Hope this answers all of your questions!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Cavaliers are WONDERFUL! I love them because they are sweet-tempered, small, loyal, beautiful, and so innocent looking!
Type in “Cavalier King Charles Spaniels” on google and you will get TONS of sites with a lot of helpful information. You could also join a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel forum. That will definately help a lot!
You can easily adopt one from your local shelter or petfinder.com. They are inexpensive, spayed/neutered, and updated on shots. You also save a life!
I hope this helps and best of luck!!
February 1st, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Any dog you own is what you make it. It takes work and commitment to any breed of dog. Barking why people dont think a dog should bark or they hate it is crazy the dog cant talk. Go to dog breeds and they have every breed pros and cons of the breed good luck
February 1st, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Although he’s born to be a companion, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel retains the sporty nature of his spaniel ancestors. If he’s not sitting on a lap or getting a belly rub, nothing makes him happier than to flush a bird and then attempt to retrieve it. One of the largest of the toy breeds, he’s often as athletic as a true sporting breed and enjoys hiking, running on the beach, and dog sports such as agility, flyball and rally. Some have even shown their prowess as hunting dogs. The more restful members of the breed find success as family friends and therapy dogs.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:40 am
Cavies arent my personal favourites BUT they are very nice dogs… MY friend has one, most well natured dogs pretty much ever!!
ok so to answer your questions….
They dont need too much exercise
Yeah they are fine with most other household pets
They may yap a little when the doorbell rings etc
Im not really sure about about the other ones!! :/ Sorry!
Wow your house sounds INSAAANE perfect place for a dog to live LUXURY!!!
haha GOOD LUCK!!!
p.s wish i was a dog in your house LOL!!