Looking for a Cavalier?

In the US, the dog should be registered with the AKC and/or the CKCSC (original, parent the club of the breed in the US). They might also be UKC reg. for the owner to participate in obedience or agility, but beware of ones ONLY UKC registered or the illegit registries like Rare Breed, Continental Kennel Club, FIC, North American Purebred Dog Registry, Krystle Kennel Club, Dog Registry of America, APR, or others cropping up every day. Usually these people have lost CKCSC and/or AKC privileges. (In Canada, the dog would be registered with the Canadian Kennel Club. In England with The Kennel Club.)

Do not deal with someone USDA registered. These are commercial breeding farms, commonly referred to as puppy mills. Do not buy from a pet store. They are almost always supplied by puppy mills, no matter what they say. It is against the Code of Ethics of the Cavalier Club to sell to a broker or pet store, or to supply a dog for an auction or raffle.

Buy the breeder first and then the dog. You want someone experienced and knowledgeable who you will be comfortable with for the lifetime of the dog. They should be there to answer questions, help with training, etc. They will want to know of any problems you are having and will require you to notify them if you are unable at any time for any reason to keep the dog.

Ask as many questions of the breeder as a reputable one will be asking you--where the puppies were raised, what the breeder did to socialize them, what clubs the breeder belongs to, why this particular breeding was done, what good points these dogs have, what their bad points are. If the parents are not being shown (and winning!) ask who evaluated them as breeding quality--besides the breeder!! Be comfortable with the answers you get.

Ask many questions BEFORE deciding whether to even go meet a breeder/see puppies so you don't make an impulse purchase (which is what keeps dogs in pet stores.)

Be sure and see certificates of health testing on parents. The appropriate ones for Cavaliers:

HEART--The latest research presented at the International Heart Symposium in May 98 says sire and dam should be at least 2.5 years of age and heart cleared by a CARDIOLOGIST within the previous year (not just regular vet). THEIR parents should still be heart clear at age 5. Mitral valve disease is a major concern in the breed.

EYES--Sire and dam should have a current (within the last year) CERF test by an OPTHAMOLOGIST (this also cannot be a regular vet). CERF results can be viewed on the OFA website www.offa.org/cerfdata.html. OR at the CERF site here www.vet.purdue.edu/~yshen/cerf.html

PATELLAE--Luxating, or slipping, patellae, or kneecaps, are a common problem in toy breeds, including Cavaliers. A (regular) vet needs to check sire dam before breeding. Certification can also come from the OFA.

HIPS--hip dysplasia DOES happen in small dogs. Approx. 11% of Cavalier x-rays submitted to the OFA show hip dysplasia and since the really bad ones are never sent in, they estimate as much as 1/3 possibly have HD. An x-ray is taken by a regular vet and sent to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for a grading of excellent, good, fair, borderline, or degrees of dysplasia. A regular vet does NOT read the x-ray--it must go to the OFA.

The OFA website has some excellent info and you can check the status on any dog WHO HAS PASSED. www.offa.org.

If possible see the parents, or at least the mother. Be sure the mother has a good temperament. She will influence the puppies more than the father.

Red flags-- "I have any color, male or female available right now," "The whole litter is show quality," "The testing is not reliable," "If you don't trust my word, I don't want to deal with you," "My line has no problems."

Good reading--Cavalier books by Barbara Garnett Smith, John Evans, Bruce Fields, Sheila Smith, and an excellent one by D. Caroline Coile (the last a small paperback). Other good ones, not specifically Cavalier are "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With" by Rutherford and Neil, "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons, "Super Puppy" by PeterVollmer and "Social Graces" by Margery West.

Contacts-- Cavalier Rescue (for a shelter, found, or pre-owned Cavalier) Linda Kornhi at cavlady@mindspring.com. There are also regional chairs. Tell us your area.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club for a packet of info and breeders 513-831-6755. You can also email at Sumara@aol.com The breeders have not been screened--that is up to you.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club USA at www.ckcsc.org

The Cavalier Connection online magazine www.ckcs.com

Join us for Chat on Sunday mornings at 1 PM Eastern time and Thursday evenings at 8 PM Eastern time. A link will be posted from the Pet Care board.. (This is AOL only.)

The Cavalier comes in four accepted colors--ruby (solid red), Blenheim (red and white), black and tan, and tri color (black and white with tan markings). They are 12-13 inches at the shoulder and 12-18 lbs. They are indoor, in your face dogs, and YES, they lick and they DO SHED.

Linda Elliot, Springfield MO
Schoolhouse Cavaliers (conformation, obedience, agility, pet therapy)