Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy

[BoboChic]

Met potential new puppy this afternoon. Seems adorable. One of my best friends is thinking of taking on her sister, so we would be bringing the two of them up together :) with daily playdates etc.

Why not? Please tell me about them.

[tabulahrasa]

Lovely dogs, riddled with health problems...take out good insurance.

[weaselwords]

Great tempered little dogs, but walking vet bills.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Read up on the health issues of this breed before taking on and price up good Heath insurance.

[villainousbroodmare]

What the others said.
But they are sweet as.

[CMOTDibbler]

Are they from an accredited breeder?

[ginmakesitallok]

Lovely wee dogs, but agree that insurance is a must. Lots are puppy farmed.

[whattheseithakasmean]

My adored CKCS lived until the age of 13 & never needed the vet his entire life until his last few months. He was a real wee character & I still miss him everyday. If they come from a good breeder, they are the most wonderful little dogs.

[TheoriginalLEM]

Definately insure him, and with one of the better insurance companies. Look up Mitral Valve insufficiency.

[BoboChic]

They're from a family who've bred for fun (for the second time). Very lovely parents and home. Definitely not from a puppy farm.

[TheoriginalLEM]

makes for difficult reading but i would really think about this and ensure that you buy from a really good breeder that can give you all health details of both parents.

[TheoriginalLEM]

That said, they are lovely lovely little dogs who's little heads fit perfectly into the palm of your hand for stroking. Great temprements but i'd be waiting for that first cough :(

[ginmakesitallok]

Bred for fun? Bred for fun????? Fuck sake!

[TheoriginalLEM]

Bobo - i hate to be a naysayer but id be very wary if they are not experienced breeders as they will not have had the relevant testing done. Backyard breeders are often as bad as puppy farmers in terms of outcomes.

[Littledafty]

Grew up with them. Had father and son laterally. Both ended up on heart pills, the vet used to say they had hearts like sieves. Very expensive for the last few years of their lives. Both lived until 12 years old. Bought from a very reputable breeder who knew the breed extremely well.
Very much loved and great characters but oh my word they were greedy!
If I had a choice I probably wouldn't get one again purely because of all the health problems they had in later life. Whoever said they'd be waiting for the first cough had it spot on.

[insan1tyscartching]

Dh's family had an ex Crufts champion and one of the puppies he sired. They were lovely dogs but they were often at the vets once they got past being young dogs.
Don't know whether they were typical but they shed a huge amount of hair for small dogs.

[Wolfiefan]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read up on the health issues. They can be lovely little dogs but you face the possibility of massive bills and losing your pet young.
I have seen a gorgeous pup in rescue but don't think I could face this.

[BoboChic]

There's no issue with the health background of the parents - we have all that.

[Wombat87]

And the hair. God the hair. Are you precious about moulting hair? They must be kept well groomed or clipped short. Beautiful little dogs. I'd like to think most people with dogs have insurance as part of the package... But definitely with this breed. Be careful you don't end up with an insurance that only pays out once or has a maximum cap per condition. If you're confused (cause God knows I was) I'm happy to PM you my insurer - 2 dogs with mast cell tumours and potentially devastating results if I hadn't been pointed in the right direction

[tabulahrasa]

"There's no issue with the health background of the parents - we have all that."

Clear heart and eye test certificates from this year and clear MRI scans? and parents and grandparents all clear up to old age as well?

[Bubble2bubble]

They are lovely dogs, but sadly 'bred for fun'=bred for money

cavaliercampaign.com/buying-a-cavalier-puppy/

[PoppyBlossom]

They've always been a dream dog for me, so I can understand the appeal, but I've never felt comfortable with the level of health problems and putting myself or the little dog through that.

Have to agree with bubble too, bred for fun is a small scale puppy farmer.

[BoboChic]

Not bred for money - the puppies are being given away. Only vet fees to be refunded.

[Bubble2bubble]

I can't understand why anyone would do that, but that's a whole other thread really :)

[Costacoffeeplease]

God it just gets worse - bred for fun and being given away - poor pups

[Wolfiefan]

Bred for fun and given away means no health checks. Next we will hear the parents were related to each other.