MIL is about to inherit a Cavvie, what should she know, good and bad?!

[YoureBreakingMyHeartCecilia]

Inheriting it from a friend who can no longer look after it. I think it’s about 2 or 3 years old.

MIL is early 70s and in good physical (not great mental) health.

Small flat with a bit of outside space, near a park.

She will be a doting owner, that’s the one guarantee!!

But is this a bad idea?! She’s owned dogs before and honestly I think this one could be so good for her as she’s lonely and needs the companionship. But are they easy, as breeds go? I mean obviously they need exercise and love and stimulation. But are they big barkers? Aggressive with people they don’t know? (Our 7 year old DD will have quite a lot of interaction with the dog, she’s very good with dogs and loves them but I worry that as the primary owner is my MIL and previous owner was elderly the little dog might not be used to kids and might get stressed/snappy)

Are they nice dogs, usually?

I’m so hopeful and excited that this could give MIL a real structure and companionship that she badly lacks. But I worry too she might be biting off more than she can chew (no pun intended) as she hasn’t owned a dog for many years and tends to be neurotic about, well, everything... if CKCS are a laid-back breed that will help...!!

This sounds like a good prospect for DMIL - past the puppy / teenage stage but still young enough for a good runaround, nice temperament, known history etc. It's the sort of dog that would be snapped up in a rescue centre. It's unlikely that she would ever find a better prospect through rescue tbh.

If the dog has seen the vet for any health complaints, expect those to be excluded from a new policy, BUT

• it may be possible to transfer the policy from the old owner, thus keeping coverage of pre-existing conditions
• I inherited Ddog in very similar circumstances (bit murkier tbh, but also from a friend who couldn't keep him). PetPlan seemed to accept that he didn't have any complaints that I knew about and so there are no exclusions on his policy. What I said was true, but they never asked for proof. It's not going to work if the dog is already receiving ongoing treatment for a complaint (doesn't sound like it though) but otherwise it seems likely that would cause something of a clean slate, particularly if you simply register with a new vets.

Make sure you pick an insurer - such as PetPlan - which doesn't bump up premiums each time you claim. PetPlan raises premiums with age, but not with claims. Take out a lifetime (NOT annual) policy for the maximum available.

There will be a 14 day exclusion period at the start of the policy during which you're paying the premiums but you can't actually claim. Don't take the dog to the vet for anything non-urgent during that time! Obviously if it's something which can't wait then go, but you don't want them to go looking for things like heart murmurs during that time.

There's no point doing any handwringing over the ethical side of CKCS and their health problems - the dog is already here and your DMIL isn't going to be creating any demand for new puppies.

Thanks so much everyone!!