I think we're getting a puppy this weekend...

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

Going to meet him on Sunday. He's a 5 month old Cavalier King Charles spaniel called Harry. The breeder had planned to keep him for shows/breeding, but he doesn't quite might the standard (too big, apparently), so she's looking for a family home for him.

He looks absolutely adorable and I'm so excited. I won't lie, it's an added bonus that the breeder has done a lot of the hard work in getting him housetrained, etc, though I'm expecting to have to do a bit of work on this with a change of home.

Just hope he and the breeder like us as much as I'm sure we'll like him! 🥰🐶😍

You are obviously excited and I don’t want to be negative, but. Tread carefully. The breeder may well have decided not to “run him on” because he’s too big for breed standard. OR, it could be because he has some of the well documented health issues associated with cavaliers (hips/eyes/heart) Make sure he has had all the relevant heath checks (cavs aren’t my speciality but you can check with a local vet what tests should have been done) as well as both his parents. And at 20 weeks he really won’t be very well trained in anything, you will have to do it all.

Also breeders don't keep male dogs, they keep bitches.

Well, I've had dogs before, though only adult rescues, and they've been pretty challenging, so I'm prepared for what he might throw at us.

The breeder was planning to show him, I think.

Piiiiiiiicccccssss! 🐶

I promise to flood this thread with photos if we get him!

Do you trust the breeder op? How did you find out about them?

They're on Champ Dogs, KC registered, and their dogs have a long pedigree. Obviously if I see anything dodgy on Sunday I'll walk away, but having chatted with her a couple of times there were no alarm bells ringing.

Good luck 🤞🏻 I hope it works out for you.

Bless you!

What an odd thing to say, of course breeders keep males - who do you think keeps the stud dogs?

Hope your puppy has the appropriate health tests, OP - am sure he will be delightful.

We've been looking for a dog for ages, have tried all the rescues but keep missing out - small dogs (as we have a small house and garden) that can live with children and cats (we have one, he's fine with dogs) are rarer than unicorn tears and get snatched up so fast. We'd resigned ourselves to signing up to waiting lists for suitable breeders, but Harry just sounds like he'll suit us down to the ground - though we need to watch our socks. Apparently he likes to steal them! 😆

Sorry I really dont want to be that poster but do tread very carefully. 5 months is way too early to decide on a dogs final size so that alone is a flashing red light to me.

I would want some clause that the dog will be vet checked by our vet and the option to return if anything is found.

Though some health issues will need time to see if they are present eg EF or wpisodic failing

Heart needs to be checked .

There are loads of inherited eye conditions in this breed so you need to see the papers confirming that genetic tests have been done on the parents. A good breeder will have done this without any excuses.

Luxating patellas are also a mega issue that would not be that obvious just looking at the dog.

Also Chiari malformation and Syringomyelia (CM/SM) which is incredibly common in this breed - there is screening for this and you need to see the paperwork for the parents that the screening has been carried out. If not walk away as you have a big risk in bringing home a dog that is going to be in pain and early death and (be very costly). The heartache will be horrendous.

I really hope it does work out for you all.

Congrats, enjoy your new bundle of fur! CKCS are such lovely dogs.

@Whitney168 - the people with the bitch keep the puppies, not the people with the intact male.

Keeping intact males and bitches together in the same home is pretty impossible.

And if your dogs don't live in your home, then you're not a breeder, you're a puppy farmer.

Entire, not intact!

Depending on the breed, they may be raised in home or in kennel. People who breed to a standard, show, and cull those puppies/dogs who do not meet the standard physically or medically are not puppy farmers. Before you have a hissy fit, by "cull" I mean pediatric neutering/spaying, limiting registration and selling as pets. Just like the OP has described.

Utter rubbish. Breeders often have dogs in the home and a small kennels to allow for bitches coming into season. etc. Some dogs even prefer to sleep outside! My own dogs breeder has 4 bitches and 1 dog. They all get time in the home, when a bitch is in season the male goes in the front room.

The breeder did mention she'd been getting him used to being away from his sisters, so he doesn't get "stressed" when they go into season.

OP I hope it works out for you. You NEED to check this dog has had the relevant health checks for the breed. Syringomyelia (sp) is a huge issue. As are heart problems.

I'll check all that out when we meet on Sunday.

Will you be changing his name?

Not that it matters to this thread at all, but you're entirely wrong. (I have both here myself, in the house, apart from anything else ...)

Some breeders undoubtedly choose not to keep males, but very many do keep both, I can assure you. I number many of them amongst my very close friends.

Not the breeders I know @Whitney168. But they're people who breed to show, not to make money.

I don't think so, at 5 months I'd assumed it was his name now? Plus Harry is a perfectly nice name.

Back to the point, the puppy that (I assume) the OP is looking at does seem to have some degree of health testing at least. Both parents hereditary clear for EF, Curly Coat and Dry Eye, with eyes unaffected. No mention of heart test though, or MRI for CM/SM, so worth asking about those.

There's a 6-month old wee ruby bitch on there which seems to have a bit more health testing evident.