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! 🥰🐶😍

As are my friends, Clymene, and very successful they are in the show ring too. Perhaps it varies between breeds, but I can assure you in many breeds it is entirely normal to keep both males and females.

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal I saw an absolutely gorgeous one a couple of weeks ago. He was 5/6 months too. I hope all the health checks go well! I couldn't bear to send him back if they didn't, but it's heart breaking when they do have issue. My (older) friends have always rescued KCCS, they've had about 8 over the years (some rescued as older dogs). The last one they had was a funny little thing & had some great little 'tricks' Sadly she had heart problems & they lost her despite a lot of (expensive!!) treatment. My friends are older now & say they aren't getting another, but their house still feels so weird & empty without a wee KCCS about the place...

Best of luck for Sunday, be stronger than me & try to walk away if the health issues haven't been fully explored/tested.

are you taking the kids with you? You'll never come home without him if you do!! 😂

Tbh, I think he's coming home with us, provided the breeder agrees. So what if he does have health problems? He's here now, he exists, he's not going to conveniently disappear if we don't take him, and I know we can give him a good, loving home, and can afford to cover expensive medical bills. Obviously we'd prefer not to have to, but if it happens we're in a better place to take care of him than a lot of people.

That is a lovely sentiment but you risk having your heart broken if you lose him young to known issues. Please do check what tests should have been done and see the results.

We'll have a discussion about that on Sunday, promise.

This may seem a good idea but the realities of having a very sick dog are not
to be taken lightly. To take the decision based on emotions before you see the dog can open you up to a lot of heartache.

So what if he does have health problems?

You could spend 10's of thousands of pounds.

You may have a dog in agony with an incurable disease.

It may not give symptoms initially but a dog in agony can be a dog that will have behavioural issues and can be reactive and aggressive.

Reactivity and aggression is extremely (98%) in dogs with illness and pain.

Dogs with syringomyelia hate to be touched and become extremely sensitive to being touched around their head and neck and snap/bite if touched.

Recent studies suggest that 70% of all Cavalier have syringomyelia.

Emotionally for any family watching a dog die young in agony is very very hard to witness and especially for children.

Think of the dog you want for your family and the joy and fun they will bring to your children. If this dog has not had the correct health tests it will be the opposite of what you have thought.

Yes but all of that is true anyway! The dog cannot be willed into non-existence! At least if he does end up with the raft of health problems you seem convinced he's going to have, we are in a position to take care of him.

If I was adopting a rescue dog with known health conditions you'd be cheering me on. I don't see any joy this is different - except that actually, he might be fine, and not have any issues.

He's a puppy who needs a home, and I want to give him one.

If I was adopting a rescue dog with known health conditions you'd be cheering me on.

Adopting a rescue with known health issues is very different. Often the rescue will support you with funding medication, medical care and specialist foods. If you adopt this puppy and he/she has pre-existing health conditions, will your insurance cover you? Do you have potentially 10,000+ to spend on vets bills?

This might be worth reading:

www.moneysupermarket.com/pet-insurance/pre-existing-conditions/

The difference is if the breeder knows the dog is unhealthy and not fit to breed from and is palming the dog off.

A breeder getting rid of an unhealthly dog pulling on peoples emotions is one of the oldest scams there is.

If the dog has health paperwork there is no issue and if they are good breeders then there is nothing to worry about but do see the physical paperwork and not take their word for it.

If you were getting a rescue dog with issues you would most likely know before you got it. Rescue dogs would have been vet checked at least before being rehomed. You would not get a recommendation from me with DC to rescue a dog with some long term health issues. Dogs in pain will have behavioural issues end of.

I am not saying the dog is unhealthy ( if it were another breed there may be less to worry about) but go in with your eyes open (which it sounds like you are not going to do).

In my line of work I daily see owners heartbroken from poor breeding of dogs. It is not a small thing to live with.

Oh good grief...I give up.

Why are you all so sure this dog is a walking time bomb of health issues? Yes, the breed has issues, but frankly so do loads of pedigrees. What sort of dog am I allowed to have without vilification?

FWIW, the Mumsnet approved retired greyhound wouldn't be a great idea with our cat.

Well I'm excited for you OP, you're quite right if you were giving a rescue dog with medical problems a loving home you'd be encouraged. MN is a strange place sometimes. I'll be back for the pics😍

People are just saying to be careful and to follow your head, not your heart.

You really don't want to be in the position of having a very young dog that's seriously ill with a condition that could have been screened for - it will break your heart and your bank account.

Yes, fair enough, it would. But it's an established breeder who shows CKCS, seems to really love her dogs, and has had the parents health checked. I don't understand why so many people are convinced this is a disaster waiting to happen? I'm not buying a puppy in a car park from someone off Gumtree.

Its not a matter of giving up. Its a matter of proceeding with caution. You are considering a dog with one of the highest levels of genetic health issues.

Alongside pugs and bulldogs you could not have picked a more unhealthly breed. We are not saying dont get it - we are saying check its genetic health which should be easy to do if good kc breeders.

For whats is worth I will also never get a greyhound they are way too lazy for my lifestyle.

Kenne Club confirming health tests needed

Showing the dogs doesn’t mean it’s ok. KC just means a pedigree. And many dodgy breeders seem to love their dogs when trying to sell them!
You do not have to rescue. I didn’t. I bought. But I checked out the breeder first. How many animals do they have? Are they in the house? How many litters per bitch? What health tests done on parents and pups? It’s just buyer beware. Especially where a breed is known to have dreadful health issues.

OP - we have a pug (Mumsnet shock horror) and he's (touch wood) very fit and healthy and no dog (except maybe a King Charles Cavalier 😄) could have a nicer temperament. I always say the only other breed I would consider getting is a Cavalier.

I am super jealous. Cavaliers are the most adorable dogs and I have never met one that wasn't lovely 😊

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal I think you're getting an unfairly hard time, you should be excited!

Ask about the health tests absolutely, and buy the best lifetime dog insurance with a high cover limit. The ones I would recommend is Bought By Many lifetime policy and Pet Plan lifetime policy, then anything that comes up in the dogs lifetime is covered. You can set annual cover limits up to £15k, the premiums may be £40 per month but much cheaper than a £4K eye operation bill or cruciate ligament rupture surgery.

Absolute best of luck for Sunday!

Thank you SO MUCH for this welcome and useful advice. And thank you to the all the lovely posters who haven't assumed I'm an irresponsible puppy farm supporter!

Can't believe the old greyhound would suit you better hasn't been trotted out yet

The greyhounds I see walking around are all on-lead all the time and many are muzzled. Also, often unfriendly to either people or dogs. Hardly the super-dogs that everyone on Mumsnet claims they are.

Oooh very excited for you op!

Remember the pictures of you get him!

I agree about pet insurance. So the best way to do that is to ask to see his vet records from the breeder before you buy and ask for a copy of it to keep, and then take up insurance literally the day you bring him home. There's an initial 2 weeks or so when they only cover accidents, so wait until this time has passed before taking him to vets for his first check up. If anything is discovered at that point then insurance will cover it.

If the breeder is on Champdogs, you should be able to check the health screening and DNA tests that the parents have had. And posters saying leave it two weeks before a vet check, just because insurance doesn't effectively start for that period, are irresponsible. Our wonderful breeder gave us three days to find out whether our gorgeous puppy was healthy, as he could have gone back for a full refund.

I am really sorry if you think I am getting at you or suggesting you are supporting puppy farming.I am not sayig that in anyway at all. I just wanted to highlight an issue and give ways you can prevent any heartache.

KC Cavs breed without correct health tests so being KC breeder does not assume the dogs are well breed and kc champion dogs actively breed with SM.

So I've been checking the pup and his parents and grandparents on the KC health register, and they're clear on the test they've had; and while they don't seem to have been tested for MVD or syringomylia, his parents were born in 2018 and didn't have a litter till 2021, suggesting that the breeder has done the responsible thing (as per the article a PP has posted) and not breed from them till they're over 2.5, so that's a good sign, I think.

I have to admit some of you have got me worried, but I've got a list of questions to ask; I'm going to ask to see his vet records, and if I don't get satisfactory answers then we will walk away - and if we do get him I'll insure him to the hilt.

He sounds like such a lovely wee dog though, who'll be such a welcome addition to our family, so I'm hoping all will be well.