# New puppy coming



## kawboy (Dec 5, 2007)

I have not been around much except to read occasionally. We had a busy year after the death of my mother last summer. We have decided to finally get a friend for our Hav Tasha. After looking at some puppies we decided to get a Cavalier King Charles. There were other puppies that will be ready to go soon but we are waiting for the mother to give birth at the end of this month. She was just such a sweet dog we wanted one of her puppies. Plus we both think they are such beautiful dogs. If anyone has any first hand knowledge of the breed I'd be interested in your opinions. Here is a pic of an adult for anyone who isn't familiar with the breed.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I would have loved one...They are beautiful, and have wonderful dispositions. Unfortunately, all my vet friends cautioned against the breed. They said that so many of them have heart problems that they are very likely to break YOUR heart.


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## kawboy (Dec 5, 2007)

The breeder did tell us about heart issues but claims hers have not had any problems for as long as she's bred them. Still a good idea to do more research as we have a lot of time to change our minds. The breeder says they are easy dogs to own and as she gets older easy is nice.


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## Posh's Mom (Dec 20, 2007)

yep i also shyed away from cavaliers because of mvd and other heart issues.

my sister in law and parent in laws both have cavaliers and they are very sweet dogs that do extremely well with posh. meanwhile, they STINK! i cannot stand their stinky dog smell.

i had a bc and a dane before posh and now she's spoiled me with her non stinkyness.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Sorry to read about your Mother's passing.....:hug: You have my sympathies.

Congrats on your new possiblity puppy. My Mom is a big fan this breed....but has a cocker. She also was afraid of the health issues. I think they have a pretty short life span because of stuff popping up? I remember reading or hearing that when a local breeder had sold puppies and had several "unhappy" owners who dogs had passed or had defects. I may be wrong...but I was thinking their life spans were in the 5-7 range? IDK......But I do hope should you decide to purchase one that you get the heathiest one you can!:thumb:


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## barbarak (Jul 27, 2009)

kawboy said:


> I have not been around much except to read occasionally. We had a busy year after the death of my mother last summer. We have decided to finally get a friend for our Hav Tasha. After looking at some puppies we decided to get a Cavalier King Charles. There were other puppies that will be ready to go soon but we are waiting for the mother to give birth at the end of this month. She was just such a sweet dog we wanted one of her puppies. Plus we both think they are such beautiful dogs. If anyone has any first hand knowledge of the breed I'd be interested in your opinions. Here is a pic of an adult for anyone who isn't familiar with the breed.


First, I want to say that I am very sorry that you lost your mother last summer.

I am *VERY* familiar with the breed. I was _owned_ by a Cavalier King Chas. Spaniel for nine years. And yes, they have a wonderful sweet personality, and those big dark eyes look deep into your soul. My heart just melts every time I see one. BUT they have a lot of health problems and they can break your heart because of that. Mine did.

If you get one, you will have to be *EXTRA CAREFUL* choosing a top of the line breeder because of this. My boy, Simon, died two years ago. He had a number of health problems. He had diabetes and I had to give him daily shots of insulin. He had to eat a special diet, and be monitored frequently by the vet. He had a heart murmur and an enlarged heart. He had very severe hip dysplasia. He lived nine years, but the last two were very hard ones for both of us.

I loved him so much and didn't think I could ever love another dog as much as I loved him. My heart just breaks when I think about him. I bought him from someone who lived nearby based on a recommendation from another Cavalier owner. I met both Simon's parents and even his grandmother. They were beautiful, friendly dogs and all beautiful puppies but this was the owner's first time breeding. I didn't know then what I know now and I happily brought home this adorable tri-color puppy. Please learn from my experience and make sure both parents are health tested at the very least.

Otherwise, how lucky do you feel? Since then, I've learned a lot, most of it from reading this forum for the last year. I found out that Havanese are just as lovable as Cavaliers with a couple of nice big bonuses--they don't shed and they have a lot fewer health problems and thus they live longer.

As much as I loved Simon, my Cavalier, I'm totally in love with my 4-month old Havanese, Huggie. I went to some Hav play dates and dog shows and did a lot of research before I got him. All I can say is when I'm ready to add a playmate for him, it will be a Hav, not a Cav. If your heart is set on a Cav, just be really careful choosing your breeder and go into it with your eyes open to the health problems they are known for.

Barbara


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

I had also considered a Cav, because of their sweet disposition, but heard too much of their tendency towards heart problems to risk it. Since that time I've met a local puppy, and boy, does she have odor! Smells like a dog, and sheds like crazy.

I'll stick with Havs, too.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Posh's Mom said:


> yep i also shyed away from cavaliers because of mvd and other heart issues.
> 
> my sister in law and parent in laws both have cavaliers and they are very sweet dogs that do extremely well with posh. meanwhile, they STINK! i cannot stand their stinky dog smell.
> 
> i had a bc and a dane before posh and now she's spoiled me with her non stinkyness.


I didn't realize that they smelled bad... that would be a turn-off for me too. Do you think your in laws bathe them often enough?


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

I have considered cavs as well. I know a few people with them who love them to pieces but that is a breed I would make sure everything was on offa and you had generations of health testing.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

I think they are adorable but was deterred from considering them due to the likelihood of health problems. I just didn't want to take the risk and it sounds like the risk of heart problems is extremely high with them. 

I guess I'm in with good company. It sounds like we all shied away from the breed for the same reason.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

It is too bad this particular breed does have all the health issues. I hadn't heard alot about his breed in a while now (a few years) and had hoped some advancements were made health-wise,but it appears not.

*OFF SPECIFIC TOPIC*Many breeds that were once considered all around healthy seem to pop up now with lots of health issues due to over breeding perhaps? I see alot of labs now with many many health issues....from large tumors to temperment issues. We've had 3 danes in the past 3 months with problems as well...but I think those are very well known in the dane world. Still-they are such awesome dogs. IDK....


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

King Cavaliers are very sweet little dogs. It's too bad about the heart issues. I agree with Julie about health issues popping up over time with certain breeds. I owned two schipperkes in the early 90's. They were a super healthy long lived breed. Now they can be predisposed to this weird syndrome called
MPS IIIB, which is deadly.


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

I've heard all the above cautions about Cavs from family friends.
My mom has several friends with Cavs that are not very friendly...they terrorize Maddie and she does NOT like going to visit them  I'm sure a Cav rasied with a Hav would act totally different, though 

Congrats


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## tabby2 (Jan 19, 2009)

Removed


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## Lilly'sMom (Jan 28, 2010)

I considered the breed too and changed my mind because of the health issues.


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## kawboy (Dec 5, 2007)

Reading all this info about the health problems is giving me second thoughts. I had not done much research yet since we have a lot of time to decide. My wife read these comments and still wants one. She says it's a crapshoot no matter what you get. That may be true but I don't want to have to deal with having a dog die young either. Tasha is three years old now and if something happened to her I'd be devastated. We are together constantly when I'm not working. Thanks for all the comments and info. I'm going to look deeper and see what I can learn.


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## tabby2 (Jan 19, 2009)

FYI, cavaliertalk.com is a chat forum for Cavalier people that's similar this Forum. It's been around awhile and has lots of good information. 

Jane


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

galaxie said:


> I've heard all the above cautions about Cavs from family friends.
> My mom has several friends with Cavs that are not very friendly...they terrorize Maddie and she does NOT like going to visit them  I'm sure a Cav rasied with a Hav would act totally different, though
> 
> Congrats


I wonder whether the bad-tempered Cavs belonging to you mom's friends are mill dogs. Honestly, I've never met one that wasn't as sweet as sweet could be. They are popular among horse show folk, so there are often a number of them (and Corgis, another horse folk favorite) at all the shows.


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## scottyce (Jun 2, 2010)

Actually the reason why I got a Cavanese was bc of the temperment of the Cavalier and the fun and intelligence of the Havanese. I was very well aware of the heart issues but decided to get a dog that was mixed with it anyway. So far, the dog has been great, I'm really happy about my decision and love both the Cavalier and Havanese and in the end, could not decide from one breed to another. Lastly, I have met alot of Cavaliers around my neighborhood and I can tell you , EVERYONE of them has been very friendly.


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## kawboy (Dec 5, 2007)

scottyce said:


> Actually the reason why I got a Cavanese was bc of the temperment of the Cavalier and the fun and intelligence of the Havanese. I was very well aware of the heart issues but decided to get a dog that was mixed with it anyway. So far, the dog has been great, I'm really happy about my decision and love both the Cavalier and Havanese and in the end, could not decide from one breed to another. Lastly, I have met alot of Cavaliers around my neighborhood and I can tell you , EVERYONE of them has been very friendly.


The woman we are buying from has havanese/maltese and maltese/shih tzu mixes. She doesn't crossbreed the cavaliers but says she does the others because there is demand for them because people tend to think they will be healthier. Why she never does it with cavaliers I don't know. Not saying I think this is good but it's what she does.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

kawboy said:


> The woman we are buying from has havanese/maltese and maltese/shih tzu mixes. She doesn't crossbreed the cavaliers but says she does the others because there is demand for them because people tend to think they will be healthier. Why she never does it with cavaliers I don't know. Not saying I think this is good but it's what she does.


Interesting she mentions health because this woman sounds like she breeds whatever brings in money.


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## kawboy (Dec 5, 2007)

After giving it some thought we have decided not to buy any puppy from her. While she treats her dogs good and they live in the house, I have concerns regarding where she purchases some of the puppies she then resells. She breeds the cavaliers on site but I know she has purchased other breeds from breeders I don't know anything about. I'm not going to risk supporting a puppy mill operation. We are now searching for a reputable breeder for a Hav or Shih Tzu. The cavalier health issues are hard to ignore along with the shedding.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

kawboy said:


> After giving it some thought we have decided not to buy any puppy from her. While she treats her dogs good and they live in the house, I have concerns regarding where she purchases some of the puppies she then resells. She breeds the cavaliers on site but I know she has purchased other breeds from breeders I don't know anything about. I'm not going to risk supporting a puppy mill operation. We are now searching for a reputable breeder for a Hav or Shih Tzu. The cavalier health issues are hard to ignore along with the shedding.


I think you've made a very good decision. Even if you'd decided you wanted a Cav, this isn't the type of "breeder" (and puppy mill middle-man) I'd purchase a dog from!


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## kawboy (Dec 5, 2007)

LilyMyLove said:


> My brother and sister in law have a Cav. Im not a fan. She is from a reputable breeder, but smells even thought they constantly bathe her, she sheds all over the house, is nasty to Lily-she doesn't chase her but is very territorial-if Lily tries to play with her she snaps and growls.
> She also has arthritis at the ripe old age of 5 and needs to be carried up and down stairs, she needs to be put under frequently for extensive dental work to be done (teeth pulling, some other stuff Im not sure about).
> I think that SM is a big deal, too.
> 
> What about a Westie? They are hypoallergenic/ unsmelly-my mom has one. They are very sweet-to their owners.


Westie's are cute dogs. The problem we have is that we live in the UP of Michigan. Finding good breeders of any breed close by is a challenge.


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