Anybody got a Cavalier King Charles?

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

LOML has decided that she will have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the near future. One of her co-workers has a pair, and is also 'babysitting' a puppy for someone else...so we're going to visit Sunday to see some in 'real life' as opposed to the breeder/kennel setting. :)

Book learnin' I can get...but I'd like to hear practical experience. Are they prone to ear issues like the cocker? Do they REALLY not shed or require visits to the beauty shop? As a rule, are they ankle nipping, hyperactive, yappy little dogs with a Napolean complex?

I've got my Saints...she can have what she wants...but I kinda want know for sure what I'm in for. They want an absurd amount of coin for these guys...

KC

[Vaughn McMillan]

I used to work with a lady who had a couple CKC Spaniels. She was head over heels in love with them, and spoiled them royally. Since I never met the dogs, I can't tell you if she was in love with the dogs themselves, or with the fact that they were a pricy status symbol to her. (She and her hubby were both prone to oneupsmanship.) Color-wise, they look like they'd make a nice accessory for the Saints, though. ;)

- Vaughn

[Bill Lewis]

Color-wise, they look like they'd make a nice accessory for the Saints, though. ;) Vaughn...and size wise they'd be a nice snack.:eek:

I know nothing about this breed, but I am a strong believer that the best and worst of any dogs personalities are a direct reflection of their owners' and the training and discipline that they are given. So no they don't have to be a "ankle nipping, hyperactive, yappy little dogs with a Napolean complex" unless you let them.

I just watched the agility national championship on Animal Planet, and there were some of these dogs competing in the 8" class.

[Joe Pelonio]

We had two of them, a brother and sister. One male was Blenhem the female tri-color. For long haired dogs they did not shed much. The female did have an ear infection about every other year. Both of them required brushing mainly behind the ears to avoid matting but nothing serious. They did not have to go to a groomer. They were the friendliest and quietest dogs we've ever had, especially the female who spent all of her time looking for a lap to lay on. The only funny thing about her was that if she saw a watermelon or a balloon she would bark at it, and the male got all
upset at the sound of fireworks, like on July 4th. They were definitely not yappy or hyper, quite the opposite. The male died from cancer at age 10, the female made it to 13. We'd have gotten another but the prices shot way up, ours were $300 each back in '85, they got up to $1500 before they became AKC and the prices dropped. Back when we had them the owners were very strictly opposed to joining AKC to prevent cross breeding which sure enough is going on now. To avoid health problems look for parents from different places, like a mother from the UK and the father from Canada.

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Thanks. The price really hasn't come down that much if you talk to a 'serious' breeder (as opposed to what they'll call a 'backyard breeder'). From what I've seen, they're going for at least $1500 if you can find somebody selling an unrestricted registration. We're looking for 'pet', so we won't pay that much...

Bill, I generally agree with your comment about training and discipline...but I figured everybody would know what I meant if I said it that way. :D

KC

[Jim Dunn]

Beautiful dogs for sure, but real pricey. If your wife is looking for a "lap" dog go with a toy. Your Saints would have little or no trouble swallowing them whole if you put salt on em:)

[Joe Pelonio]

Around here I've seen them in the paper from $700-1700, but don't know anything about the breeders. I've also seen them for sale crossed with
poodles advertised as non-shedding and non-allergenic.

Now that I think about it, when we got ours they wanted $600 each, but gave us half off if we took both so they would stay together. The male was "show quality" and the female had to be fixed because she had one eye patch missing. We did show him at a club event at 7 months old and he took a 2nd place ribbon. Did you see the national club site:
http://www.ckcsc.org/

We still have the yearbook from when we joined showing our name on the same page as Ronald Reagan who was also a member at the time.

[Bill Lewis]

Bill, ...but I figured everybody would know what I meant if I said it that way. :D KCI understand completely.

[Gary Herrmann]

I've had Labs for almost 20 years. About the only small dog I'd be interested in is the Cav. A lab breeder friend of mine also breeds cavs. After talking to her and being around them, I think the best description I've heard is a labrador retriever's personality in a small spaniel's body.

I have an aunt that used to breed Saints. I've always loved those big pups. Newfs too. It is so unfair that the big ones have such a short life span, and those yapping little ankle biters can live 20 years. A cav is not an irritating yapper tho.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

KC Are these little dogs we're talkin' about here? I've never heard of them. But then most of our pets have found us not the other way around.

[Jim Dunn]

Who you callin an ankle bitter?:eek::eek::mad::)

Thank goodness she can't reach any higher than my ankles:D

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

KC Are these little dogs we're talkin' about here? I've never heard of them. But then most of our pets have found us not the other way around.

Yeah...from what I read they show in the 'toy' category. Not small like a miniature, but certainly lap sized. The link posted a couple responses above has some pics. I resisted for a long time...but the more I look at 'em, the cuter they get.

I've always liked a big dog, but the Saints have cured me of that. :( I love 'em to death, but it's just too much dog (especially two of them). If they could make a mini Saint maybe the size of a Chow, that'd be a winner for sure. :)

[Larry Klaaren]

...and size wise they'd be a nice snack.:eek:

I know nothing about this breed, but I am a strong believer that the best and worst of any dogs personalities are a direct reflection of their owners' and the training and discipline that they are given. So no they don't have to be a "ankle nipping, hyperactive, yappy little dogs with a Napolean complex" unless you let them.


True . . . but there are pre-dispositions. That's the whole point of breeding. For example, sighthounds (Greyhounds, whippets, rat and fox terriers and others) just can't resist chasing any moving object they see. Our rat terrier just can not be let off leash and that is very typical for the breed. My lab Maggie that was trained and handled mostly the same way, and she wasn't like that. Rat terriers just plain like to chase small animals. They were bred to run down and chase rats right into their rat-holes.

Some breeds are bred to respond to threats against them or their masters by instict - quickly, vigorously, and aggressively. You can train against the instinct, but it is still a trait of the breed.

That being said, I agree that much of it is "trained in" and some dog-owners use the threat response instinct in ways that are anti-social. K-9 departments use the very same traits to develop a very loyal, useful, valuable asset to their work. However, whatever the training, the instincts do not necessarily go away and do predispose the dogs to certain roles and behaviors.

I personally am not threatened at all by a yardful of beagles, but a yard full of some other types of dogs makes a statement. I think the breed of dog that people choose is sometimes telling about the owner. Not going any farther with that.

Don't want to argue about it, and that's not the nature of this forum. Just MHO.

KC is a great breed. You'd likely enjoy it.

[Pamela Panik]

I have Australian Shepherds, I LOVE them, they are great family dogs! However, I looked seriously at the CKC because I heard that they were great family dogs too. You might want to check out if they have a rescue site online for the CKC. We got our first two Aussies at a breeder and the second one we got had a very bad case of sharp-shy, he had to be put to sleep. It broke my heart. However I still wanted a second Aussie, but not another little puppy, I found a website called ARIM ( Aussie Rescue In Michigan) and was able to tell them exactly what I wanted. We got a 9 month old (the age I wanted) he was mostly potty trained, and just needed a little TLC. The people who owned him before had tied him up to their garage, Aussie need something to do (the reason I like two, they keep each other busy) or they can be naughty, so he chewed their garage, and they gave him awayto the pound. The pound calls ARIM and they place them. My guy really appreciates his family and home after what he had before!
Good luck.
Pamela

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Yeah...from what I read they show in the 'toy' category. Not small like a miniature, but certainly lap sized. The link posted a couple responses above has some pics. I resisted for a long time...but the more I look at 'em, the cuter they get.

I've always liked a big dog, but the Saints have cured me of that. :( I love 'em to death, but it's just too much dog (especially two of them). If they could make a mini Saint maybe the size of a Chow, that'd be a winner for sure. :)

Cute little dogs, they sorta resemble yorkies. When I was a kid, our neighbors had newfoundlands, I don't remember how many but it was at least four or five. They ran free on their property, which was also our baseball field. We had a heck of a time with the dogs and balls. They'd run after them and pick them up. Then we had to stick our arms in their mouth, up to our elbows, trying to find the ball which always came out very wet.

[Bob Smalser]

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2999461/87818410.jpg

If you want personality and brains in addition to other spaniel traits, I recommend you look at an English Cocker or two before deciding...a small breed among the least spoiled by breeding just for looks.

All spaniels, setters, newfs and other long-eared breeds need their ears cleaned once a week or so, or you'll likely have an old, deaf dog in addition to just an old dog.


Remember that What ye sow...

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2999461/129214205.jpg

...shall ye reap:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2999461/129214212.jpg

[Doug Shepard]

I have Australian Shepherds, I LOVE them, they are great family dogs! ... We got our first two Aussies at a breeder and the second one we got had a very bad case of sharp-shy, he had to be put to sleep. It broke my heart. However I still wanted a second Aussie, but not another little puppy, I found a website called ARIM ( Aussie Rescue In Michigan) and was able to tell them exactly what I wanted. We got a 9 month old (the age I wanted) he was mostly potty trained, and just needed a little TLC. The people who owned him before had tied him up to their garage, Aussie need something to do (the reason I like two, they keep each other busy) or they can be naughty, so he chewed their garage, and they gave him awayto the pound. The pound calls ARIM and they place them. My guy really appreciates his family and home after what he had before!
Good luck.
Pamela

Pamela - first - welcome to SMC. Looks like you just joined up recently. I second your Aussie love. Mine is an Aussie/Chow mix and a very sweet dog that loves pretty much any person or other dog she meets. And I hear you about needing to keep them busy. Daily walks and regular play sessions with other neighborhood pets are pretty much a must-do. She doesn't get destructive or anything but you can tell when she's getting bummed and want to do something. But what is "sharp-shy" ??

[Greg Koch]

Here's our Cavalier, Duskin. She's about 3, and one the the sweetest, well mannered dogs we've had. She was originally bought by our exchange student, but he soon learned that going to school, being 21 and single and trying to raise a puppy wasn't what he thought it would be...ROF.

So, instead of letting him return the dog, we decided to adapt it. We've always had large dogs, St. Bernard, Shepherds, Labs, and wasn't quite sure how she would turn out. But after Duskin, I'd get a Cavalier again easily. Our vet even says she is the best "patient" he's ever had! Very gentle, smart, a real character.

She's waiting for a treat..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Tommy/th_Duskinface.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Tommy/Duskinface.jpg)

Tommy, our German Shepherd/? and Duskin.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Tommy/th_Me-and-Duskin.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Tommy/Me-and-Duskin.jpg)

Sweet, eh?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Tommy/th_Duskinasleep.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/kgregc/Tommy/Duskinasleep.jpg)

[Pamela Panik]

Doug,

Unfortunately I found out about sharp-shy from my trainer. I had never heard of it before either. Our puppy could only be somewhat content when he was with 'his pack', meaning us. You've seen what dogs do when they are afraid of something new, they have a way of backing off and then getting closer until they realize that it's okay. My trainer called it resetting. Jake couldn't reset. He was afraid of everyone and could very possibly attack someone, even though with us he was the sweetest boy. He would take a long time to let anyone near him, even when they were around him a lot, and even then, he never really trusted them. He always growled at them and barked. He loved to play fetch and would play it for hours, he would even play with other people he had somewhat let in, but growl at them when he brought the ball back. We never knew why he acted this way until the trainer told what was wrong with him. Then it was so clear what all his strange behavior was about, he was terrified of everything. It was VERY DIFFICULT to let him go, because he was so sweet with our family, but very dangerous for anybody else. The trainer also said that any dog can have a sharp-shy puppy, it's kind of like when people have a downs baby, it's not necessarily genetic. Any way, we decided to get another Aussie, and boy do we love them. We take them everywhere. They are sometimes too smart for their own good, and mine!
Thanks for the welcome.
Pamela

[Joe Pelonio]

Here's our Cavalier, Duskin. She's about 3, and one the the sweetest, well mannered dogs we've had. She was originally bought by our exchange student, but he soon learned that going to school, being 21 and single and trying to raise a puppy wasn't what he thought it would be...ROF.

Greg,

She looks a lot like our late Cavalier, except ours was missing the spot around one eye. She was the sweetest little thing. For her last few years we also had a Bernese Mountain Dog and it's funny how well they got along, he was 105 lbs and she was just 17.