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I'm getting a Cavalier puppy next week from an out of state breeder. I have been around dogs my whole life but this will be my first time owning a dog on my own. I am very nervous for some reason! I have a roommate who will help out occasionally but 99% of the work will be done by me. I'm a little freaked about housebreaking and training, and just the overall time commitment. Does anyone have experience raising a cavalier puppy? Any advice/encouragement would be really appreciated!
Thanks!
By the way, I have done a LOT of research so I know what to do, just worried that the stress will be hard to handle and want to know how people deal with it.
I have no experience with Cavaliers except that I knew somebody who had one and he was such a mellow, sweet, intelligent dog. This dog was not yappy but would just look at you with his big, soulful brown eyes to get your attention. I'm not usually a huge fan of smaller dogs except for pugs and French Bulldogs, but this dog was just a great little guy.
Assuming you went with a reputable breeder and have the time to train a puppy, you should be fine.
Cavalier king charles spaniels are wonderful dogs. Having a puppy is a big time commitment, but it's worth it! Puppy breath and puppy snuggles are priceless! I found my cavalier to be relatively easy to train because he is so eager to please. A lot of cavaliers are "velcro dogs" as in they want to follow you everywhere. Mine is sleeping next to me right now. If I go to another room, he will follow. When I take a shower, he sits next to the curtain. That's just their companion personality.
Have you researched genetic health problems in cavaliers? Cavaliers are very prone to the heart disease MVD so the parents should be tested annually by a cardiologist (not a regular vet) to check for heart murmurs. The MVD breeding protocol also requires that dogs are not bred before 2.5 years old and that dogs should not be bred before age 5 unless both of the dog's parents were MVD clear at age 5. Eyes should be CERF certified, hips should be OFA certified and parents should be checked for signs of luxating patellas. You should also be aware that cavaliers may get a serious neurological condition called syringohydromyelia. I hope that you are well aware of all this information but if the breeder you have selected does not follow these guidelines I would strongly encourage you to look elsewhere.
This method is FOOLPROOF. Follow it to the LETTER (including the part about putting on the leash, going out with your dog and the kind of treats), and just don't expect too much too soon. And if you can get home for lunch, THAT is ideal. When I got my dog, I took two weeks off to be with him.
Thanks everyone for your helpful information, advice and encouragement! I really appreciate it! i just want to make sure I do everything right for my puppy
I love those dogs! We have a local rescue for the king charles cavalier spaniels and that is going to be my next dog. Ringo actually gets along with them too (female of course) because they are soo laid back and mellow. I called them this summer but they didn't call me back until after I had gotten Lucy.
I think you made a good choice for a first dog; I'll bet they are not hard to train.
Which color did you pick? I love the tri-colored ones and the ruby (?not sure of the name) color.
It is perfectly natural to feel apprehensive about getting a new puppy. We are getting our third this summer, and even I am a little nervous, this time we are getting a Springer Spaniel. Getting a new puppy is like a having a new baby in the house. Not only is there the worry about housetraining, but also about puppy-proofing your home. They will put anything in their mouths, just like a baby would. Once my IL's had a puppy that followed FIL into the garage, and promptly chomped on a fishing lure hanging from a fishing rod. The vet had to remove it from the poor thing's mouth. Thankfully such instances are rare, I don't mean to scare you. I'm just pointing out that you'll need to be careful about what is within reach of your new puppy while it's going through it's chewing phase. But the training will go by fast,and puppies are so eager to please! Then you'll have a wonderful new friend to love and care for, who will bring you so much joy and happiness. Congratulations!!
Think of your puppy as a youngster completely dependent on you for loving kindness, guidance and direction, and lots and lots of fun. You cannot go wrong.
Hey. I had a cavalier king charles dog growing up. My mom still has him today. They are the sweetest dogs but do need a lot of attention. Make sure the breeder you get it from had it checked for heart conditions cause some are born with them.They do shed but if you keep him/her brushed it helps. What helped ours was to take it to Petsmart for the puppy classes. Then we did a few private. Training them to not go to the bathroom takes time and being consistent. I know we used to take him out every hour. Good luck
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Cavalier Owner
The vet had to remove it from the poor thing's mouth. Thankfully such instances are rare, I don't mean to scare you. I'm just pointing out that you'll need to be careful about what is within reach of your new puppy while it's going through it's chewing phase. But the training will go by fast,and puppies are so eager to please! Then you'll have a wonderful new friend to love and care for, who will bring you so much joy and happiness. Congratulations!! 
