Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ?s

[DVC Sadie]

For those of you who have this breed of dog I would like to ask some questions.

1. Are they easy to housebreak?
2. Do they get along with other dogs?

Thank you for any information you can give.

 

[java]

My MIL had one.

1. reasonable
2. no problems with a very nasty other dog in the house so I say it was an easy going dog- but that could vary by dog I guess.

One thing I wanted to mention was that my MIL was heartbroken when her dog started having seizures. Which unfortunately seem to be common with the breed.

http://www.cavalierhealth.org/epilepsy.htm

Just something to be aware of if you are looking. A ? to ask.

 

[ckay87]

I'd so some real research. I remember seeing a program on Animal Planet about this breed one time and they specifically said that these can be very difficult dogs. I hate to say it, I LOVE dogs and don't like to badmouth any breed. Just that I remember this program and they were really clear on that.

They are beautiful though!

 

[minniecarousel]

My friend has two AND her DH is a Vet. So maybe they head off any problems before they start. They are cute little dogs.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Thanks to all of you who posted.

I will be doing more research but I was trying to get a feel for this breed from disboarders. I have found that the Dis is a great place for research.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Mine is a mix with something else that no one knows. LOL

I am told Sophie was easy to housebreak (we didn't adopt her until she was 3 years old) but she does have a small bladder so she begs to go out for a potty break every 4 hours. Once she was left in the house for 6 hours and she had an accident by the back door. But since we've had her for years, that's pretty good odds.

She loves people. She howls when she gets lonely and she is a barker. It was hard to train her so she didn't bark all the time when she is outside but I finally did it so she only barks when another neighborhood dog gets her going or if someone is at the door.

She likes other little dogs but absolutely hates big dogs. I think some of it is her thinking she's protecting me when we see a big dog on our walks.

She puts up with our cats but isn't all cuddly, friendly with them. She just doesn't bother them.

She thinks she is a person. She likes to sleep on a bed and have a pillow and she loves to lay in your lap all curled up like a cat. She's my sweetie and I love her tons.

Good luck with your research!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

My brother and his gf just got one ($1,500! ) and she is extremely sweet to my dog (although my dog doesn't really know what to do with her as she's never had the chance to be around many dogs so she just follows her around a lot). My dog (a Miniature Pinscher) was super easy to housebreak but they are a notorious breed for being difficult (for some reason she will not go to the bathroom unless it's in tall grass or ivy [not that I'm complaining]). My brother and his gf have had their King Charles two months (she's all red) and they are having the worst time housebreaking her. They do everything they've seen on the dog whisperer and reading multiple books but it's frustrating them to no end. They took her to the vet and she has had a couple of UTI's (apparently a common thing in that breed) and she had to be put on antibiotics but now that it's cleared up they are still having a difficult time. She is super cute though!

 

[Mickey's Minion]

We have friends who are dog people (AKC judges, breeders, show people) that have them.

They are great little dogs and I plan on getting one someday.

However, our friends always tell us that this breed in particular, you have to be very, very, very careful of the breeder you get the dog from. They are prone to diseases, particulary heart disease, so make sure any breeder you get your dog from has had both parents tested by a canine cardiologist, along with all the other regular testing that should be done.

 

[TashaRVT]

Cavalier King Charles are without a doubt one of the sweetest dogs out there.

Sweet to look at, tend to have sweet dispositions, but MAN, do they have medical issues that would make me say to you, "RUN AWAY.. VERY FAST." I don't want to have to steer anyone away from any breed in particular, but I've seen too many of these come into my hospital with neurological troubles; like other posters have said, they tend to be (for whatever reason) particularly prone to seizure disorders and other neurological deficits.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.

 

[Aisling]

I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!!

I got him at 8 weeks, and he recently turned a year old. He has a very sweet disposition, loves everyone, gets along with other dogs (we're at the dog park every day), and has been easy to train. My only "problem" is that he goes nuts when he sees a cat, barking, trying to get at it, etc. BUT the funny thing is, there have been some cats that just didn't run away from him, and when he gets right up to them, he just stops and looks at them eye to eye.

I'm always getting compliments on what a beautiful dog he is, with the feathered tail and legs. His tail is always wagging.

Housebreaking...well, I'm a member of a Cavalier forum (cavaliertalk.com), and it seems that Brian fits the breed trait of taking a bit longer to housebreak/being particular where they potty. He will not potty on the concrete sidewalk, which is hard living in a city with not too much grass around. But we do have a tiny tiny patch of grass and that's where he goes.

This breed loves being around people and will follow you everywhere you go, even in the bathroom.

A few people mentioned the neurological issues that many of them have, but in the past few years, breeders have been trying to "breed out" those genetic issues by only breeding the ones that have been tested negative. The website I posted has a TON of information about this, please take a look.

You don't see many CKCSs around, so people will be asking you "is that a King Charles?" , because many have never seen one in person.
I'll post some pics; I'm on DHs laptop so I have to get onto my own to get the pics.

I'm VERY happy with my decision to get a King Charles!

 

[daisax]

I also urge you to be verrrry careful when looking for a breeder. Because it's a relatively uncommon (but increasingly popular breed) there are a lot of unscrupulous people breeding dogs that haven't been screened for any of the health problems that you CAN screen for. You want a breeder who is actively trying to seek out any genetic problems s/he can so that s/he can eliminate them, not somebody who just says "Oh, my dogs are all healthy, they just went to the vet!"

Seizures and mitral valve problems would seem to be the biggest health issues. So invest wisely -- hopefully this is going to be a family member for the next 15 years. Putting more money down up front on a carefully bred dog may save you thousands and a lot of heartbreak down the line.

 

[BigEeyore]

I had a Cavalier, and I am also a vet - so here are my thoughts on the breed:
- very difficult to housebreak. Our dog was over a year old before housebroken, and still had occasional accidents her entire life
- very sweet disposition, got along well w/ other dogs and people
- heart disease is endemic in the breed. our dog died at age 11 from this.
- other posters have mentioned seizure issues. Other concerns w/ this breed are orthopedic problems (hips and knees) and eye problems. Our dog also had a very sensitive GI tract.
- please please please do NOT buy a dog from a pet store as they often get their puppies from puppy mills. Be sure you find a responsible breeder that carefully screens the dogs they breed to avoid the health issues
- be prepared to pay at least $1000 (if not more) for a well bred dog

 

[daisax]

be prepared to pay at least $1000 (if not more) for a well bred dog

In New England, make that $2500-3000.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Thanks everyone for your informed posts. I have a lot of research left to do and some decisions to make.

We have always gotten our dogs from reputable breeders and will do so again (no matter) what breed we finally choose.

 

[Maleficent2]

I had a Cavalier, and I am also a vet - so here are my thoughts on the breed:
- very difficult to housebreak. Our dog was over a year old before housebroken, and still had occasional accidents her entire life
- very sweet disposition, got along well w/ other dogs and people
- heart disease is endemic in the breed. our dog died at age 11 from this.
- other posters have mentioned seizure issues. Other concerns w/ this breed are orthopedic problems (hips and knees) and eye problems. Our dog also had a very sensitive GI tract.
- please please please do NOT buy a dog from a pet store as they often get their puppies from puppy mills. Be sure you find a responsible breeder that carefully screens the dogs they breed to avoid the health issues
- be prepared to pay at least $1000 (if not more) for a well bred dog

Better yet fly to the UK and buy one there and bring it back. It is alot cheaper and you will get a dog with less problems. Also you get a trip to the UK with the dog.

They are a beautiful breed, good luck with your pup.

You could also consider a rescue:

http://www.cavalierrescueusa.org/Rescue/

 

[daisax]

I don't know about the UK, but there are a lot of genetically poor Cavs being imported from Ireland right now. Very active brokers who will say that they're healthier than U.S. dogs. Essentially puppy mill dogs.