Tell me about your King Charles Cavalier dog..

[scottmel]

We have been doing our dog research lately and posted on a previous thread. We think we narrowed it down to the King Charles or the Bichon Friese (spelling?). My one HUGE concern with the King Charles is the heart condition. Is it possible to breed NOT to have one? Do you buy pet insurance having a dog of such a fragile health issue? Does pet insurance cover a heart condtion? DD11 so wants a dog. She is a gentle girl but I know she wants to chase and run with a dog and not feel he is fragile. Is King Charles too fragile?

Also we really really want a cat(our current cat just passed away Thursday). But that is a whole other story that needs a box of tissues to go with it. But at any rate, I really need a dog that will LOVE a cat. And be gentle, etc. Fro mwhat I read King Charles will be. However the health is of concern.

Can anyone share their story on these sweet little dogs? Thank you!! (By the way, I live in Western PA so any close breeders would be of huge interest to me!! I looked on AKC.org and most are hours away but that is ok...)

 

[rainy~daze]

This is one of our King Charles' and one of our cats. In this picture he was 10 weeks old. Now he is just about 1 1/2.



We just recently got a black/tan girl Cavalier as well.
We love our Cavaliers, we will always have one now. They are so sweet, and playful, when they want. Usually they are just snuggle bunnies.

I have to put a pic of her on an account I can link to. The vet checks them for heart murmurs everytime we are there. So far, so good. It is a concern, but it was not enough to keep us from getting them.
Very loyal, very smart, they get along with everyone, love the cats, each other.
I cannot say enough good things about our puppies.
Not to mention, they are super cute!

 

[scottmel]

Thanks Rainy Daze! Did you go thru a AKC breeder to get them? He is darling....Do you have pet insurance b/c of his condition? I have found one breeder that is about 4 hours away from me and the dogs run about 1500 - 2500 in price. Is this similar to your situation? thank you!

 

[Katieinwonderland]

My best friend has two King Charles Cavalier dogs and they are SO CUTE!!! She got them from a breeder with a great reputation, they were from the same litter so get along great. They're three years old now and have had no problems, but each time they go to the vet she does check for any sign of heart issues. They're absolutely adorable; they're small but love to play, and they're super affectionate.

My friend also has two cats that were about two years old when the puppies came along. One of the cats gets along great with the dogs and plays with them, the other cat is horrified by them and hides from them. Maybe you could get a kitten the same time you get the puppy and they could sort of grow up together?

 

[bananda]

this is my baby attacking the duster

he's definitely not fragile. he always wants us to chase him and play with him. and he runs very fast laps around the lounge room at least once a day. he's also very affectionate and loves being petted and cuddled. i would recommend them for a first dog.

 

[Aisling]

deleted for personal reasons

 

[Aisling]

Your babies are adorable!!! Mine will be two this summer, so he's outgrown his puppy cuteness, and is a handsome young pooch now.

 

[Aisling]

deleted for personal reasons

 

[Aisling]

deleted for personal reasons

 

[DisneyTarheel]

We have been doing our dog research lately and posted on a previous thread. We think we narrowed it down to the King Charles or the Bichon Friese (spelling?). My one HUGE concern with the King Charles is the heart condition. Is it possible to breed NOT to have one? Do you buy pet insurance having a dog of such a fragile health issue? Does pet insurance cover a heart condtion? DD11 so wants a dog. She is a gentle girl but I know she wants to chase and run with a dog and not feel he is fragile. Is King Charles too fragile?

Also we really really want a cat(our current cat just passed away Thursday). But that is a whole other story that needs a box of tissues to go with it. But at any rate, I really need a dog that will LOVE a cat. And be gentle, etc. Fro mwhat I read King Charles will be. However the health is of concern.

Can anyone share their story on these sweet little dogs? Thank you!! (By the way, I live in Western PA so any close breeders would be of huge interest to me!! I looked on AKC.org and most are hours away but that is ok...)

We've been interested in the CKCS breed for a while. But, funny you should also mention the Bichon, since we are also interested in the hybrid: http://www.dogbreedslists.com/cavachon-cavachon-puppies.html

 

[scottmel]

We've been interested in the CKCS breed for a while. But, funny you should also mention the Bichon, since we are also interested in the hybrid: http://www.dogbreedslists.com/cavachon-cavachon-puppies.html

I am the type to look into everything like crazy, i am like a dog with a bone DH says. if you want to pm me i can share with you why cavachon might not be a great idea. i have learned A LOT this weekend. I have been in contact with breeders, and the head of the eastern region of ck cavaliers...so helpful these people have been@

 

[vetrik]

Here's my little girl:

I don't know of a Cavalier that hasn't developed the heart condition. Buying from a breeder that does yearly ultrasounds and knows the heart history of the parents and grandparents of the puppies can make a huge difference in minimizing the effects. My parents have had 2 Cavaliers - a female black & tan they had to put to sleep at 8 1/2 years old due to heart failure, and a Blenheim male that is still going stong at over 9 years old. He does have a small murmur, but it is monitored every year and is not getting worse at this point. My little girl is 4 1/2 years old and no sign of a murmur yet.

Every purebred dog has health issues. For me, the trade off is worth it because they're such great little dogs. I don't have pet insurance, but I worked as a vet tech for many years and get a discount at the animal hospital. I would look into different policies to make sure they would cover the treatment (ultrasounds, possibly medication someday), if there's any co-pay, etc before committing. You could probably even check with your vet on the out of pocket costs for those items to help determine if it makes sense financially when you figure in the premiums for the insurance. However, if you decide to go with the insurance, make sure to do it right away with the puppy - I understand they're very strict about pre-existing conditions!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I am currently dog-sitting my brother's Cavalier while him and his gf are in Ireland for two weeks. She is certainly the sweetest and laid back dog! She LOVES everybody, every dog, every leaf, every butterfly, EVERYTHING! We all call her Jessica (as in Simpson) as she may be beautiful but she isn't the smartest dog in the world .

She's only one but has been to the vet so much they know her by name. Mainly for UTI's and blood platelet count being too low to be able to get her fixed (they eventually were able to). I know my brother is worried about her health (and the expense of it all) in the future but the breeder told them not to bother with pet insurance and after much research on their own they decided against it as well. Many things don't end up being covered and premiums start to sky-rocket as the dog gets older (when you're more likely to be using it).

Almost all dog breeds have health issues of one kind or another. I have a Miniature Pinscher and although she's a sturdy breed, I put money into a special savings account every month in case something does come up. Almost any dog you get you will find it beautiful and special because it's yours. I know when I take them both out a lot more people come up to his dog and tell me how cute she is but of course I think my dog is the most precious dog in the world (especially because of her GREAT personality, low maintenance grooming, and it doesn't hurt she was $1,200 less than my brother's dog ). Good luck with your decision OP! They are incredibly sweet dogs!

 

[scottmel]

thanks vetrik - your dog is ADORABLE!!!! i kind of feel the same way. I realize there is a risk on the breed but the breeder i am working with does the screenings and MRi tests and has had good luck with her puppies because of it. even if he doesn't make it to 15 I just really like the description of the breed. thanks for the tips on the vet insurance. i read an on line article that 99 percent of the population does not buy it, so it can't be that great as you are right the deductibles are up there, etc. i will ask my vet though for his recommendation on it. Thanks again!!!

 

[scottmel]

Thanks Neverlandclub23! i am hopeful the puppys health will be good - the breeder i have chosen is quite active in the parent chapter and even authored a book. she seems super so i am hopeful that thru screening some of hte issues can be avoided but you just never know. i think i will skip pet insurance. Sitting a certain amount a side a month is a fantastic idea - kind of like paying a premium anyway, really. we spent 1300 at the vet last week on my kitty so boy would i have liked a pet fund at that time!!!

 

[simba928]

I have never had pet insurance for any of my animals. I have been extremely lucky and none of them have had any serious conditions (other than my cat who was in renal failure but she only lived 3 and a half weeks after being diagnosed).

I work with a woman, though, who has it. She has 2 rescue mastiffs, one of which was very poorly bred and has a lot of health issues. She's one of those people, as mentioned before, that walks into the vet and the know her and all of her animals by name. (She rescued a beagle with a heart murmer and breast cancer once, she's a sucker for those older, "sickly" animals). The insurance has saved her a lot of money. I would talk to your vet and possibly even the breeder to see if the cost of the insurance outweighs the cost of not having it. With animals, once something happens, it costs a fortune to treat. When my cat got sick, I spent $800 on her in one weekend. Then I had to buy prescription food (and baby food to mix in), fluids, needles, a new blender (I had to mix her prescription canned food, baby food, and warm water so that I could syrringe feed her when she wouldn't eat), etc. She also had to go in a couple times after that weekend for a check. She was worth every penny I spent on her, though.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

I am the type to look into everything like crazy, i am like a dog with a bone DH says. if you want to pm me i can share with you why cavachon might not be a great idea. i have learned A LOT this weekend. I have been in contact with breeders, and the head of the eastern region of ck cavaliers...so helpful these people have been@

A friend of mine is looking for a puppy and I told her she should look into the Cavachons since I thought they were adorable - I'm curious to know why they might not be so good, I don't want to give her bad information. Feel free to PM me!

 

[scottmel]

Simba i share your story. I spent 1200 on my poor kitty last month and we ended up having to put her down. Poor little thing...but i dont mind the money spent but boy would insurance have been gREAT...But from what i have read the premiums keep going up as they get older and then there are deductibles, etc. i will talk to my vet though for his opinion...thanks!

 

[simba928]

A friend of mine is looking for a puppy and I told her she should look into the Cavachons since I thought they were adorable - I'm curious to know why they might not be so good, I don't want to give her bad information. Feel free to PM me!

"Cavachons" aren't a breed. They are a mutt. Same thing you would get if you would go to any shelter in the country. There is no breed standard for them. You have no idea what you are going to get. With a Bichon, you have a size, color, coat, etc. that you can expect. The same with a Cavalier. With a mix, you have no idea what you will get. For example, I have seen a lab/beagle mix that was very tall and thin, maybe about 40 pounds. Size of a smaller lab with the looks of a beagle (coat, coloring, head, etc.). I have also seen a lab/beagle mix that was small and stout, maybe about 20 pound, big chunky head like a lab, short legs. If you put the dogs side by side you would have no idea they were the same mix. Also, any "breeder" that is producing these "cavachons" (the same goes for any of the "designer dogs" such as the doodles, puggles, yorkiepoos, morkies, etc) is NOT a good breeder. A reputable breeder usually focuses on one breed and is in it for the love of the breed, not for the money. They screen the parents and breed 2 dogs that will make the breed stronger (attempt to weed out any health defects, improve temperament, etc.). They would not create a mixed breed dog because that would do nothing to improve their breed. If you really want a mixed breed dog, go to a shelter. There are even a lot of purebreds in shelters (about 25% of the dogs in shelters are purebreds), they just don't have the papers (which if you aren't showing or breeding the dog, that doesn't matter).

 

[scottmel]

Well put, simba. i didn't want an open debate on the forum but you put it so nicely!!! In fct one site I found for cavachons actually had a paypal button to put a deposit on now. like where do they live? who are the parents - how is the health? nothing about that..but hey Ic ould paypal now to hold one!!