Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Owners?

[lactatinggirl]

Hello! I'm just wondering if anyone else owns one of these little cuties. I'm so happy we decided to go with this breed! Our last dog was aggressive and it's just great to have a dog that is so fun, loving, and happy! She rarely minds DD (22 months) bothering her and if she does, she yipes rather than bites.

Curie is a 5 month old Blenheim female and she was about 8 lbs at our last vet appointment. She goes with me everywhere that she possibly can and I wish I could take her everywhere in general! She's actually sleeping on my lap right now! We took her to a Cavalier play group last weekend and she loved it! We're also doing puppy training and she's a stubborn little mess!

[Oubliette8]

Hi!
I have a 9 year old tri color female. I've had her for 4 years now. They are great little dogs. I've seen at least one other Cavalier owner around here somewhere. Nice to meet you!

[rcr]

I took over the care of a king Charles caviler last march when I moved my mother with Alzheimer's across the country into assisted living near me. I am happy to hear that this dog actually has the potential to be sweet. My mom's dog pees in the house, tries to bite my child, snaps at my two dogs, and chases our cats. I am sure she would do harm to them if she could catch them. She also has chewed through our door frames and screens and chewed through two steel crates (causing a lot of dental damage to herself). She causes me more stress than my toddler or my late-stage-Alzheimer's mother. If it were not for the fact that I feel like I owe it to my mom to keep the dog, she would have been gone a long time ago. I wish I could somehow make it work better, since now she is only confined to the kitchen where she can't do much more damage than she has already done.

I am glad to know it is not just the breed. My dream is to get her to a good place where she would be a good pet for somebody who would love her, but she has a long way to go before that can happen.

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by Oubliette8 

Hi!
I have a 9 year old tri color female. I've had her for 4 years now. They are great little dogs. I've seen at least one other Cavalier owner around here somewhere. Nice to meet you!

Oh tri-colors are so cute! Have you had any issues with her health? I've heard different numbers with life expectancy from different people. I know that they have a lot of potential for health problems. 

Originally Posted by rcr 

I took over the care of a king Charles caviler last march when I moved my mother with Alzheimer's across the country into assisted living near me. I am happy to hear that this dog actually has the potential to be sweet. My mom's dog pees in the house, tries to bite my child, snaps at my two dogs, and chases our cats. I am sure she would do harm to them if she could catch them. She also has chewed through our door frames and screens and chewed through two steel crates (causing a lot of dental damage to herself). She causes me more stress than my toddler or my late-stage-Alzheimer's mother. If it were not for the fact that I feel like I owe it to my mom to keep the dog, she would have been gone a long time ago. I wish I could somehow make it work better, since now she is only confined to the kitchen where she can't do much more damage than she has already done.

I am glad to know it is not just the breed. My dream is to get her to a good place where she would be a good pet for somebody who would love her, but she has a long way to go before that can happen.

Have you done a training class at all? This breed is super cute, but also ridiculously suborn. They also have a high chasing instinct. I would definitely suggest going to a good trainer and having them evaluate the dog. If the trainer thinks she's fixable, go ahead and do it. If the dog is driving you crazy and putting your children at risk of being bit, you should look into rehoming or putting her down. Sadly, I'm speaking from experience here. It's just not worth driving yourself crazy over a dog who can't be fixed. 

[Oubliette8]

I've had no breed related health issues so far. I feel very lucky, as she was a rescue. But, I knew if her heart was good at 5 years old, we were probably ok. The safest option is to go to a breeder who does all the health testing and follows the protocols, but that can be hard to find even among breeders who otherwise do everything right. I also have her on supplements to help try and prevent issues. Many Cavalier owners I know give 30mg CoQ10 daily. When they start depends on the dog, its origins, and the owners preference. If you do it, make sure to get the gel capsules, they are absorbed best by the body. The stats are 50% of Cavaliers will have a heart murmur by age 5. Its the early murmurs that are an issue in the breed, many small breeds get murmurs later in live. Kara is nearly 10, and so far murmur free, for which I am thankful. Life expectancy varies by the lines your dog comes from, and of course, any health issues. I've heard of Cavaliers in their late teens. But most I think early teens is a reasonable expectancy. Say, 11-13 or so.

As far as stubbornness and high chase instinct, that has NOT been my experience. They are descended from bird dogs, so can be a little "birdy" at times, but they don't have a high prey drive like a husky or terrier would. They are eager to please, but sometimes a bit slow. I know owners who do very well in obedience and agility with them. Some Cavalier breeders suggest they should never be trusted offleash, but I believe this is misguided. Bird dogs are bred to work offleash. Cavaliers are not much different. With proper training many Cavaliers do. Mine has a good recall, and enjoys off leash recreation.

RCR, I seem to recall your story. What that dog went through probably would have turned any dog unstable. Thats not standard for the breed at all. Cavaliers are known for being happy, outgoing, friendly, loving dogs. Have you looked into Cavalier rescue? They are very good about taking in just about any Cavalier, even those with big issues. And they would likely have an experienced foster home that could work through her issues without having to worry about harm to children or other pets. If you are interested, I could see if I have any contacts who could help.

[lactatinggirl]

Personally, my dog is very stubborn with just getting to listen during training. Of course, all puppies are fairly stubborn, but my trainer (who is very reputable and recommended in our area) says that pretty much all Cavs she's trained have been stubborn. They can get past this with training though. It just takes a little longer sometimes. Possibly you've been lucky? 

As for the chase instinct, I consider that something different than a "prey drive". Cavs I've seen just enjoy running around and chasing things, but not actually doing anything mean if they catch what they're chasing. Honestly though, I don't have a lot of experience in that area. I've mostly just lifted that information from what I've read about the breed, including the wiki page. Then again, I've also heard the same thing you're talking about with the breed not to be trusted off leash and especially not anywhere they can be near cars (probably because of said chase instinct?) and I've had no issue with my dog even being interested with cars around her. 

Originally Posted by Oubliette8 

As far as stubbornness and high chase instinct, that has NOT been my experience. They are descended from bird dogs, so can be a little "birdy" at times, but they don't have a high prey drive like a husky or terrier would. They are eager to please, but sometimes a bit slow. I know owners who do very well in obedience and agility with them. Some Cavalier breeders suggest they should never be trusted offleash, but I believe this is misguided. Bird dogs are bred to work offleash. Cavaliers are not much different. With proper training many Cavaliers do. Mine has a good recall, and enjoys off leash recreation.

[annie46]

HI THERE

IT ANN FROM SHROPSHIRE ENGLAND.WE HAVE HAD A CAVALIER K.C.SPANIEL FOR TEN YEARS AND FROM DAY ONE SHE HAS BEEN SO APPEALING,LOVEABLE WHO LIKES SLEEPING OR EATING ALL DAY.SHE AS NEVER ONCE BEEN VICIOUS.JUST WATCHES WITH APPEALING EYES WHEN YOU ARE EATING! WE CAN  LEAVE HER FOR MODERATE PERIODS OF TIME AND SHE JUST GETS ON OUR BED AND LISTENS TO RADIO.WE HAVE TO WAKE HER UP THEN.ONE SNAG IS THAT SHE HAS SEPERATION ANXIETY WHEN WE GO TO STRANGE PLACES.HONESTLY SHE WILL START HOWLING WHEN LEFT OUTSIDE A SHOP WITH HUBBIE OR THE REVERSE WITH ME.IT SAVES US MONEY WHEN WE GO ON HOLIDAYS ETC HAS WE NOT ABLE TO GO IN SHOPS TOGETHER.NEVER WOULD PUT HER IN KENNELS.

DO NOT KNOW WHO WILL ANSWER THIS E-MAIL BUT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE E-MAIL CONTACT WITH OTHER OWNERS.

ALL THE BEST

ANNIE

[mamarhu]

Years ago, I had a great Cav. Napoleon's only fault was that he squeezed out the front door anytime it was opened, and then returned only when he was good and ready! Besides that one obnoxious habit, he was easy to train, and easy to live with. He lived to 14, and we have nothing but fond memories.