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Cavalier King Charles Right For Us?


Tint
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Good day all, lovely to see you.

I'm hoping to hear from a few Cavalier KC people here as I believe in terms of size and termperament that this could be the breed for us. We will be first time dog owners, I want a fairly calm dog which will be very family and children friendly. I am home a lot during the week, hubby is at home on weekends when I am at work. We have a large back yard, very secure. I have a few questions if anyone can give some advice....

How do the KC Cav do at obedience? I would really like a dog that I can take to an obedience club and work with, and I haven't seen this breed mentioned in obedience...

Also from some pictures I have seen there looks (to my inexperienced eye) to be a bit of variation in snout/muzzle lengths between breeders? Even in the pup pics here ATM. Would this be right? I am in Melbourne and would like to find a breeder in my state if possible as I am one of those people that needs the security of knowing I can call my breeder for advice/help if needed, and be given a plethora of information with my pup... (Esp as a first time puppy owner).

As a comparison I have also been looking at the Cardigan Corgi...

Thanks so much in advance, feel free to PM me if you prefer :)

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Cavaliers can do well at obedience :) I used to trial one many years ago. They respond very well to positive training. Gretel actually won the open ring, beating one of the top triallers and judges at the time. A couple I bred have excelled at agility too.

Yes muzzles do vary quite a bit.

Do you want a dog that will be a house dog? Cavaliers are house dogs. They thrive on company.

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Thank you for your reply. Absolutely a house dog, probably more inside than out lol We will be installing a dog door, so pup can go in and out as desired. I do prefer the muzzle that is a little longer, to those that are on the shorter side... Getting involved in obedience is a strong desire of mine, so the ability to do well here will really determine the breed we end up getting. Glad to hear your Gretel was so good at it! Well done!

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If your in no rush attend the cavalier club of Victoria shows in June to see what there is.

I always tell people when attending shows that its more to see the dogs in real life than to go there & talk all day to the people because the day is about people showing there dogs & watching the other exhibits .

If you see dogs you like ask for a kennel card .also contact the Cavie club of Vic about what health tests should be done .

There are plenty of great breeders in Vic so alot depends if your after a set colour & sex & as for obedience they excel ,they are a sproting spaniel so should be an outgoing dog that is very functional

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CKCS are great dogs ... You can never know what type of personality traits you will get in a Cav.

Lacey my Cav is very friendly but doesn't like small children much, only because when they see her they get all excited and squeal which startles her sometimes.... She is very bossy, she tells my Kelpie and my cat off if she isn't happy about something lol., she loves water especially when the hose is on ????.

She has had 2 LP surgeries but she gets Sashas blend in her food daily.. She loves her food so I am mindful of what she eats.

Oh and they are extremely addictive .. Once you get one you want more as you can tell by other Cav owners in here lol.

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Thank you Showdog and Marg, much appeciated. Definitely not in a hurry, it is very important to me to find the right breeder for me. I am quite partial to a Black and Tan I have to admit. The June show sounds fantastic, are the details on the Vic Club website? I'll have a look... Thanks again.

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I want a fairly calm dog which will be very family and children friendly:

My boys are typically very calm around the house, and are children friendly, however do also love their adventures.

I love Cavs because they are 0-90 dogs. 0km/h one moment, then happy to go hiking, swimming, etc the next! and mine would/do go all day if i do.

My guys are walked everyday, with some off leash running and swimming too, then when i am out i leave them with kongs. I don't find mine are very bark dogs. Deniki barks most at things when he is really tired, its like an overtired child and is quite hilarious laugh.gif and then if someone is at the door. The others are all generally quiet.

Like Marg said, they do love their food, so you have to be mindful of that. And also have a fair few health issues, so just make sure the breeders are health testing their breeding dogs.

From this picture here you can see the differences in muzzles between my two and my sisters (not the best pic, but the only one on my computer here!). All of them differ, so just have a look at the breeders dogs to see what type they commonly have :)

24988241649_23e0a66652_z.jpg

I unfortunately can't help with any breeders in VIC, but do suggest that visiting a show is a good way to meet them and see their dogs :)

How do the CKCS do at obedience?

I don't know in terms of competitive obedience, as its not something i have done.

However, i do agility, do lots of trick training and am dabbling in flyball.

All of my boys are very eager to please, as well as food motivated, so training is a breeze. They are quite intelligent and pick most things up very quickly.

I have also been looking at the Cardigan Corgi...

I don't know too much about the breed, but the couple i know are a bit more full on, and a bit more barky. But that is based off only 2 dogs :laugh:

Edited by denali
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Guest crazydoglady99

Wow!! I had no idea what Cavs were like! But after reading this thread I think I might *need* one :) :)

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Oh and I meant to add too ... Lacey was very good at picking up on toilet training, in fact it was so easy she was fully toilet trained by the time she was 12 weeks old. She is very motivated by food , she would do a back flip for food if she could ????

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The Cavalier was developed as a companion dog and is pretty good at its job. The Corgi is basically a tiny cattle dog with a big personality. The Corgis i have known have been delightful but quite full on and taken a few yrs to settle down nicely. You can do herding trials with a Corgi.

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Do they shed? Or do you clip them?

They do shed, and i also clip two of mine during summer for the humidity here in QLD, they are much more comfortable with shorter hair (though i don't shave them right back).

But i have also found that feeding them a good diet high in omega oils has really curbed the shedding.

that and a quick brush every day and i barely get any hair on the floor.

My cat is another story, shorthaired but man does he shed! :laugh:

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Yes, Cavs can definitely do really well at obedience, Rally O and agility. There's a girl in Melbourne who has some lovely working dogs. Really lovely obedience work.

A friend here has a girl who adapted really well first to her marriage and then to moving house and the arrival of a baby ..all without turning a hair..oh and she lives happily with a cat. (although they do both hunt rabbits more they live on the outer suburban fringe. :-)

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Yes, Cavs can definitely do really well at obedience, Rally O and agility. There's a girl in Melbourne who has some lovely working dogs. Really lovely obedience work.

A friend here has a girl who adapted really well first to her marriage and then to moving house and the arrival of a baby ..all without turning a hair..oh and she lives happily with a cat. (although they do both hunt rabbits more they live on the outer suburban fringe. :-)

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Thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate your responses. Corgis do seem a little more work than the Cavs, although I do have plenty of time to walk twice a day. I will put the June show on my calendar now lol

What are the health tests that breeders should be doing? EF and Dry Eye Curly Coat? Anything else? Ta

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Thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate your responses. Corgis do seem a little more work than the Cavs, although I do have plenty of time to walk twice a day. I will put the June show on my calendar now lol

What are the health tests that breeders should be doing? EF and Dry Eye Curly Coat? Anything else? Ta

Mitral valve disease is the biggest killer of Cavaliers :(

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