become a member of your family and, as such, needs to be wanted by everyone. Even if one family member says they will be responsible for the dog’s care, there will be times when that person cannot do so, in which case somebody else must take over. An adult must have ultimate responsibility for the dog’s welfare, because children cannot take on full responsibility for it – no matter how much they might beg, plead and cajole that they will. Never fall into the trap of buying a puppy just ‘for the children’. A dog is for the whole family and he will be part of the family.
What will it cost?
Can you afford to care for a dog?
The actual purchase price of a puppy, however expensive, is actually a minor consideration when you total up the additional and day-to-day costs of caring for a dog, such as food, vaccinations and general veterinary care. There will also be the initial outlay for equipment, including a bed, bedding, collar and lead, toys, feeding bowls, etc. It is also part of being a responsible dog owner to consider pet insurance, which will obviously help offset the cost of unexpected veterinary bills, as well as microchipping and/or tattooing for the purposes of identification.
Can you keep a dog?
Is your home suitable for a dog, and, if it is rented property, are you allowed to keep a dog there? Ideally, if you are considering owning a dog – even a small breed like a Cavalier – you should have a securely fenced back garden, or at least a shared garden or back yard. This will make it easier for your dog to go outside to toilet and get some basic exercise.
Many breeders and, especially, rescue societies will not consider homing a dog to a person living in a high-rise flat or who does not have a properly secured garden. Even if you don’t have a garden, this should not completely rule you out from dog ownership, but you have to be prepared to take your dog outside for walks four or five times a day, every day, regardless of the weather.
Will your family life change?
Will your present circumstances always remain the same? It’s a sad fact, but divorce can happen, causing couples or family units to break up, and you should consider what would happen to your dog, i.e. whether one party could still care for him, or whether he could remain with the reduced family group. Maybe you are planning to start a family – the arrival of a new baby can cause disruption to even the most placid household, so be sure that you can still give your dog plenty of attention.
How old are you?
Are you retired or planning to retire in the near future? If you are senior in years, you have to consider whether you will be fit enough to look after a young dog. It may not be a problem initially, but a lot can happen in the 10 years of a dog’s life and you might not be as sprightly then as you are now.
Cavalier puppies look so cute and appealing, but you should only buy one for the right reasons after giving due consideration to your lifestyle, work and family commitments.
Cavalier puppies need a well-balanced diet if they are to grow and thrive, as well as plenty of interesting toys to play with.
Of course, taking a dog for a walk is great exercise and there are proven health benefits to pet ownership, including lower stress levels and better mental agility. However, you should consider whether an older Cavalier – maybe a rehomed dog from a rescue centre – might suit you better than a boisterous puppy.
Do you travel?
Do you go away for long weekends, short breaks, holidays or business trips? You also have to be mindful of what to do with your dog when you go away.
Nowadays, there are many ‘dog friendly’ hotels, B & Bs and rented holiday accommodation which welcome families with dogs, but these are very popular and get booked up quickly. if you are planning to take your dog abroad, you will have to sign up to the PETS Travel Scheme whereby dogs can accompany their owners, as long as they have all the necessary vaccinations and blood tests beforehand, and the correct paperwork (the so-called ‘pet passport’). Again, this needs to be planned well in advance – you cannot simply take your dog to the ferry terminal or airport and say ‘He’s with us’. If he is not going on holiday with you, he needs to be boarded at suitable commercial boarding kennels, or you will need the services of a dog-sitter, who is CRB checked, whether this is a friend or someone offering a professional dog sitting service.
Acquiring your puppy
Having decided that you want to get a puppy and your work, lifestyle, home and family commitments make dog ownership possible, where do you start looking? Some people head for the high street, but buying a puppy from a pet shop or a commercial dealer should be avoided at all costs – and not just financial ones. That is not to say that all pet shops are bad – although nowadays there aren’t many that sell puppies – nor that all commercial breeders are puppy farmers who exist only to mass produce ‘cash crop’ breeds, which includes the Cavalier along with other popular family breeds such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
Advertisements
There is no shortage of advertisements for puppies of any breed in your local newspapers, advertising papers and magazines, and there may be cards in a local newsagent’s window, advertising puppies for sale. There are thousands of online advertisements, too, but, generally, it is best to avoid these. Some breeders do advertise single breeds for sale and may be perfectly reputable, but avoid any breeder or establishment that offers multiple breeds for sale, as this may be a puppy farm, where ‘cash crop’ breeds are bred intensively. Puppies from such places often tend to be sickly and ill socialized.
Also, avoid dealing with anyone who says they will meet you at a motorway service station to deliver a puppy to you. Needless to say, avoid dealing with ‘the man in the pub’ who offers you a pedigree puppy. At best, it is most likely stolen; at worst, it will have been bred by a ‘backstreet breeder’ (a small-scale puppy farmer, in effect) and may have serious welfare problems. You will not get a good pedigree Cavalier puppy cheaply. By buying from puppy farms, ‘men in pubs’ and backstreet breeders, you are simply encouraging the overproduction of unsocialized dogs with serious welfare problems.
Note: Sometimes local dog training clubs or veterinary surgeries will have details of a reputable breeder who has a litter of puppies and may be able to put you in touch with them.
Breeders
The best place to buy your Cavalier puppy will be from a reputable breeder, who is an enthusiast and has a great deal of experience with the breed and will probably exhibit Cavaliers frequently at dog shows. However, even amongst specialist breeders there will be the good and the not so good, so you need to do some research before making a decision on which dog to buy from whom. Begin by checking out the advertisements in the weekly specialist canine newspapers – Our Dogs and Dog World in the UK.
The Kennel Club is another good starting point as they will direct you to local Cavalier Clubs in your area as well as nationally. Log on to the Kennel Club website for more details. The breed clubs can supply
