So you’d like a cavalier...

Many people will feel they definitely want a cavalier based on the way they look, or from meeting one, or from seeing one on TV or in a magazine. But remember you will be taking on the responsibility of a living animal -- and be sure to learn as much as possible about this breed and its personality and habits, to be sure that this is indeed the right breed for you.

Generally:

Cavaliers are very loving, indoor-living dogs which bond very closely to their family, are outgoing and friendly, happy to be couch potatoes but also ready for a long and vigorous hike. Many have described them as a large dog in a small dog body. Though individuals vary, they generally do not bark very much, enjoy children, and get along with other pets -- dogs or cats. Cavaliers can be very good at competitive obedience and agility and are generally easy to train. Most of us who own them find them addictive -- you can't own just one!

You will easily find a million reasons for wanting a cavalier. But it is important to also consider some of the potential downsides as there are a few that could mean this breed might not be the right one for you. The list below gives the warts and all view that you won't get in most places. The 'warts' in many cases are simply the flip side of what many of us consider the breed's wonderful positives, but not everyone finds these are qualities they want or feel they can manage.

Cautions (a word about kids and cavaliers and getting a dog 'for the children'):

This is a small breed and may not be appropriate to a home with small children (under 7). The puppies in particular are very small and it is easy for a small child to accidentally harm -- seriously -- a small cavalier. Many breeders will not home cavalier puppies to homes with young children for this reason. They are generally a good breed with kids, but an extra level of responsibility comes with taking on a cavalier if you have young kids -- all interactions must be supervised by an adult. Keep in mind that even the sweetest children can be very cruel to each other when unsupervised, and the same goes for children with animals. YOU need to be there to watch! It simply makes sense all around to be extra vigilant -- and to use the opportunity to have children learn responsibility and kindness to animals.

If you have toddlers or a baby in the house, please remember that a puppy -- and some rescue dogs, because of the background they come from -- is going to be ANOTHER baby in the house and will need regular attention, housebreaking, training, feeding and grooming... it might be better to consider an adult dog, or to wait until the children are older, unless everyone can commit to the amount of additional time a puppy needs. Finally, remember the ADULTS must have the responsibility for the dog. While it is wonderful for kids to grow up with a dog, most children quickly lose interest in the day to day care of the dog they begged for, so always take on a dog as a whole family commitment, not 'for the children to look after." A child may decide she does not want to walk the dog today, but the dog nonetheless needs to be walked as a daily task (or a daily pleasure, as we dog-lovers would see it!) -- and shouldn't be walked by an angry child forced to do so; it will need to be walked by adult, level-headed, responsible YOU. And don't forget the dog will also need you for the next decade or more -- a dog is a long term commitment, very likely past the point when your children will have left home for an apartment or for college where they will not be able to bring the dog. Hence make sure the long term commitment and responsibility for daily care are ones the grown-ups are willing to make.

Potential breed negatives:

Clinginess: Cavaliers have hundreds of years of breeding in them to make them 'clingy' -- one original role for the dog was to keep people warm, and thus a dog that wanted to always be with (and preferably, on the lap of!) humans was needed. A cavalier will want you in eyesight at all times and will follow you around the house throughout the day, often right at your heels. You cannot just put it out in the garden and shut the door -- a cavalier will love the opportunity to play in a garden if you have one but by nature will find it very alarming and distressing to be left out on its own -- and leaving them in this way can create some serious anxiety and hence behaviour problems. They are not following you around because they are overly needy, or spoiled, but because it is their very nature to do so. If this is a disconcerting thought, a breed  more independent and aloof will probably suit you better.

Separation anxiety: Likewise, cavaliers aren't a great breed for people working long hours unless you are committed to making accommodations, such as having a dog walker come in midday, taking the dog to doggie daycare, and/or acquiring a second companion dog (but NOT two puppies at the same time, which is setting up major challenges). These things are of course true for any breed, but cavaliers can be particularly prone to separation anxiety because they are so closely attached to their family. If people are out all day, you'll need to take into consideration how to keep your cavalier happy in the hours when you are not there -- and also to consider whether this is fair on the dog. Remember, a major reason for dogs to be handed in to pounds and shelters is "I work all day and find the dog needs more attention than I can give it". It is far better to honestly decide whether this is the case for you now, BEFORE you get the dog, then go through the stress to both you and the dog of having to rehome it later. Rescue dogs find it particularly distressing to be rehomed again as they have come from unstable backgrounds already, so please consider these aspects of taking on a dog very carefully.

Shedding and grooming: Cavaliers are sometimes listed as a 'moderately' shedding breed but individuals vary enormously and 'moderate' is relative! Most people find they shed a lot unless they've owned one of the champion shedder breeds before, in which case a cavalier might indeed seem 'moderate'. Their coats require regular, ideally daily, grooming and can matt badly if not brushed through several times weekly. As they are small dogs, close to the ground, their long coats pick up leaves, brambles and dirt more easily on walks than taller breeds. The good news is that dirt tends to brush out easily once they dry.

No 'road sense': No animal has any real 'road sense' and any dog should never be allowed offlead near traffic or left to wander around a neighbourhood alone (this is also AGAINST THE LAW). But cavaliers are actually bred to be 'fearless' -- it is in the breed description and a quality they are judged for in the show ring!  -- and this makes them quite happy to walk directly in front of oncoming cars. They can simply NEVER be allowed offlead in areas where there are cars, and must be carefully trained on recall, so that they will come when called. Cavaliers are spaniels and many retain a strong prey drive which will send them off after birds, squirrels or butterflies, out of earshot, or again potentially into traffic. Therefore they need a fenced yard or to be on the lead when outside. An electric collar 'invisible fence' is NOT acceptable -- setting aside the cruelty aspects (would you shock your child to discipline it?),  not least because anyone can walk in and take your dog, and other dogs can come in and attack it. There is also a high rate of theft of cavaliers in Ireland, another reason not to leave your dog to wander and not to leave it with access to a back garden when you are not there to supervise.

Health issues: Cavaliers are a reconstructed breed, redeveloped in the first part of the 1900s, and come from a restricted gene pool. While all purebreds by their nature have a more limited gene pool which can throw up breed-specific health issues, cavaliers unfortunately have two quite serious health conditions, mitral valve disease (where the heart valve gradually fails but at a much earlier age than is normal for toy breeds) and a neurological condition called syringomyelia. The incidence of both is very high in the breed, by any standards. Good breeders are working to lower the incidence of both these afflictions (you can read more on each, here http://www.cavaliertalk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=26 ) and you should ask a prospective breeder whether they follow breeding protocols for hearts and for syringomyelia; they should definitely be following the heart protocol at minimum, as it has been around for years, and should be open about both these health issues in the breed. Most cavalier owners will ultimately be treating their cavalier for MVD (50% of cavaliers have a murmur by age 5) so be sure you are prepared to take on this task and cost.