So you’d like a cavalier...!

Many people will feel they definitely want a cavalier. But remember -- you will be taking on the responsibility of a living animal! 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.

Cavaliers are very loving dogs which bond closely to their owner, 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 (they are very food-motivated and easily respond to positive training methods!). 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.

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). Cavaliers can be particularly prone to separation anxiety -- 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 dogs end up in 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, than 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 mat badly if not brushed through several times weekly. As they are small dogs, close to the ground, their long coats pick up dirt more easily.

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 in Ireland). 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?), anyone can walk in and take your dog, and other dogs can come in and attack it. There is also a high rate of dog 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 and you should ask a prospective breeder whether they follow breeding protocols for hearts and for syringomyelia; they 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 potential cost. More on Cavalier Health can be found at the Cavalier Health and Cavalier Campaign websites.