Our “Why do we breed” answer:

Growing up with dogs of all sorts: mutts, a Collie, Springer Spaniel, Beagle, Labs; I thought it would be wonderful if we could put all the GOOD parts of these dogs together…and then I experienced them…the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Truly remarkable creatures, my in-laws had a few at a family camping trip and I found them to be sociable, sweet, playful, love-bugs!

A few years later, these same in-laws needed to re-home some of their breeding dogs and knew I adored them, so she generously GAVE me a male and female. In the midst of all of the transformation, I learned about the decrepit health issues this breed is prone to, and fear set in. As you know, fear is a HUGE motivator, and, anyone who knows me will attest, I am a goal-oriented, motivated woman! A fantastic site (that may freak some of you out of even considering the breed) that I try to memorize and check back often is http://www.cavalierhealth.com

Being the “breeding set” that they were, soon we were preparing our home to receive puppies. Again, I was just thrown into this…but I read, asked a lot of questions (it helps when some of my best friends are breeders! Thanks to Kathleen with her Mini Schnauzers, Renae with her Rat Terriers and Terese with her Havanese and Basset Hounds), I was as ready (and nervous) as I could be!

That first litter taught me a LOT. I fell more in love with them and I planned to keep a girl to raise up for a future breeder. We were IN LOVE with Aimee.

All the puppies were amazing; we were in absolute heaven and it was our joy to see them go to several local families: a sister, a friend who needed a support dog and two went to families who would be home to love on them all day…one of the criteria that I learned was that the separation anxiety of this breed is truly HIGH and they do so much better when they have their people around.

I began health testing, yes, I am one of those who was learning AS I WAS GOING. In doing so, we found that even though Aimee tested out fine, she had a stiff gate, which truly could be genetic. We spayed her and found a good home who loves her. We found out that, albeit a rare challenge, she had “Cow Hocks” (“when the hock is set inward, resulting in a splayed look in the back legs”) and could result in hip dysplasia. Ugh. Our hearts were broken, we were now starting over. I now was accountable for all that I was learning. It was high time to go over an above…with absolute integrity!

I immediately fixed both dogs who came to me 2 years prior as they were at the end of their breeding age, and found fur-ever homes through the Cavalier Rescue. I wanted to begin from the foundation and build a Kennel who would be known as having “the highest of health and well being standards” within the breed. This has become my goal, and I hope and pray to have lines that match my goal. Finding puppies who come from health tested lines proved to be quite a challenge.

I went to the KNOWN sites for good lines, AKC! I started, the same way so many others find me…by e-mailing my questions and calling…literally ALL OVER THE NATION to find proven health lines. In addition I began taking the “Bred with Heart” Breeders Course and reading all of the Myra Savant-Harris books on Breeding. I was happy for a clean slate and I spent months researching, wondering if I would ever find MY DREAM DOGS!

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Having health-tested breeding dogs starts from the moment I pick them up. I begin by observing and then taking them to my Veterinarian who is also able to certify in various OFA Certifications (hips/patellas) and my Vet also hosts the Specialists to help in the other testings. Whenever I purchase a puppy, I ask the Breeder to run the horrific STD check, Brucullosis; heartworm test and a thorough fecal panel (checking for Guardia, Coxxidia, and Parvo among the sampling). I have found puppies who have had all three of these and who were NOT ready to go when the Breeders thought they were! At two years of age, OFA will accept the certifications, but I begin seeing the Specialists well before two years to begin testing. I took Willy to his first Cardiologist for a full Echo-cardiogram and found a strong heart!! (See all of Willy’s Tests here: https://www.ofa.org/advanced-search?quicksearch=Buttons%20Sir%20William

Something I found interesting from Breeders in Europe was that they tested ANNUALLY for the heart (Cardiologist can detect the mitral valve heart disease – it is one of the top genetic issues for this breed) and eyes by a Canine Opthamologist due to ” A 2008 study of cavaliers conducted by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation showed that an average of 28% of all CKCSs evaluated had eye problems” http://www.cavalierhealth.org/eyes.htm Luckily for us, we have the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals https://www.ofa.org/ an outside registry where people can CHECK how often the Breeding dogs have been HEALTH CHECKED. In my limited exposure, I find that many breeders say they health check, but when compared, there isn’t the LONGEVITY to prove it (ie. they may have tested ONCE for the heart, but the dog didn’t come from health checked parents and they haven’t kept up on testing annually). I found a Breeder on the East Coast who had records for 30 YEARS!! She had a “sweet, beautiful blenheim boy” that she was willing to part with. I flew to South Carolina and found my boy…my dream boy, Button’s Sir William. I was in LOVE!! I picked him up and found him to be calm and adoring. The next day we toured Williamsburg, VA together.

I researched all of the genetic diseases, called many Veterinarian Research Colleges and was learning from the foundational stages what it would take to have a long-lived, healthy Stud in my home. I found that Paw Print Genetics (as well as GenSol) had some of the best DNA HEALTH TESTING, so I ordered one to ensure Willy wasn’t at High Risk in several of the typical things that Cavaliers are prone to: Dry Eye/Curly Coat/Degenerative Mylopathy to name a few. I am happy to say, Willy is not a HIGH RISK CARRIER for any of these! Yay! You can view Willy’s DNA Test here: https://www.caninehealthcheck.com/kits/results/4620dc6c-a631-4b31-a5be-ac9ac6cfda17/share/

This journey with my Willy was several years ago. I have walked this same journey now several more times, having prematurely retired (spaying/neutering and moving) apx. 6 dogs and puppies within five years due to their limited testing ability (the low test scores proving they may not be fit to genetically breed). I am getting understanding on how to get ahead of the heartbreaks and ask good questions. I have been where so many are…investigating with my brain, eyes and intuition.

Why purebred? Many people, myself including, want to know if purebred is the best way to acquire a puppy. We have wondered if bringing in another breed would help the genetics. Most “experts” would say no. With every breed there is their own kind of special issues. It is best to begin with HEALTHY dogs who have HEALTHY offspring. I am committed, as my lifelong goal to breed with integrity AND heart. May this help the future dog lovers of the world. In this, I have a limit of 5 litters for each dam and will retire her into a loving home at that point. I have each of my dogs checked at minimum, once a year. I hope to always love each and every dog that I have within my home pack! As of yet, I have not ever given Breeding Rights with an adoptive puppy to anyone. I know the work that I have taken to build my kennel to the health that they are in, and I am not willing to throw it away on anyone who could, potentially, ruin this for us…and the breed.

Most people find our kennel through the main AKC website . As an AKC Breeder, I agree to variety of Standards in Operating my Kennel. I personally appreciate this within the Dog Breeding World. No, as I have found (the hard way) people who have their puppies registered through AKC do NOT always adhere to the standards (of each specific Club Standards). When people find me and my puppies on http://www.akc.marketplace.com I have a list of questions that I ask before even beginning the conversation about future puppies. It is super important that folks adhere to the standards that I set for my Adoptive Homes. If folks quickly click through and do not use the “Message Breeder” button, here are some of the questions I will ask of you:

Do you have experience with the Breed? What health Challenges are you most concerned with (hint: many of these are within this blog)? Do you have a fenced yard? Does your schedule allow you to be with your furry companion most of the time? (They HATE being left alone.) and Are you okay with learning a Wholistic Approach to Puppy Raising?

Our family has purchased animals from, volunteered and contributed financially to the local Humane Shelter. There is a place for shelters, but there is also a place for Breeders. It has been said that if all Breeders would take the time to be sensitive to the issues of each breed, testing for longevity, then the shelters would be empty.

I hope this helps you to understand my “why”. If this has brought any other questions to mind, feel free to post below for others! Meanwhile, you can see more about what’s happening in our kennel by following us on social media. Have you gone through a Reputable Breeder who has followed the steps listed above? Feel free to share your experience. It really does help!