When the children were small we had the usual assortment of animals; cats, gerbils, hamsters, and birds. Then more gerbils and hamsters as there lives were short lived. Then as the children grew up, I thought it would be nice to have a dog for myself. So in 1982 I started to drop hints to "He who must be obeyed". NO, was the answer, there is no way we are having a dog.
So Keith decided it was time to put me off the idea. After being told about bitches in season, coat loss, muddy paws all over the house, when it had been raining, walking on cold winter days, and anything else he could say to put me off, 'Trixie' arrived. Then by Christmas Keith was talking about getting another one, so along came 'Gemma'.
That was 22 years ago, and in that time we have had in total counting the 4 we have now, 11 Cavaliers. Each one has had their own personality and been different to each other. They have been different in size and character. Trixie forgot she was a Cavalier and grew to be a big girl 32lbs in fact, when the weight ought to be 12 to 18 lbs. She loved her food, or should I say lived for her food. I remember the time I had friends over, on the day before they went back they bought some Guernsey Gache to take home. Chris had put it on the floor, and I hadn't noticed. When we did, Trixie was tucking in quite happily and it was half gone.
Gemma and Sukie were what I call my ladies. They were very quite and gentle. Rosa was like a streak of lightning when we went out. You would see flashes of white every now and then when she was running around. Shelly would bolt down her food, then stand there shaking waiting to see if anyone would leave a scrap of theirs behind so she could finish if off. Becky and Sophie loved to try and catch rabbits when they were out. They tried and tried but the rabbits were too quick for them. Then they'd have a bash at the birds, but they never got the hang of the way they would fly away; they would still be running after they had gone.
Well at the time there was an advert on the telly advertising dog food, with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. But like everyone else who didn't know anything about the breed, I though it was called King Charles Spaniel, but was soon to find out they are two different dogs completely. Anyway the answer was still NO when I showed him the advert, but I carried on making enquiries about puppies, and by then speaking to different breeders I soon found out it was a Cavalier I was after.
They are pretty easy to feed, but saying that I have one fussy little lady at the moment. But she will have her toast in the morning, Keith has to have a plate with a slice divided up for the four of them, and they go and sit with him to have it, which means I can have mine in peace.
Cavaliers have a wonderful temperament, and make an ideal family pet. They will take as much or as little walking time you can give them, but to see a Cavalier running free enjoying life gives me a lot of pleasure. They do tend to go temporarily deaf when out, as rabbits and birds have priority, but when they lose sight of them they arrive back coming from a different direction that I saw them going. They like the best places to sleep, beds, settees, laps and the cushions, which mine are nearly flat now, being the most favourite. When I am going to do my ironing it's not unusual to find a dog curled up in the basket on top of it.
They do drop their coat so brushing is a must at these times. They love gardening; Keith's pansies are their favourite at the moment, but I think they are supposed to stay in the ground! They come in 4 colours: Blenheim, Tricolour (Black, White & Tan); Ruby and Black & Tan. I have lost them from the ages of 6 to just over 14, but feel that if they live to 10 to 12 years you're not doing bad.
They do have a couple of health problems. The breed is known for having heart problems. I myself have lost three with Mitral Valve disease. Sophie collapsed and died in the waiting room at the vets, and that was not easy to deal with, even though we had known for a long time that she was ill with the problem. Becky died during the night and Keith found her in the morning, and Gemma had to be put to sleep.
There has been a lot of work done with the Cavalier Club in trying to breed these health problems out, but now there is also another problem that is becoming widespread in the breed, it is called Syringomyelia. Signs are usually noticed in dogs between 6 months and 3 years but it has been diagnosed in Cavaliers up to 10 years old. At present the condition can only be identified by MRI Scan or by clinical signs. The most common symptom is scratching on, or in the air near the shoulder when the dog is excited or walking on a lead. However this is not the only symptom and is not always present. Affected dogs and bitches can be sensitive around the head, neck, and front legs and often cry, yelp or scream for no apparent reason. They can develop a permanently twisted neck or have wobbling gait in the hind legs and/or weakness in the front legs. In severely affected cases the dog can suffer so badly that euthanasia becomes the only option.
These are both inherited conditions, so breeding is very important at this time. I have lost 7 of my girls over the years, but would still keep to this breed as it is the one I love the most. All breeds have their problems, as long as we are aware of them and do what we can to help eradicate them.
Cavaliers seem to have a built in clock when it is time to be fed, or go for a walk. When they see a coat they think that it means you're taking them out, even if you've just come home with them. Noisy? Yes they can be, but not all the time. When I get the leads out, yes very. Then they are quite in the car till we are nearly at our destination then they seem to know where we are, so it's a matter of trying to get them out the car before anyone recognises you. When it's dinner time they tell you whatever you are doing to stop it and feed them.
When I go out I have to make sure that I close the lounge curtains, as they will sit on the back of the settee, look out the window and bark at whoever passes by. But whatever their faults I wouldn't part with any of my girls. They have made me many new friends both here and away, and the pleasure they have brought me and will give me can never be measured. And as a last word, do the dogs rule us and the house. Yes, definitely!
For further information on Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a look at
You can find out who has litters due from health screened parents
and further information on any of the health issues.
The girls I have now are proper lap dogs. When I sit down I have Paris on my lap. Tansy sits beside me with her head on what part of the lap is empty, and Saffron and Krysta sit on the back of the settee behind my head, and if I feel like laying down on the settee its not even worth thinking about, they descend on me from all angles.
