Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Breeders
How to find a Cavalier breeder in the United States
Cavalier Rescue
Considering the serious genetic health defects which afflict the Cavalier King
Charles spaniel as a breed, it is important to find breeders who take health
testing of their breeding stock very seriously. Unfortunately, it is not an easy
task for the puppy buyer.
Most Cavalier King Charles spaniel breeders in the United States are quick to
tell the pet buyer that they are "responsible" or "reputable" or even "ethical",
and that they "health test" their Cavaliers. However, very few of those
breeders fully test their breeding stock for severe genetic disorders and
follow responsible breeding health protocols.
In our 37 years of observing the American CKCS breeding scene, never has
there been more information about inherited health problems available to
Cavalier breeders, and never have there been more Cavalier breeders who
either fail to test their breeding stock or ignore the results of those tests.
Clare Rusbridge, BVMS PhD DipECVN MRCVS, of the Stone Lion
Veterinary Centre, Wimbledon, UK, who has devoted many years to the
study of genetic diseases in thousands of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels,
stated recently in a report about Cavaliers in the Journal of Heredity that
"some breeders believe that highlighting health issues may reduce puppy
sales and/or compromise their breeding program and thus endanger their
livelihood."
An example is the heart mitral valve disease (MVD) breeding protocol. The
MVD Breeding Protocol was announced to Cavalier breeders in the United
States in 1998 and was promptly endorsed by the board of directors of the
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, USA, a nationwide registry of Cavaliers.
Since then, the vast majority of breeders have refused to follow those minimum
breeding standards designed to eliminate early-onset MVD in future
generations of Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Lennart Swenson, M.Sci., the
Swedish canine geneticist who devised the MVD breeding protocol, said,
"The biggest reason that breeding schemes fail is that breeders don't
follow them!" And yet, most of the breeders will insist that they health-test
their Cavaliers for MVD, a meaningless claim at best.
For example, if a breeder has his 24 month old Cavalier examined for MVD,
and the dog passes the examination with a murmur-free heart, those results are
meaningless for breeding purposes because, under the MVD Breeding Protocol,
no Cavalier should be bred that young. Also, under the MVD Breeding
Protocol, the examining veterinarian must be a board certified cardiologist.
Some CKCS breeders have been known to have their dogs' hearts examined
and determined to be murmur-free only by their general practitioner
veterinarians, and then those breeders falsely claim that their dogs are certified
to be free of MVD.
To avoid dealing with breeders who make false claims about their CKCSs,
it is important to ask each breeder about the genetic health tests
performed on his Cavaliers, and about the results of those tests, and insist
upon receiving copies of their test reports and test clearance certificates,
signed by the examining veterinarians, before considering buying a
Cavalier from that breeder. We have a webpage of ten questions about these
tests, which you may ask each breeder.
You may conclude that any breeder who fails to provide copies of those reports
and certificates, or worse yet, who denies that they are important, is a breeder
who does not fully health test his Cavaliers.
It is equally important that breeders who do have their Cavalier breeding stock
tested for genetic disorders also not breed those Cavaliers which do not pass
those tests. This should be obvious, but there are breeders of CKCSs who test
their dogs, find that the dogs failed one or more of the tests, and breed those
dogs anyway.
HOW TO FIND A BREEDER OF CAVALIER KING CHARLES
SPANIELS
in the United States
We steer clear of recommending any particular breeders. Finding a breeder who has
followed the health testing protocols often depends upon the particular litter. A breeder
may breed an underaged female once or twice, and then by the time the breeder is ready
to breed her the next time, she no longer is underaged and may have been tested and
passed those tests. Instead, we provide 10 Questions for Breeders which is a list of the
most important genetic health questions which buyers should ask every Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel breeder, and we provide the TOP TEN: Breeders' Worst
Excuses to prepare the buyer for the run-around to expect from some Cavalier
breeders.
A few tips for narrowing the field:
Never buy a Cavalier King Charles spaniel from a pet store or a broker. Buy a
Cavalier only from its breeder, and communicate only with that breeder. If a "breeder"
claims that she "imports only quality puppies", she is a broker and not the breeder of
those puppies.
Do not focus solely on breeders who have websites or who advertise on the
Internet.
Go to this website: www.caninehealthinfo.org/search.html It lists dogs which meet
certain minimum health test standards. Check out the list of Cavaliers and look for the
names of kennels or breeders with the most entries. Contact those breeders, and also ask
them for names of other breeders they recommend.
Ask volunteers at health clinics sponsored by Cavalier clubs. There are two
national CKCS breed clubs in the United States: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club,
USA ("CKCSC,USA") and the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club
("ACKCSC"), and both of them have regional Cavalier clubs related to them. We list
upcoming health clinics. For each clinic, we include the name and contact information
for persons who have volunteered to set up and lead the volunteers at the clinic. If there is
a nearby Cavalier club health clinic on the schedule (they are printed in red in Table 2),
plan to go to the clinic, meet the volunteers, and ask them for recommended breeders. Or,
call the contact person for a Cavalier clinic and ask for their recommendations. Better yet,
volunteer yourself to help out at a Cavalier King Charles spaniel health clinic and meet
both the other volunteers and the breeders who bring in their breeding stock for testing.
Ask breed club health committee chairmen. Usually (but not always), the breeders
who volunteer to lead health committees are more committed to health testing than the
average breeder. Most CKCS clubs have their own websites, which list club officers and
committee chairmen. Find out who the health committee chairmen are and contact them
for recommendations. The websites of the two national Cavalier parent clubs are
www.ckcsc.org and www.ackcsc.org. You can find links to the regional and local
Cavalier club websites on the "links" webpages of these national Cavalier clubs.
Check out the "Health & Conformation Class" entries in CKCSC,USA
conformation shows. The entries in this class must meet certain health test criteria, and
the owners who enter their Cavaliers in this class may know of health-conscious breeders
to recommend. For information about the CKCSC,USA's Health & Conformation Class,
contact C. Anne Eckersley, email chadwik@optonline.net
Be very skeptical of breeders who:
Claim that all of their breeding stock has been tested and cleared of genetic
diseases. Insist that the breeder provide you with legible copies of the litter's sire's and
dam's medical clearance certificates or medical reports, signed by the examining
cardiologists, ophthalmologists, and other veterinary specialists. See 10 Questions for
Breeders. Even worse, we recently found a Cavalier breeder's website which claims
mitral valve disease is due to a magnesium deficiency!
Claim their Cavaliers are "from champion bloodlines". Insist that the breeder
provide you with copies of championship certificates. If the championships are not from
well-known registries and Cavalier King Charles spaniel clubs, like the CKCSC,USA or
the American Kennel Club ("AKC") or any the national kennel clubs of Canada,
England, France, Sweden, or other western European countries, then be very wary. Also,
do not assume that breeders who have bred many conformation champion Cavaliers also
follow the health testing and breeding protocols. It is a lot easier to breed
conformation champions when the breeder ignores health testing and protocols. See
10 Questions for Breeders.
Offer several breeds in addition to Cavaliers. The more breeds a breeder offers for
sale, the more likely that breeder is a puppy miller or a broker.
Claim to offer health guarantees, or even "very strong health guarantees" or the like.
Insist on getting copies of these guarantees before you pay any money to these breeders.
Claim that they are "reputable" or "responsible" or "ethical" or the like.
Anybody can call themselves those things. There is one Cavalier breeder who even calls
her kennel "pre-eminent". Those are terms that only other people should use to honestly
describe the breeders, and should not be used by the breeders to describe themselves.
Offer IRISH IMPORTS! There are some very fine Cavaliers which are whelped and
raised by breeders in Ireland. BUT...unfortunately, many, many CKCS importers -- who
will claim that they are breeders or relatives of breeders -- will import puppies from Irish
puppy farms and offer them for sale in the U.S. For example, if a U.S. breeder offers to
sell you a Cavalier puppy from Ireland, she is an importer and not the breeder of that dog.
Remember: buy a Cavalier King Charles spaniel only from its breeder, and
communicate only with that breeder.
Do not have any or much health information on their websites. Be particularly
careful if the breeder tries to downplay the significance of Cavaliers' serious health
problems, like mitral valve disease. The facts are that Cavaliers are 21 times more likely
to develop MVD than the average breed, and Cavaliers tend to develop MVD much
earlier than other breeds. You can find out the truth about MVD in Cavaliers here. We
recently came upon a Cavalier breeder's website that lists only undescended testicles
and umbilical hernias as the hereditary health problems in the breed!
Avoid breeders who:
Don't know the name of the breed. There are breeders, particularly on the Internet,
who call the dogs such names as "King Charles Cavaliers" or "Cavalier King Charles
Terriers". We found one who even called them "King Saint Charles Cavalier Spaniels". If
the breeder does not know the breed's name, back away and move on quickly.
Say they breed only "small", "tiny", or "teacup" Cavaliers. Breeders who
intentionally try to breed Cavalier King Charles spaniels only in the 10 to 12 pound range
cannot have the best interest of the breed in mind. The breed standard's range of weight is
from 12 to 18 lbs., and many males tend to weigh more than 18 lbs.
Have not registered their dogs with the CKCSC,USA or the AKC -- preferably
with both registries. If the breeder does not care enough about the breed to have the litter
parents registered with either the CKCSC,USA or the AKC, then the breeder cannot be
serious about showing the Cavaliers in conformation events and improving the
conformation and temperament of the breed. If the litter is not registered with either the
CKCSC,USA or the AKC, then don't waste your time with that breeder. Avoid breeders
who register any Cavaliers with such "registries" as the ACA (American Canine
Association) or APRI (America's Pet Registry, Inc.) or the CKC (Continental Kennel
Club) or the FIC (Federation of International Canines) or the NKC (National Kennel
Club) or the United All Breed Registry or the ICC (Irish Canine Club) or who register
any CKCSs only with the UKC (United Kennel Club). Also, be concerned about U.S.
breeders whose Cavaliers are registered only with the IKC (Irish Kennel Club). See Irish
Imports.
Will not let you see the puppies' mother or the kennel facilities. Whatever it is that
the breeder does not want you to see probably is exactly what you ought to see.
Offer mixed breeds, such as "Cavachons" and "Cavapoos".
Have websites with generic names like www.PuppiesOn Demand.xxx or
www.PetsOvernite.xxx.
Are not members of either the CKCSC,USA or the ACKCSC. If the breeder is not
a member of one of these Cavalier King Charles spaniel breed clubs, they probably either
are not serious about their interest in bettering the breed or they have been expelled from
one of those clubs.
Require non-refundable deposits. Reputable Cavalier breeders do not require them.
Refuse to give you references when you ask for them. Ask the breeder for names of
buyers of his Cavalier puppies and those buyers' contact information, so you may ask
them about the breeder. If the breeder balks at this request, scratch him off of your list.
Have photos of other breeders' Cavaliers on their websites. You should want to see
pictures of only the breeder's dogs and puppies -- not those of other breeders. And, if the
CKCSs on their websites do not look like any Cavaliers you have ever seen before, their
puppies probably will look just as strange.
Consider a rescue:
Better yet, consider adopting an abandoned Cavalier. Check out these Cavalier
rescue groups in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue
Groups
In the United States:
Nationwide: Cavalier Rescue USA
Nationwide: Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue
Nationwide: ACKCSC Rescue
Nationwide: www.petfinder.com
Northeastern USA: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Southern USA: Cavaliers of the South
Midwestern USA: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Western USA: Cavaliers of the West
Alabama: Cavaliers of the South
Arkansas: Cavaliers of the South
Arizona: Cavaliers of the West
Arizona: CKCS Club of Central Arizona
California: Cavaliers of the West
California (Southern): CKCS Club of Greater San Diego
California (Central/North): Bay Area CKCS Club
Colorado: Cavaliers of the West
Connecticut: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Connecticut: CKCS Club of Southern New England
Delaware: Cavaliers of the Northeast
District of Columbia: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Florida: Cavaliers of the South
Florida: Mid-Florida CKCS Club
Georgia: Cavaliers of the South
Georgia: CKCS Club of Greater Atlanta
Hawaii: Cavaliers of the West
Idaho: Cavaliers of the West
Illinois: Greater Chicago Cavalier Rescue
Illinois: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Indiana: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Iowa: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Kansas: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Kentucky: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Louisiana: Cavaliers of the South
Maine: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Maryland: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Massachusetts: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Massachusetts: CKCS Club of Southern New England
Michigan: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Minnesota: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Mississippi: Cavaliers of the South
Missouri: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Montana: Cavaliers of the West
Nebraska: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Nevada: Cavaliers of the West
Nevada: Southern Nevada CKCS Club
New Hampshire: Cavaliers of the Northeast
New Jersey: Cavaliers of the Northeast
New Mexico: Cavaliers of the West
New York: Cavaliers of the Northeast
New York: CKCS Club of Northeastern New York
New York: CKCS Club of Southern New England
North Carolina: Cavaliers of the South
North Carolina: Central Carolina CKCS Club
North Dakota: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Ohio: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Oklahoma: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Oklahoma: CKCS Club of Central Oklahoma
Oregon: Cavaliers of the West
Oregon: Oregon Trail Cavalier Club
Pennsylvania: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Rhode Island: Cavaliers of the Northeast
South Carolina: Cavaliers of the South
South Carolina: Central Carolina CKCS Club
South Dakota: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Tennessee: Cavaliers of the South
Texas: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Texas: CKCS Club of Greater Houston
Utah: Cavaliers of the West
Vermont: Cavaliers of the Northeast
Virginia: Cavaliers of the South
Washington State: Cavaliers of the West
Washington State: Cavaliers of Puget Sound
West Virginia: Cavaliers of the South
Wisconsin: Cavaliers of the Midwest
Wyoming: Cavaliers of the West
In Canada:
Nationwide: CKCS Club of Canada
Alberta: Cavaliers of Alberta Rescue Efforts (C.A.R.E.)
In the U.K.:
Cavalier Rescue & Welfare
Regional Cavalier Rescue
Many Tears Rescue
In Ireland: Irish Cavalier Rescue