Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are wonderful family dogs! They are gentle and loving, and have easy-going temperaments suited for the youngest of children, as well as older, retired people, and everyone in between. They are considered a toy spaniel with the AKC breed standard listing them as weighing between 13-18 pounds and being 12-13 inches tall. They have an average life expectancy of 12-15 years. The Cavalier comes in 4 colors: Blenheim, Tricolor, Ruby, and Black & Tan. Cavaliers have been called “comforter spaniels” because of their devotion to their owners and their desire to cuddle in their laps. They are the ultimate lap dog!

On average, puppies are born on day 62 of gestation. Once they are born, they begin opening their eyes between days 10 and 14, and they begin to get up and start walking around between 3 and 4 weeks of age. Typically, we do not allow visitors to come before the puppies are 4 weeks old simply because they are so vulnerable and susceptible to illness and disease. The mothers begin to wean the puppies between 5 and 6 weeks of age. At that point, we begin feeding the puppies Authority Chicken & Rice Formula Puppy Food. The weaning process usually lasts until week 8. Sometime between weeks 7 and 8, we take the puppies in for their first vet appointment to check them out thoroughly. Puppies are typically ready for their new homes at 8 weeks old. If shipping a puppy, the airlines require the puppy to be at least 8 weeks old to ship.

We currently feed our Adult Cavaliers Purina Pro Plan Sport High Protein Performance 30/20 Formula dog food for All Life Stages. We start our puppies out on Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice Formula Food simply because the pieces of kibble are smaller, making them easier to chew and digest for the little ones. If you choose to place your puppy on a different type/brand of food, we suggest transitioning your new puppy slowly to prevent tummy upset and diarrhea. It is usually best to go through at least one bag of Diamond Naturals before transitioning. We order our adult and puppy food online at Chewy.com for a bit of a discount, and they deliver right to our door! After 15 years of breeding Cavaliers, we have researched many different formulas, and have tried several different ones. Different dogs/puppies have different needs, and there is really not a “one size fits all” formula to feed every puppy/dog. These are just the formulas we are currently feeding. Please consider your vet’s recommendations regarding what is best to feed your puppy. Also, Cavaliers have such long, floppy ears, and they can be very susceptible to yeasty ear infections. A grain free diet may cut down on the yeast considerably. If you notice dirty or yeasty smelling ears, we use an equal part mixture of distilled water, rubbing alcohol, and white vinegar to periodically clean their ears. We keep our “ear cleaning solution” in a small plastic bottle with a long nozzle (like the kind used for coloring hair). The nozzle makes it easier to squirt the solution into the ear canal. Carefully use Q-tips and cotton balls to clean out the ears after the solution has softened up the “gunk.” Proactively cleaning the ears a time or two a month will significantly cut down on any ear infections.

Cavalier puppies tend to pick up potty training fairly quickly. They are fast little learners! If I could only share one piece of potty-training advice, it would be Prevention, Prevention, Prevention! It is much easier to prevent an accident in the first place than to try to correct a bad habit of your puppy pottying in the house! We know a lot of people like to use puppy pee pads in the house, but we do not. We think it is confusing to teach a puppy that it is okay to potty on a pee pad in the house, but not on rugs, carpets, a pile of clothes, etc. Weather permitting, we begin taking puppies out to potty with their mom around 4 weeks old. By the time they go to their new homes, the puppies are able to sleep for about 6 hours through the night. Always take your puppy out to potty right after he wakes up, as well as right after he has eaten, had a drink of water, or played vigorously.

We highly recommend crate-training your puppy, which not only helps in the potty training process, but also with behavior problems. It is best to have a crate just bigger than your puppy, allowing him to freely turn around and stand without hitting his head on the top of the crate. If the crate is too large, the puppy will walk to the back of the crate and potty. Think of the crate like a baby’s crib: it is a safe place for your puppy whenever you cannot be focusing your attention on him. Just as you would not leave a human infant in the floor and walk away leaving him unattended, you also shouldn’t leave your puppy unattended. Unattended puppies have more potty accidents, as well as chew on things they shouldn’t, and can get into dangerous situations.

We understand that having a new puppy is exciting and you cannot wait to show off your new “baby” to everyone! Keep in mind however, your new puppy is like a newborn baby: he hasn’t had all of his vaccinations, and for his own protection, you should avoid places like dog parks, pet stores, and rest areas until he has received his final round of vaccinations. When you take him to the vet, do not place him on the floor or let other animals sniff or lick him; either hold him or keep him in his crate at all times. By taking extra precautions with your puppy when he is still small and vulnerable, you will protect him and ensure that he will grow into a healthy and happy Cavalier!