My best friend (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)

Member Name: FourPaws

Product:	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Date:	08/09/07 (1709 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loyal, loving, friendly, easy to train, not too much hair shedding

Disadvantages: None

Ruby is my 12 year old Cavailer King Charles Spaniel who I rescued from an animal shelter 7 years ago, she is one of the most loving, loyal, friendly and devoted dogs I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, despite coming from the cruelist of backgrounds. Her previous owners who had had her since a puppy had severly mistreated her for the first 5 years of her life , and when I adopted her she was terrified of everything.. she freaked out whenever she saw a belt, pair of shoes or even a newspaper.. all the things her previous owners had beaten her with. She'd never been walked further than the end of her road and had (and still has) scars all the way round her throat and neck where they had let a collar become so tight that her skin started to grow over the top of it, and when they realised they simply ripped the collar from her skin.

When I went to choose a dog from the rescue shelter Ruby caught my eye instantly, and despite all her problems and issues, I took a chance on her and brought her home with me, and I've never looked back. I keep a variety of pets, and although I know I shouldn't have favourites- Ruby most deffinatly has a very special place in my heart.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels come in an assortment of different colours: 'Blenheim' is the most popular and is white with chesnut markings like the one in the picture, 'Black & Tan' which is mainly black with tan markings, 'TriColour'- black with chesnut and white markings and lastly 'Ruby' which is a reddish brown all over. My Ruby has the Blenheim coat, although her name may suggest otherwise!

Cav puppies are generally rather easy to find, just make sure they come from a good quality breeder, you should expect to pay between £300-£500 for a Pedigree pup. They are offically classed as a Toy breed dog, although they are often larger-or the same size- as Westies or Beagles who are classed as a small or medium sized dog. When fully grown pedigree Cav's should stand between 30-33cm at the shoulder and weigh roughly 5-8kg.

They are well known for being great family dogs, fantastic with both adults and children, however due to Rubys difficult beginning she is petrified of men she doesn't know and all children. They are generally easy to train, providing you start it early, when Ruby came to me she knew the basic commands such as sit and stay, and when I got her I taught her re-call so she could be let of the lead, but thats about it. She can be wary of other dogs she hasn't met before, but once she knows them she is fine. Two years ago I got another dog, Benson who is a Bernese Mountain Dog, intially I was worried introducing another dog into the house after Ruby had been the only dog for 5years however they get on like a house on fire with Ruby being the boss keeping Benson in line!

Their rather long thick coat needs daily attention to prevent it from becoming tangled, luckily Ruby loves the attention and allows me to groom her with no problems. They often get grass seeds stuck in their long ears and furry paws so always make sure you check them over when returning from summer walks. Cavs don't normally need bathing, and I've never bathed Ruby, I just use grooming powder and baby wipes on her to keep her fur fresh and clean.

Cavs only really need around 40minutes of exercise a day, however Ruby gets two hours off lead exercise a day because she is walked with Benson who obviously needs lots of exercise. Despite her age, Ruby thrives on her long walks and is always up for more at the end of them! She'll occasionally follow Benson into the sea for a little swim, but only if its not too cold!

The food bill for my two dogs is £20 a week, but only £5 of this is spent on Rubys food. Its my other dog Benson who munches his way through £15 worth of food every week! All dogs should have a bowl of fresh drinking water, I reccomend getting a special Spaniel drinking bowl which prevent your dogs long ears from going in their water bowl when they drink! These can be brought for around £7 at most pet shops.

Then there is the other equipment a Cav needs such as a bed (£30), grooming equipment (£10),leather soft collar and lead (£5 each), I.D tags (£9), toys and feeding bowls.

Also vet care, Cavs are prone to heart murmurs, slipping knee caps and cataracts- treatment for all of these conditions are expensive so consider pet insurance. Yearly vaccinations are essential and cost around £30. When I got Ruby, the rescue centre had already got her spayed and microchipped, if you wish to have your dog spayed or neutered this will cost between £40-£100 depending on wheather you have a male or female (females cost more to spay thans males do to neuter), and then microchipping is around £25.

Every dog needs flea and worm treatments. For worms I use Drontal which costs around £15 from vets, adult dogs need to be wormed every 3mths or more often if they are kids in the house hold. For the prevention of fleas I use Frontline spray which is £20 from vets. Personally I don't reccommend flea collars, I've tried them on both my dogs in the past and they have never worked, they just irritate the dog.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a wonderful dog which will hopefully provide you with up to 16 years of happiness, friendship, company and laughter. They like nothing more than curling up next to you on the sofa, and because they don't need too much exercise they make good pets for the elderly. If you are considering getting a Cav, check out local rescue centres instead of buying a puppy. I'm so glad I did..

Summary: Stunning little dogs with buckets of charm!!! Highly recommended