Congratulations on choosing a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!
We know Cavalier King Charles's puppies will be a wonderful addition to your family and bring you many happy years of love and joy. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns at any time during your puppy’s life.
VACCINATIONS
Important: Your puppy is current on vaccines to date, but is not safe from disease until it has completed its full series of puppy shots at approximately 18 weeks of age. Be sensible and minimize your puppy’s exposure to disease until 5 days after final shot is administered. (Jean Dodds Protocal)
TIPS
· Keep your puppy safe at home for the most part
· Spray shoes with 10% bleach solution if you’ve walked in high risk areas such as pet stores, parks, and vet clinics.
· No walks outside of your yard
· No dog parks or pet stores
· No rest stop dog walk areas
· Keep puppy off floor and scales at vet office or any public place. Ask for a towel or puppy scale in the exam room.
REGISTRATION
Your puppy will be registered in the American Kennel Club (AKC) as well as in the orginal Cavalier breed registry in the United States, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club-USA (CKCSC-USA). You have signed all the registration transfer paperwork with us and have copies in your folder. We will handle the processing and collect transfer fees. Your new registration showing the puppy in your name will be sent directly to you from the AKC and CKCSC-USA. Please allow up to six months for processing.
FEEDINGS AND PUPPY HYPOGLYCEMIA
Until puppies are approximately 15-20 weeks old, internal organs are not fully developed and glucose levels are difficult for them to maintain. For this reason, you must assure your puppy eats three good meals a day and gets snacks, including Pure Vita, Taste of the Wid, Wellness, Sojos, or Honest Kitchen during the transition period until old enough. Feeding three specific meals a day, instead of leaving food available all day, will assist in your housebreaking routine and keep you aware of how much food your puppy is eating.
If sugar levels drop, your puppy can become hypoglycemic and start to shake, get wobbly in its footing, even have small seizure-like symptoms. It’s a good idea to keep Nutrical, a high calorie nutritional supplement, on hand to give the puppy, if this occurs. Light Karo syrup works in a pinch avoid honey. If you decide to change foods, start your puppy off on its current food until fully settled. Then transition your puppy using ½ old & ½ new food for a week and then transition fully on your new choice of food.
FLEAS, TICKS, AND HEARTWORM
Your puppy is not on any flea, tick, or heartworm prevention. Cavaliers do not tolerate fleas well, so discuss preventative options with your veterinarian. We recommend Capstar, Frontline Plus, and Advantage. Heartworm is not currently a problem in the Pacific Northwest, so if you use or plan to travel outside of the area, discuss heartworm prevention with your veterinarian.
SYRINGOMYELIA SENSE
· Walk your Cavalier using a harness, not a neck collar, especially when children are in charge or when using extension leads.
· Minimize jumping from high places. Nothing higher than a couch. Use stools or puppy steps at the end of high beds.
· Discuss the condition with your vet. Any medical procedure requiring sedation should be combined with support to the occipital area, preventing hyperextension or trauma.
HEART SENSE
· Keep your Cavalier on a premium dog food at its ideal weight for life. The ribs should be easily felt and a waist present.
· Minimal treats, and reduce meal portions on big treat days.
· Monitor and adjust portions after spay/neutering.
· Moderate and consistent healthy exercise.
· Annual vet checks with a good listen to the heart. (You will be invited to our bi-annual Health Clinics with our Board Certified Cardiologist and Opthomologist-Please join our CKCS USA for your discounted rate and/or join CKCSGSD Club to be included on our local mailing list. We post dog owner activities monthly)
CRATE TRAINING
It is important to be open to the concept of crate training. Dogs are den animals by nature and are very comfortable in a crate. A hard plastic medium siz Vari-Kennel is recommended. Also, stainless steel “bird cage” cups are good to hand on the door so your puppy should eat its meals and sleep in its crate. It is a safe place, a fun place, and not a place for punishment. Crate training your dogs provides a way for you to keep your puppy safe when necessary and aids in housebreaking.
HOUSEBREAKING
Use your crate to aid in housebreaking. Be strategic about where you place the crate. A main living area, such as the family room, and near the door your puppy will be going out to do its duty is ideal. Plan to have your puppy sleep in its crate at night and for naps. Pleacing a sheet over the crate will help quiet him if fussy at night. Puppies have learned from their mothers to relieve themselves immediately after waking up. Your puppy won’t want to soil its crate, so will hold itself and indicate to you to let him out.
Take the puppy outside using the same door each time , and to a desired area. Be prepared to stand in the rain. Use a command such as “duty” or “potty.” Your puppy is not finished with its job until “both” duties are done in the morning and after meals. If your puppy insists he’s done after only one duty, return him to his crate for 10 minutes then take him out again. Reward good behavior verbally or with a small treat. Once your puppy has done its job, he has earned the right to play loose in a restricted area in the house. It is ideal to use a baby gate to gate off your family room and stairs. Once your puppy is housebroken in his restricted area consider extending his area little by little.
WHEN TO CALL YOUR VET
Your puppy has had a “well puppy” exam by our veterinarian. You will still want to get your pet established with your own veterinarian as soon as possible and schedule appointments to complete its puppy vaccines of needed.
Watch your puppy closely, especially during the stressful time of transition. Assure he is eating, drinking and has good puppy play energy as well as getting plenty of sleep. Contact your vet immediately if your puppy seems sick, lethargic, shaking, vomiting, has pale gum color or a consistent loose stool. Puppies can fade fast, so don’t delay.
Keep an eye on your puppy’ teeth to assure that all the baby teeth are falling out. On accasion, baby canines may need to be removed by your vet.
MICROCHIP: Your pup has been chipped with AKC Companion Animal Recovery good for the life of the dog. Please visit http://www.akccar.org
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What age are they done teething? Fortunately, Cavaliers are not too terribly destructive during teething. You still want to have teething toys available. Teeth change out between 5-7 months.
SPAY/NEUTER
Your vet will encourage you to spay/neuter your pet at around 6 months of age. We will have discussed with you the option of waiting until 12-24 months to allow growth plates to close and dogs to mature with their proper hormones. You together with your vet can make the decision that works best for you. Please follow this link to Spay.Nueter required reading: http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter
BATHES/GROOMING
Cavaliers do not have the oils in their coats that other spaniels do, so they tend not to get doggy smelling. There is no need to bathe more than once every 2 weeks, weekly at the most. Excessive bathing with the wrong shampoos will result in drying the skin and dulling the coat. We have recommended some shampoo products. We also offer grooming service each weekend by appointment only. For a small additional fee we will train you to properly groom your dog.
SLEEPING WITH PUPPY
The Pros: Sleeping in the same bed has strong emotional benefits for you and your pooch. It's comforting to both the owners and the animals. The company of pets have been proven to lower blood pressure, stress and reduce feelings of loneliness. Having them close to you at night only magnifies those benefits, whether the animal is at the foot of the bed or under the covers. Careful for the size of your pup as you may roll over on your pup in your sleep.
The Cons: Experienced dog trainers point out that in cases where a dog does begin to show aggression toward family members the dog almost invariably is sleeping in the owner’s bed. In these cases, when the dog begins showing aggression toward family members, the dog MUST be kept out of the bed. The reason is simple psychology. You have to return to basics with your dog. You have to remind your dog that he is a dog and you are the leader in your home. Sleeping in the bed with you is a privilege. It is not something that he, as a dog, is entitled to without your permission.
PUP ON FURNITURE
This is surely a discussion for the family. All members must agree for health and safety considerations.
PUP NOT EATING AND SLEEPING
You may find your puppy doesn’t eat or drink very well during the first wek of transition to its new home. Because they are small, use a tine water bowl so you can monitor the intake easily. You can either add additional water food or syringe water (or even plain Pedialite) if you are concerned. When traveling, even with an adult dog, always offer your dog bottled water, stay away from tap waters other than your own.
ELONGATED PALATE
Cavaliers being shorter nosed, can have elongated palates, which can collapse when excited. After drinking water quickly or pulling on their collars. These results in a snorting sound and struggle to breathe. The backwards sneeze----- Your dog will work through it, but you can help by covering the nostrils lightly to reduce air intake and bending the nose down to the chest.
