* Caring For *
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies

* Home Sick *

When you first get your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy home your new puppy will miss its litter mates and familiar surroundings of my house the first few days. Your puppy may cry off and on which is very normal. I try not to pick up the puppies when they are crying because it will teach them to cry in order to get picked up. Your new puppy should only cry the first night or two and then will begin to settle into your new surroundings.

Black & Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy

Black & Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (7 weeks)

Easy home-made temporary area for a new puppy

* Crate, Room, Partitions *

Allow your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy to have his own designated area whether it be a crate or I actually like to us particle board partitions that can be purchased at Home Depot for about $5 each. I hook together 4 boards in a square shape using zip ties also found at Home Depot for a couple bucks. The boards are 3 feet by 2 feet high, which gives plenty of room to add a litter box, bed, an area for water bowl and room to walk around a bit. I have tile floors and just place a towel down to help add easy footing that can be washed in the washing machine. It is nice having the litter box just in case they need to go potty, but for the most part I take them outside regularly with the other adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and they do begin to prefer going outside. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy does not fully have control of their bladder until around 16 weeks of age.

* Dog Food *

Black & Tan and Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies (6 weeks)

We feed our adult Cavaliers and puppies over 4 months of age Orijen Adult Dog Food.

We feed our puppies under 4 months of age Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish Formula

We do NOT feed any type of puppy food. Puppy food is higher in Calcium and Phosphorus and this can often cause bone growth to be faster than muscle mass and this can cause structural problems not related to genetics.

We feed 1/2 cup twice a day to our puppies. Some puppies will be able to eat all their food and some may not be eating all their food in one meal until 15 or 16 weeks of age. I continue to feed 1/2 cup until they are able to eat the entire serving in one feeding.

I believe strongly in feeding my dogs a grain-free diet. Dogs are carnivores and the acid in their stomach and the way their bodies are designed they are intended to digest meat just like their ancestors the wolves.

Most dog foods lead you to believe that grain and fiber is good for your canine, but many ingredients found in dog food today contain wheat, corn and/or soy, which are proven to cause allergies

* Treats *

We also prefer grain-free treats like the ones listed here.

There are many others to choose from at Petco and PetsMart also.

* Dog Toys *

KONG...WUBBA...DOGZILLA
brand toys

Choosing toys for our canine friends can be very tricky. Unlike children's toys that come with choking hazards and age appropriate labels to help parents choose safe toys for their children, dog toys do not have warnings and should.

Warning: Toys with stuffing...when destuffed...can cause a blockage in the intestines and could become fatal.

Warning: Toys made of rubber...tiny bits are chewed off and swallowed and can also cause blockage in the intestines and could become fatal.

Warning: Rope toys...bits of the rope always wind up in stools, so this too could be a risk unrealized until too late.

The toys I have pictured above have become my choice of toy at this time. There is a rubber ball under the heavy weight fabric so if your dog ever exposes any portion of the rubber ball the toy needs to be replaced. My dogs are more interested in the ties that hang down from the ball which are not stuffed in any way so the chewing that goes with the ties is relatively safe, but I always advise you to continue to check your dog's toys and the slightest sign that something could become ingested the toy needs to be replaced.

Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy

Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (6 weeks)

* First Vet Visit *

Once you have taken your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy home you will need to schedule an appointment with your vet within a day or so. Be sure and take the shot record with you so your vet can record the information in their chart. Follow your vet's recommendations on continuing your puppy shots until the full series has been received (usually 4 shots, 2 of which were already given here). We give the rabies vaccination at 6 months of age here at Cruisin Cavaliers, but some vets will recommend 4 months of age for rabies. Also speak to your vet about heartworm and flea & tick prevention.

We do NOT give our puppies Leptospirosis, which is found in many of the shots used by veterinarians because we have found some of our Cavalier's have had allergic reactions. When you go to get your 3rd shot we recommend that you ask your vet not to give a shot that includes the Leptospirosis.

* Grooming *

We recommend that you take your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy to the vet or to a groomer every six weeks to have their nails trimmed and anal sacs expelled or you can have your vet show you how to do both the nails and anal sacs and you can do them yourself at home.

I also recommend that your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy be given a bath every 2-3 weeks even if it does not look dirty. The overall look and feel of your Cavalier puppy will be much healthier.

Some Cavaliers develop a very thick coat after they have been spayed or neutered. Some owners like to have their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel groomed into a Cocker Spaniel cut for easier upkeep. A Cocker Spaniel cut is short across the back and on the sides and the underneath area is left natural.

* Teeth Cleaning *

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels may need to have their teeth cleaned by a veterinarian. Oral hygiene has been linked to a healthy heart so you should check your Cavalier's bite at least monthly to see if tartar is starting to build up on their teeth.

I buy my Cavaliers cow-knuckle bones once a month and the chewing they do on these bones actually grinds away the tartar build-up naturally. Since I have gone to the bones it has greatly reduced my need to have dental cleanings through my vet. Try the cow-knuckle bones as this is the best way to handle the teeth cleaning in a natural way and your Cavalier will love it also.

When teeth are cleaned by a veterinarian they are put under anesthesia.

I have also bought the Baum tooth brushes for the electic toothbrush and I have a separate brush for each of my Cavaliers. Since my dogs are given a bath weekly they also get their teeth brushed weekly with these smaller toothbrushes that are the perfect size to really get the job done quickly. The more you can brush their teeth the cleaner their teeth will stay.

WARNING: Make sure you always use toothpaste made for dogs only because people toothpaste is poisonous for dogs.

* Spay or Neutering *

We recommend spaying or neutering a puppy after 12 months.

Puppies produce hormones and one of the hormones produced regulates the overall size your puppy will grow into. If altered early and the growth hormone is cut off your puppy will most likely grow into a larger adult than if the growth hormone is still intact and is able to cut off the growth at the time the genes are scheduled to shut off the growth.

Puppies need their hormones during the growth period for structural soundness and early altering could hamper the structural outcome of your puppy as an adult. Growth plates do not close until closer to 12 months of age and as long as your puppy is still growing he needs to have his hormones intact in order to stay as structurally sound as possible.

It is wise for all females to experience one heat cycle. Heat cycles can happen anywhere from around 7 months all the way up 12 months, so you will just need to keep an eye on your girl until she has completed her first cycle. Cycles last for 3 weeks, but the discharge is more around the day 3 through day 15 and then the discharge begins to lighten up. Your girl is not fully safe until she has gone through the entire 3 weeks so during this time you will need to keep her away from any intact dogs. They sell panties at Petco and PetsMart and you can put a panty liner inside to keep things clean during her cycle.

All puppies placed into companion pet homes will be placed with limited registration on both AKC and CKCSC. I will handle the fees involved in transferring ownership over into the new families name for both registries.

Cruisin Rubicube (16 weeks)

Black & Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Cruisin Mulan (8 weeks)

* Check Stools Daily *

Pay close attention to your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy's stool as this will help you maintain his/her health. Your puppy should have a firm stool. A soft stool can sometimes mean your puppy ate too much and you may need to cut back on your serving size for a day or so to see if the stool becomes firm again. A stool with blood or mucus in it does mean you need to take your puppy to a vet to be examined. Go ahead and take the stool sample with you to the vet using a zip-lock bag. Turn the zip-lock bag inside out and use it like a glove to pick up the sample then while holding the sample through the bag turn the bag right side out so you can then zip it up.

Caring for your new puppy...

*** Caring For *** Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies

*** Home Sick ***

*** Crate, Room, Partitions ***

*** Dog Food ***

*** Treats ***

*** Dog Toys ***

*** First Vet Visit ***

*** Grooming ***

*** Teeth Cleaning ***

*** Spay or Neutering ***

*** Check Stools Daily ***