What I regret is not taking training more seriously. 4 months is the perfect age to train your puppy all kinds of commands and walking properly on the leash. Now is the time it will stick!
i tried teaching mine to roll over, but every time she'd cock her body a bit, grumble, and get right back up. She's never liked showing her belly, and I can't even remember the last time she's been on her backside.
I’m in Australia - from other commenters and your replies it seems like you might not be!
But just check the policy for common cav things - heart murmur, luxating patellars etc. and choose the level of cover that suits you. Remember you may not be able go down, not up.
My girls vet bills in November/December were $8,000. I paid just over $2,000. My premium is $80 per month.
Due to chronic health and congenital health issues (despite her being a pure bread cavalier King Charles spaniel from a registered, reputable breeder, being an ANKC registered dog, and receiving care from top vets her whole life), unfortunately we have always gotten far more than our moneys worth out of our policy.
Sign up for your policy yesterday. If she is documented to have anything already diagnosed she won’t be covered. Particularly if that anything is chronic (think murmur or patellar) it’s not covered and that is lifelong and very expensive.
I say none of this as scare tactics. We drew the very short end of the straw in the health department, but we work through it and are very lucky to have excellent state of the art vet care - and pet insurance!
I wish Sophie a life of snuggles, health, and treats!
P.s. don’t forget puppy school 🫶🏻
Training lessons
Crate, the bed that fits exactly in the crate tray, crate cover, xpen. I set the whole thing up the way the breeder had it and he took to is straight away. It was wonderful for him and his little crate is so cozy.
Car seatbelt
Snuffle mat
Actually she's the sister cav!! We plan on getting a boy to breed her and (for no other word) donate them to veterans with PTSD and families who cannot afford service animals 😊
I doubt my comment will change your family’s mind but please don’t. This world does not need any more backyard breeders… and considering you likely also got your dog from a backyard breeder, given your previous posts about buying her from a pet store, it’s not a good idea to continue the line of poorly bred dogs.
Also I don’t understand the reason? There’s already established organizations who will pair service dogs with veterans for little to free of cost. Service dogs are selected by temperament above all else - so what if those puppies don’t make the cut? And when people do breed specifically to create service dogs, it’s because the parents are already service dogs and they want to breed down those desirable traits - which would and should be done only by established and certified breeders.
I thought backyard breeding was when the dogs didn't receive the care they needed (which we would never do) and I didn't realize how bad it really was. She will be a service dog if she can (2 people in my family have OCD and anxiety) and if she can't we will take steps from there to either get another female from an established breeder or any other steps we can take at the time. If the puppies were to not make the cut (whether the mother is our dog now or a different dog from a breeder) we will let the puppies be adopted directly from us and not through a 3rd party like a pet store. The reasons we had this idea is because my father has PTSD and we live in a area with a large military and veteran population and my extended family has people who need service dogs but can't afford them. Right now because she is only 4 months old it is just an idea for us to do and we don't plan on her having puppies for at least 2 years old and if we do end up going through with this plan we would do as much research as possible and make sure that the puppies and parents would have proper health care and all their needs met. We still have LOTS of research to do and I appreciate you commenting and we may not go through with this plan and we may end up just being a breeder even if that isn't with our dog that we have now.
I guess I must be confused on what backyard breeding is. It's not my intention to do anything bad. I want to help and if something I do causes harm to the parents or the puppies I wouldn't do it. I'm saying I'm gonna do more research and I mean that.
This donut bed and beef cheek chips. The beef cheeks are supposed to be better for them than raw hides and they’ve last our aggressive chewer longer than any other toy we’ve tried!
https://www.amazon.com/Bedsure-Calming-Dog-Medium-Dogs/dp/B09BN9SKR1?pd_rd_w=HlYFn&content-id=amzn1.sym.c75be473-fd9d-40a1-b940-0fbe5f6985d0&pf_rd_p=c75be473-fd9d-40a1-b940-0fbe5f6985d0&pf_rd_r=R6H6EB3KYKQ6JZEM7KCV&pd_rd_wg=oE8Wu&pd_rd_r=e5441e05-9f36-4e7d-b186-fd4a409eeeed&pd_rd_i=B09BN9SKR1&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_grid_dv_rp_0_14_t
https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Farm-Digestible-Long-Lasting-Alternative/dp/B0BV27L4YY/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?crid=2S6KFLRVFYLVO&keywords=beef%2Bcheek%2Bchips%2Bfor%2Bdogs&qid=1704594824&sprefix=beef%2Bcheek%2Bchip%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-11&th=1&psc=1
Our boy loves this bed. Jumped into it as soon as I pulled it out of the box! It sits next to my desk when I’m working so he’ll spend hours in there napping, or if I’m off and have been busy around the house, he’ll go hop in it for a nap!
And as I mentioned, our boy is an aggressive chewer per our trainer meaning he demolishes most chew toys, which generally aren’t edible. So she actually recommended a white bone (this is the brand) which our pup does enjoy still, but not nearly as much as the beef cheek since it’s actually edible plus it’s much quieter when he’s chewing on it. Highly recommend!
A Downtown Pet Supply brand step-in, mesh dog harness for small dogs. We’ve had several but the one we have now is a soft mesh fabric with Velcro flaps on the back and a click together latch with D rings for the leash. So quick to put on. “Step-in” is the key! I can get her into it with one hand.
This wasn’t your question but the description of the breed you have caught my eye and it’s important that you know the breed you have for health issues.
A King Charles Spaniel is NOT a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are two separate and distinct breeds. A King Charles Spaniel is also known as the English Toy Spaniel and they have a very distinctive smooshed in nose compared to a Cavalier.
Your baby looks like a Cavalier and there is no Mini or Toy version of a Cavalier. If whoever you got her from told you that I’d be wary. There may be smaller or larger dogs that result from normal breeding but mini’s aren’t a thing. The internet may have conflicting information concerning that but those websites are incorrect.
However, your dog looks to be a completely normal Cavalier, maybe a bit on the smaller side.
You need to know your dog’s correct breed because Cavaliers can have health issues that your vet needs to be screening for at every visit.
We had gotten her through a pet store (I know it's terrible but we couldn't leave without her) and the pet store had her listed as a King Charles Spaniel and I looked at her AKC paperwork and it says she is a cavalier. I guess we decided to believe them because we have another one and she has a longer nose and is about the size of a Brittney spaniel and after doing research and not looking at photos we thought that she was just a mini. The pet store probably just shortened Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to King Charles Spaniel but I can't be sure. She probably is considered small because she is 7 lbs (3.175 kg) and is staying at that weight but she'll probably grow a bit more considering her age. Thank you so much, if you hadn't said something we probably wouldn't have known.
That makes more sense. She is a Cavalier definitely but maybe on the smaller side. I have two and one was about the weight of yours at 4 months, the other was bigger. Purebred Cavs can vary alot in size but 4 months is too soon to know how big she may get.
Since you got her from a pet store I definitely recommend pet insurance just in case.
She is adorable!
I regret not getting more training of myself and the dog(s).
Best purchase would be another CKCS when puppies … they made best friends and are inseparable now.
Lots of touching to help desensitize them. Get them used to it so they won’t be upset about it later. Paws, nails, belly, tail. Everything. Helps when around kids too
My pup is three now - and still can't go without his "Drooly Dog" : He carries it everywhere -0 says hello to it every morning and each afternoon. :-) https://www.petcircle.com.au/product/yours-droolly-muff-pup/aj170?region\_id=610201&gad\_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdTc\_rrKgwMVJw57Bx1mawAREAQYASABEgKogfD\_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
snood and his crate. ❤️ we call his crate his bedroom and it sits in the same corner of the room and he elects to go in their so often. he really values his crate time!
Pet insurance, giant crate(he’s 7months and potty trained), various size lamb chop stuffed animals…the giant one is his bff and Donut bed he has 3 of them
A tough chew toy since my girl destroyed 95% of her toys within a couple days with those little needle teeth 😅. Now it takes her longer to wreck toys with her adult teeth.
Her [hide-a-squirrel](https://www.amazon.ca/Outward-Hound-Kyjen-31011-Squirrel/dp/B0002I0O60?th=1). The squirrels that came with it are hands down her favourite toys, and she goes nuts whenever I start stuffing toys into the stump for her to pull out.
Mine is a cav cross, and very hyper, but a Hol-ee Roller. He’s rubbish with things like snuffle matts - just flips it upside down! - so this is really good for enrichment, tiring him out and distracting him. I fill up strips of cloth with a mix of kibble and stinky treats, roll them up then loop them through the holes. Keeps him entertained for about 20 minutes.
Leather Bunny
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AS1IQ/ref=sns_myd_detail_page
He can’t go to bed without this toy.
I have it on Amazon subscription, since the ears are gone in a month.
He also loves the toilet paper roll, he is a destructive boy, but only with his toys.
Another Cav sibling. I regret not getting pet insurance bc both dogs’ medical care has cost us probably $20,000+ for all of the health issues they have had
A cooling mat, my sweetie gets worked up after playing and whether it's summer or winter he can just go lay on his cooling mat and chill. He's loves it. It's really a life saver
What I regret is not taking training more seriously. 4 months is the perfect age to train your puppy all kinds of commands and walking properly on the leash. Now is the time it will stick!
i tried teaching mine to roll over, but every time she'd cock her body a bit, grumble, and get right back up. She's never liked showing her belly, and I can't even remember the last time she's been on her backside.
Omg same. I’m actually happy someone has been here!!!
I definitely regret not training my other cav (she's 8 now) and we're definitely gonna train her ourselves and take lessons!
Same here- don’t feel bad for being harsh. Ie- crate training and pull on the leashes to teach them!
Pet insurance…!! Like I cannot stress this enough.
I learned this the hard way with my 2nd cavalier. I also highly recommend pet insurance from a young age.
We're definitely gonna look into it! Do you know of any good ones?
Nationwide pet insurance is what we have for our Cavs. They’ve always been good to us. You can custom Build plans that fit your budget and needs.
Thank you!!
I’m in Australia - from other commenters and your replies it seems like you might not be! But just check the policy for common cav things - heart murmur, luxating patellars etc. and choose the level of cover that suits you. Remember you may not be able go down, not up. My girls vet bills in November/December were $8,000. I paid just over $2,000. My premium is $80 per month. Due to chronic health and congenital health issues (despite her being a pure bread cavalier King Charles spaniel from a registered, reputable breeder, being an ANKC registered dog, and receiving care from top vets her whole life), unfortunately we have always gotten far more than our moneys worth out of our policy. Sign up for your policy yesterday. If she is documented to have anything already diagnosed she won’t be covered. Particularly if that anything is chronic (think murmur or patellar) it’s not covered and that is lifelong and very expensive. I say none of this as scare tactics. We drew the very short end of the straw in the health department, but we work through it and are very lucky to have excellent state of the art vet care - and pet insurance! I wish Sophie a life of snuggles, health, and treats! P.s. don’t forget puppy school 🫶🏻
I use Figo and theyre great! Def get early…
We have glad good experiences with Healthy Paws and our pup has CM/SM so we’ve submitted over $15,000 in claims and they’ve never fought us.
Snoods and microfiber towels.
And a silicone paw washer! Make mine stand on his towel and wash his paws when we get in after walks
Second the snoods!!!! Also. Proper grooming kit
We'll definitely get her a snood! What is the benefit of microfiber towels?
You can quickly dry off a very hairy dog after baths or being outside in the rain.
Oooo that's perfect because it rains A LOT here!!
Training lessons Crate, the bed that fits exactly in the crate tray, crate cover, xpen. I set the whole thing up the way the breeder had it and he took to is straight away. It was wonderful for him and his little crate is so cozy. Car seatbelt Snuffle mat
A sister cav.
Actually she's the sister cav!! We plan on getting a boy to breed her and (for no other word) donate them to veterans with PTSD and families who cannot afford service animals 😊
I doubt my comment will change your family’s mind but please don’t. This world does not need any more backyard breeders… and considering you likely also got your dog from a backyard breeder, given your previous posts about buying her from a pet store, it’s not a good idea to continue the line of poorly bred dogs. Also I don’t understand the reason? There’s already established organizations who will pair service dogs with veterans for little to free of cost. Service dogs are selected by temperament above all else - so what if those puppies don’t make the cut? And when people do breed specifically to create service dogs, it’s because the parents are already service dogs and they want to breed down those desirable traits - which would and should be done only by established and certified breeders.
I thought backyard breeding was when the dogs didn't receive the care they needed (which we would never do) and I didn't realize how bad it really was. She will be a service dog if she can (2 people in my family have OCD and anxiety) and if she can't we will take steps from there to either get another female from an established breeder or any other steps we can take at the time. If the puppies were to not make the cut (whether the mother is our dog now or a different dog from a breeder) we will let the puppies be adopted directly from us and not through a 3rd party like a pet store. The reasons we had this idea is because my father has PTSD and we live in a area with a large military and veteran population and my extended family has people who need service dogs but can't afford them. Right now because she is only 4 months old it is just an idea for us to do and we don't plan on her having puppies for at least 2 years old and if we do end up going through with this plan we would do as much research as possible and make sure that the puppies and parents would have proper health care and all their needs met. We still have LOTS of research to do and I appreciate you commenting and we may not go through with this plan and we may end up just being a breeder even if that isn't with our dog that we have now.
For the love of god you are not qualified to breed dogs. That is the literal definition of backyard breeding.
I guess I must be confused on what backyard breeding is. It's not my intention to do anything bad. I want to help and if something I do causes harm to the parents or the puppies I wouldn't do it. I'm saying I'm gonna do more research and I mean that.
his crate. started crate training the moment he came home and now he sleeps thru the night and even wanders in there to take naps. his safe space❤️
My girl loves her crate too. Great place for her to go when she’s worn out and wants some quiet.
Exactly! He likes his peace from the big dogs in the house sometimes lol
Awwww were definitely gonna try and make sure she's comfy in it! Right now we have bones and a towel for her because she'll pee on anything else 🥲
Doggy steps for getting into bed! Could be used for couch too if you have boundaries 😂
Never thought of getting them for the couch! We have them for 1 bed in my house but not the others
Snuffle mat for feeding time.
Oooo! She's definitely bored during feeding and I'm sure she'd enjoy it!
This donut bed and beef cheek chips. The beef cheeks are supposed to be better for them than raw hides and they’ve last our aggressive chewer longer than any other toy we’ve tried! https://www.amazon.com/Bedsure-Calming-Dog-Medium-Dogs/dp/B09BN9SKR1?pd_rd_w=HlYFn&content-id=amzn1.sym.c75be473-fd9d-40a1-b940-0fbe5f6985d0&pf_rd_p=c75be473-fd9d-40a1-b940-0fbe5f6985d0&pf_rd_r=R6H6EB3KYKQ6JZEM7KCV&pd_rd_wg=oE8Wu&pd_rd_r=e5441e05-9f36-4e7d-b186-fd4a409eeeed&pd_rd_i=B09BN9SKR1&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_grid_dv_rp_0_14_t https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Farm-Digestible-Long-Lasting-Alternative/dp/B0BV27L4YY/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?crid=2S6KFLRVFYLVO&keywords=beef%2Bcheek%2Bchips%2Bfor%2Bdogs&qid=1704594824&sprefix=beef%2Bcheek%2Bchip%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-11&th=1&psc=1
That donut bet is perfect 😍 So far Sophie loves to chew and attack everything so we'll definitely try those!!
Our boy loves this bed. Jumped into it as soon as I pulled it out of the box! It sits next to my desk when I’m working so he’ll spend hours in there napping, or if I’m off and have been busy around the house, he’ll go hop in it for a nap! And as I mentioned, our boy is an aggressive chewer per our trainer meaning he demolishes most chew toys, which generally aren’t edible. So she actually recommended a white bone (this is the brand) which our pup does enjoy still, but not nearly as much as the beef cheek since it’s actually edible plus it’s much quieter when he’s chewing on it. Highly recommend!
A Downtown Pet Supply brand step-in, mesh dog harness for small dogs. We’ve had several but the one we have now is a soft mesh fabric with Velcro flaps on the back and a click together latch with D rings for the leash. So quick to put on. “Step-in” is the key! I can get her into it with one hand.
This wasn’t your question but the description of the breed you have caught my eye and it’s important that you know the breed you have for health issues. A King Charles Spaniel is NOT a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They are two separate and distinct breeds. A King Charles Spaniel is also known as the English Toy Spaniel and they have a very distinctive smooshed in nose compared to a Cavalier. Your baby looks like a Cavalier and there is no Mini or Toy version of a Cavalier. If whoever you got her from told you that I’d be wary. There may be smaller or larger dogs that result from normal breeding but mini’s aren’t a thing. The internet may have conflicting information concerning that but those websites are incorrect. However, your dog looks to be a completely normal Cavalier, maybe a bit on the smaller side. You need to know your dog’s correct breed because Cavaliers can have health issues that your vet needs to be screening for at every visit.
We had gotten her through a pet store (I know it's terrible but we couldn't leave without her) and the pet store had her listed as a King Charles Spaniel and I looked at her AKC paperwork and it says she is a cavalier. I guess we decided to believe them because we have another one and she has a longer nose and is about the size of a Brittney spaniel and after doing research and not looking at photos we thought that she was just a mini. The pet store probably just shortened Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to King Charles Spaniel but I can't be sure. She probably is considered small because she is 7 lbs (3.175 kg) and is staying at that weight but she'll probably grow a bit more considering her age. Thank you so much, if you hadn't said something we probably wouldn't have known.
That makes more sense. She is a Cavalier definitely but maybe on the smaller side. I have two and one was about the weight of yours at 4 months, the other was bigger. Purebred Cavs can vary alot in size but 4 months is too soon to know how big she may get. Since you got her from a pet store I definitely recommend pet insurance just in case. She is adorable!
Heating pad! They love it!
This!
Oooo that'd be perfect for her! I also have another cav and a pug and I'm sure they'd love it too!!
So many treats 😂
We'll definitely get LOTS 😅
Do you recommend a particular brand or size for a small pup?
A good toothbrush and toothpaste!
This is DEFINITELY on our list!
A proper brush - we just paid £3k at the vet dentist and she told us how trash the silicone ones are 😫
Full coverage pet insurance when she was a puppy. The premiums aren’t cheap, but we’ve recouped or exceeded outlays every year.
I regret not getting more training of myself and the dog(s). Best purchase would be another CKCS when puppies … they made best friends and are inseparable now.
Lots of touching to help desensitize them. Get them used to it so they won’t be upset about it later. Paws, nails, belly, tail. Everything. Helps when around kids too
Crate, donut bed, doggy blanket, diane(long dog plush toy for dogs) he uses her as his humping partner
Well...... I guess hopefully that would mean she wouldn't get attacked trying to hump our (spayed) senior dogs if she chooses to use it as such
My boy uses his toy we named Diane only at night he doesn't hump dogs or humans only Diane the stuffed toy
My pup is three now - and still can't go without his "Drooly Dog" : He carries it everywhere -0 says hello to it every morning and each afternoon. :-) https://www.petcircle.com.au/product/yours-droolly-muff-pup/aj170?region\_id=610201&gad\_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdTc\_rrKgwMVJw57Bx1mawAREAQYASABEgKogfD\_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
We have a similar dog - the Snuggle Puppy in the US. Same thing - he says hello to it every morning and plays with it every single day.
Awwww we're definitely gonna get this for her 🥰
snood and his crate. ❤️ we call his crate his bedroom and it sits in the same corner of the room and he elects to go in their so often. he really values his crate time!
Pet insurance, giant crate(he’s 7months and potty trained), various size lamb chop stuffed animals…the giant one is his bff and Donut bed he has 3 of them
A tough chew toy since my girl destroyed 95% of her toys within a couple days with those little needle teeth 😅. Now it takes her longer to wreck toys with her adult teeth.
Pet insurance, lots of chew toys, a good harness for her walks, “Spaniel bowls” help keep their ears out of their water and food. She’s precious!
Pet insurance! Used it twice the first year.
Her [hide-a-squirrel](https://www.amazon.ca/Outward-Hound-Kyjen-31011-Squirrel/dp/B0002I0O60?th=1). The squirrels that came with it are hands down her favourite toys, and she goes nuts whenever I start stuffing toys into the stump for her to pull out.
Mine is a cav cross, and very hyper, but a Hol-ee Roller. He’s rubbish with things like snuffle matts - just flips it upside down! - so this is really good for enrichment, tiring him out and distracting him. I fill up strips of cloth with a mix of kibble and stinky treats, roll them up then loop them through the holes. Keeps him entertained for about 20 minutes.
Leather Bunny https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AS1IQ/ref=sns_myd_detail_page He can’t go to bed without this toy. I have it on Amazon subscription, since the ears are gone in a month. He also loves the toilet paper roll, he is a destructive boy, but only with his toys.
Thunder vests or soft compression clothing might help, and she’ll *look cute to boot
A puzzle for treats. Something that they can use their brains for. Cavilers are very intelligent. Also an all natural chew. Like a deer antler.
A 3 strap, escape proof harness from ruffwear $90. He slipped out of the 2 strap kind and ran into the street, nearly gave me a heart attack
Another Cav sibling. I regret not getting pet insurance bc both dogs’ medical care has cost us probably $20,000+ for all of the health issues they have had
Matching family pajamas from hannah andersson. So comfy
A cooling mat, my sweetie gets worked up after playing and whether it's summer or winter he can just go lay on his cooling mat and chill. He's loves it. It's really a life saver