Читать книгу Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: An Owner’s Guide - Nick Mays - Страница 18

The next step is to check through the list of likely breeders and then telephone or e-mail them to get more information.

When buying a puppy, always make sure that you see the mother as well as the pups, preferably in the breeder’s own home.

Ask them which colours they breed and whether they have any puppies available. Many breeders only have a litter or two a year, so you may have to be prepared to wait for a puppy from a particular breeder. Find out at what age their puppies are sold – some good breeders will not let a puppy leave their home under 12 weeks of age, whereas others may sell them as young as seven or eight weeks. Ask about the puppy’s diet and what their adult Cavaliers eat.

Crucially, it’s not just a matter of how much a puppy will cost you and when he will be available but also how healthy he and his parents are. It’s a sad fact that many dog breeds suffer from a range of hereditary conditions, although since the introduction of the Kennel Club’s hereditary diseases genetic screening process some years ago, some of the ‘typical’ inherited diseases have been greatly reduced in many breeds. Cavaliers have been known to suffer from heart problems and should be bred only from parents that are health tested annually. Only by buying a pup from such parents will you be able to feel reasonably secure that he is healthy.

Ask the breeder whether they health test their dogs and can produce the necessary veterinary paperwork to back this up. If they prevaricate or don’t want to proceed on this basis, go elsewhere to another breeder. For more information on which hereditary conditions affect Cavaliers, turn to page 100.

Puppies need to play together and interact. It is all a vital part of their early socialization process and learning about the world.

When you go the breeder’s house to view a litter of Cavalier puppy and choose the right one for you, make sure that you inspect their eyes, ears and teeth very carefully. If the puppies don’t appear healthy, walk away.

Be prepared to be quizzed

A good breeder will ask you plenty of questions, too, so be prepared, don’t be affronted and answer them honestly. A responsible breeder will want to make sure that you are a suitable potential owner and will ask questions about where you live, who shares your home, your working hours, other pets, previous dog ownership experience and why you want to own a Cavalier in particular.