Preparing For your Puppy

PREPARING FOR YOUR PUPPY
by Susan Chase Kalamor Reg'd

I think that all of us who breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniels get
inquiries regularly from people looking for a puppy. Most of these
inquiries are from someone who just wants a nice companion and pet and
just cannot wait for a puppy. They have made up their mind that they
want a puppy and need it right now.

I had a call like this a few weeks ago and when I told the woman that
I had a waiting list and that most reputable breeders do have a
waiting list, she was having a very difficult time with the concept of
waiting. Her reply was, my husband has decided that he wants a tri
Cavalier and he just cannot wait. I went onto to explain why you
often have to wait for a puppy and explained that it is not uncommon
to have to wait 6 months to a year before a puppy might be available.

I really think this is a very common problem and where we have a breed
which are not large in numbers. Of course, it is hard for people to
understand why a puppy from one breed might be readily available and
why one has to wait for such a period of time for a Cavalier. For
this reason, when we get calls from these frustrated people who need
their puppy now, we must educate them and explain what breeding
involves.

I suggest to these people to continue to do more research on the
breed, I recommend several books on the breed that can be purchased or
possibly borrowed from a public library. I figure the more they know
about the breed and the breed problems, it will pay off for them in
the long run.

We know that many people who decide they want a Cavalier as a pet have
been to a dog show and seen a Cavalier and decided they have to have
one, right now. Or, they may have been to the park and seen someone
with a Cavalier. However, in most cases very little research has been
done on the breed.

A wait for puppy might not be so bad in many cases. This will give
the family time to possibly get needed supplies for the new addition
to the family. I always suggest a crate for the new puppy and a
fenced outdoor area. If some of this can be purchased ahead of time,
this will ease up on the financial strain when there is a puppy
available.

I approach the idea of buying some needed supplies, like when you
decide to have a child you have to wait for the baby to arrive. While
you are preparing for the arrival of the new baby, you are also
preparing the nursery and buying the things needed when the new baby
arrives home. The same thing can be done when you are preparing for a
puppy.

If there are young children in the family, it's good to meet the
family and the child or children to see how they relate to the dogs
and if this family is ready for a puppy. I suggest to the parents
that the child be given a hard boiled egg to carry around, if it drops
and break, the same thing could happen to a new puppy. I have had
many people tell me how wonderful this idea is and how well it worked
to teach their child about being gentle. Children carrying around
their dolls or stuffed animals but this is not the same as the
precious little puppy that you want to be eventually part of your
family.

The idea of waiting might not be so bad if the homework is done
correctly and over a period of time.

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