Updates
We had an AKC inspection on Wednesday (9/16/20). We passed with flying colors. The inspector said he wished all breeders were this well organized and maintained.
An article I posted a few years ago:
Link: AKC Inspection
We give each puppy a 3-4 letter temporary starter name. The family picks out the name of the puppy.
One of our former cavaliers started training at 4-months old. Go Charlie! This note was from one of the seasoned dog trainers:
"It was a highlight of my day to see you and your adorable Charlie. He has one of the all-around BEST personality and temperament I’ve seen in any Cavalier!"
I recommend you read thorough these articles:
Link: New Puppy Information
Link: Puppy Feeding
Link: Puppy Teething
Link: Leaving For New Home
Updates prior to 2022:
Link: Older Updates
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Former Puppy - Mr. Rusty (Named after his dad): Very handsome! Long flowing ears and beautiful natural blonde highlights (no filters added). Ruby adults are spectacular! Offspring like this is why we spent so many years looking for the perfect male ruby puppy for our family.
Former Puppy - Mr. Henry (Tanz's Litter): Hi Jeff!! Hope all is well. I am overdue to share some photos of our sweet Henry!! He is the best dog and we love him so so much. He’s the star student of his puppy class and is truly the sweetest and smartest thing! We’ve recommended you guys to many folks as we get stopped everywhere!! People just love him and he loves them back - he’s never met a stranger. Thank you for everything 🐶❤️
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As of December 31, 2023:
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and great 2024. Mocha's litter has left for their new homes. Jemma's litter will be 8 weeks old this coming week. They'll be at their new homes soon. Jemma is smart, sweet and beautiful. We're keeping the Blenheim puppy from this litter. Her name will be River's Josie Jewels. Call name Josie.
As of December 15, 2023:
The adoption process for Jemma's litter has started. The puppies had a perfect 3-week vet exam. We started this adoption a little later than normal. It's been busy. It was time for a lot of annual health exams for our adults and we went through the adoption process for Mocha's litter. We have in place the normal 7-day time frame to adopt or pass. We set it at 7-days because some families come to adopt a puppy in person and must travel on the weekends. We've had families drive from as far away as Louisiana and Florida to adopt in person. Then come back in a few weeks to pickup the puppy for his new home. Some have flown in to select a puppy for adoption. We ask that you make your decision as quickly as possible. When it's your time to adopt, I can send videos and answer any questions you have. Thanks.
Leah (Ruby Female) - She has a cold and taking antibiotics. We don't have her listed yet. We want to make sure all our puppies are 100% healthy when they go to their new homes. A puppy having a cold is not unusual. Their immune system has not developed like that of an adult canine. We will list her at a later date.
As of November 21, 2023:
Mocha's litter had a perfect vet exam today. The adoption process has started.
As of November 20, 2023:
I hope everyone has a great holiday week. The cavaliers are doing great. Mocha's litter has a vet appointment tomorrow and the adoption process will start shortly afterwards. Tanz and JoJo are going into heat. They will deliver puppies at the end of January and leave for their new homes in March.
As of November 14, 2023:
I posted a photo of Mocha's litter. She has a Ruby female, B&T female, Chocolate B&T male, and Chocolate Tri female. These pups will be CHRISTMAS puppies. Available for their homes right before Christmas. We're trying to get a head start on what families are interested in the puppies. Let me know if you're interested in one of the puppies. Thanks.
Rusty's OFA certification for Dry Eye Curly Coat Syndrome and Episodic Falling is complete. He has tested Clear on both is not a carrier. Tanz, Mocha, JoJo, and Jemma are all clear also and starting the OFA certification.
As of November 7, 2023:
All the cavaliers are doing well. We will have a litter of Christmas puppies available. The adoption process for them will start around November 25th. They'll be ready for their new homes around December 21st. I normally don't tell anyone about a litter until after their first vet exam. I know some are wanting Christmas puppies. At this point, no way to know who will adopt or pass. I don't know how far down the Deposit List the puppies will go. We'll have another litter available around the first or second week of January.
As of October 22, 2023:
We're 90% certain two females are pregnant. We'll know more this upcoming week. If they are pregnant, these puppies would go to their new homes late December to mid-January.
As of October 15, 2023:
All puppies from Lexi and Tanz's litters are at their new homes. All are doing well. We should be able to confirm pregnancy on a couple of females in the next 2-3 weeks. They're enjoying the cooler weather.
As of September 30, 2023:
I added a new page - Our Current Cavaliers. The pictures of our adults are set for a background on the desktop version for viewing on a computer. They look really good on a computer but are zoomed in to far for a mobile app. This new page shows each adult and the tag at the bottom displays his/her name. Click on the smaller pictures to view full screen with name displayed.
Link: Our Adult Cavaliers
The cavs are enjoying the cooler weather (we are too). The pups have their 8 week vet exam this coming Tuesday. We're scheduling pickups. A couple of females have been bred. We should know about conception in a few weeks. Canines, roughly the size of cavaliers, go into heat every 6-8 months. Most of the time it's 7-8 months but can come as early as 6 months. Some calendar years a female will be in heat twice and some only once. That's their only opportunity to become pregnant. We also follow the Cavalier King Charles Society breeding guidelines where a female will have two litters and then skip breeding at the next heat cycle. This gives their body a break for solid year after two litters. Larger dogs have slightly less frequent heat cycles.
Some interesting links listed below:
Link: Puppy Feeding
Link: Puppy Food
Link: Puppy Teething
Link: Leaving For New Home
Link: New Puppy Information
Link: Life of a Newborn Puppy
As of September 14, 2023:
Apollo had his annual exam yesterday. His heart checked out perfect with no murmurs of any kind. His heart worm and fecal test was also negative. Our vet gave him a long, detailed exam and he checked out perfect in every way. Apollo has father 114 of our adopted puppies. It's a great sign that he is heart clear at eight years old (Born 7/13/2015). We spend countless hours researching cavalier lines and talking to breeders. We try to adopt the healthiest puppies available for our cavalier program. We think our puppies are beautiful but health is the most important factor. Rusty is four years old and has been heart clear at all his exams also.
As of September 13, 2023:
All the puppies and adults are doing well. They're enjoying the cooler weather. They're eating wet food and love it! They'll be eating all dry food when they leave for their new homes. Cody (JoJo's Litter) left for her new home in Nevada yesterday. I posted a picture on the Adoptions Page at the Nashville Airport. Apollo has his annual full exam and blood work today. We have several females bred, however it's to soon to determine conception. Three ways to determine pregnancy...ultrasound, x-rays, and blood work. We've had all three tests in the past. It don't change the fact of conception. Pregnancy can be determined around day 35 after conception by feel with an approximate success rate ~90%.
As of August 29, 2023:
The three week vet exam for the pups went great! The adoption process has started. When it's your turn to adopt or pass...I can send you pictures, videos, or you're welcome to visit to select the puppy in person. Two beautiful litters. Also, an ultra rare merle was born. There's less than 30 merle cavaliers in the United States and that number is probably on the high side. Over the last 15 years, I have only seen a handful in the United States.
As of August 16, 2023:
Great news! Lexi and Tanz delivered beautiful litters. Lexi's pups are 8 days old. Tanz's pups is a week old today. They're all doing well. Cody has a vet appointment this afternoon. After her appointment, I'll schedule the new pups a 3-week vet appointment for around two weeks from today. The adoption process will begin in around two weeks. One of Tanz's pups is a merle female. She's doing great. Lexi and Tanz are fabulous mothers and doing well.
As of August 6, 2023:
The cavaliers are doing great. Lexi is due next week. Tanz has been confirmed pregnant. Going to be a busy month of August for sure. Cody had her second vet exam/vaccinations and checked out perfect. She's hanging out with Rusty and Luna. She's a sweet girl and already knows her name well. Kim has her spoiled rotten. Cavaliers are a special and should all be spoiled.
As of July 28, 2023:
The cavaliers are doing well. They're enjoying the weather without rain every day. It's hot! I'm looking forward to walking outside and saying,"Man, it's cold." Cody leaves for the Las Vegas area in around 6-weeks. She's hanging out with Rusty and Luna. She's enjoying being with the "big" dogs. Plus, they're teaching her the proper way for cavaliers to act. We adopted all our adults as puppies so we could train them the correct personality. Luna is very gentle and Rusty is in charge in a kind way.
We have confirmed Lexi is pregnant. We're 70% sure Tanz is pregnant. Still to early for sure on Tanz.
As of July 18, 2023:
The puppies and adults are doing well. The fall breeding season will start up soon. We expect several females to come into heat within the next 1-3 months. The gestation period is 63-days and then they are with us for two months after birth.
As of July 6, 2023:
JoJo's litter had a perfect vet exam yesterday. They received their first distemper/parvo vaccinations. I always have the vet put the sticker off the vaccination bottle in their vet booklet. That way when your vet sees the sticker they will know exactly what the puppy received. The distemper/parvo vaccination is mixed together in one bottle so they only receive one shot. It goes under the skin...they rarely feel it. They will normally need two additional rounds of distemper/parvo vaccinations approximately three weeks apart.
Some interesting links listed below:
Link: Puppy Feeding
Link: Puppy Food
Link: Puppy Teething
Link: Leaving For New Home
Link: New Puppy Information
Link: Life of a Newborn Puppy
As of July 1, 2023:
I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend. JoJo's litter has been adopted. This litter is tracking to be some of the smallest cavaliers we've had born. They're going to be beautiful adults! The entire litter is sweet and little cuddle bugs.
As of June 18, 2023:
Mercy (Whitney) is with her new family. The adoption picture has been posted to the Adoptions Page. Ben, Maisey, and Peaches leave next week for their new homes. Jemma and JoJo's litters have all been together for the last week. They're big buddies!
The adoption process for JoJo's litter has started. It's a little behind schedule due to some family sickness this week. We put the selection time at 7-days to adopt or pass to a future litter so it'll always go over a weekend in case the family wants to visit in person at their pick. For this litter, we ask that you only take the time needed as we need to progress faster if possible.
JoJo's litter is beautiful! She's one of our smallest females. She weighed 11 pounds this past Friday. With spaniels, they get a higher percentage of their genetic weight from their mother. I think these puppies will be small adults. Of course, diet and exercise will play a role.
As of June 8, 2023:
All puppies from Jemma's litter have been adopted. JoJo's litter will start the adoption process around June 16th.
As of June 7, 2023:
All puppies are doing well. JoJo's adoption process will start shortly after Jemma's litter. Some interesting links listed below:
Link: Puppy Feeding
Link: Puppy Food
Link: Puppy Teething
Link: Leaving For New Home
Link: New Puppy Information
Link: Life of a Newborn Puppy
As of June 1, 2023:
All the puppies are doing well. JoJo's litter had a perfect three week exam yesterday.
As of May 29, 2023:
I hope everyone is having a good Memorial Day weekend. Tanz's litter is at their new homes. Java is remaining from Mocha's litter. He and Jemma's litter are together. Jemma's litter is 5-weeks old today and have been weened. We always separate the pups from mom after she has weened them. They'll continue trying to nurse for months if possible. JoJo's litter is doing great! They have a 3-week vet exam on Wednesday. Their adoption process will begin after the completion of Jemma's litter. Adoption pictures have been added to the adoptions page for Tanz's litter and three of Mocha's litter.
As of May 22, 2023:
Jemma's litter adoption process has started. JoJo has a litter that is 12 days old. I posted a picture above. Born May 10th. Two Blenheim Females (Rose & Lady), Ruby Female (Willow), and Two Tri Males (Star & Luke).
As of May 21, 2023:
Pictures posted for Jemma's litter...adoption process starts tomorrow (May 22nd).
As of May 16, 2023:
Jemma's litter had a great 3-week vet exam yesterday. All four puppies checked out perfect!
I have a Navy proposal due Thursday and will be out of town Friday through Sunday. I plan to start the adoption of Jemma's litter on May 22nd or 23rd. I want to have plenty of time for the families to answer questions and provide pictures/videos. They're doing great and a beautiful litter! I know several of you have been waiting on Blenheim puppies...I expect they will be adopted quickly.
As of May 8, 2023:
Two of Tanz's pups went to their new homes over the weekend. Pictures added to the Adoptions List page. Tanz and Mocha's litters are together in the same kennel and doing great. Jemma's litter is growing and doing well. She's a great mother! Four beautiful Blenheim puppies. We'll start the adoption process for Jemma's litter around May 16th.
As of May 5, 2023:
Tanz Litter had a great 8-week exam today. All five checked out perfect. Some are starting to leave for their new homes. Birdie (Nalu) left this afternoon. They live a few miles from us. I posted a picture under Adoption Pictures of Birdie and the always handsome Bandit. He's one of our former puppies also. He's magnificent!
Jemma had a litter on April 24th. Four Blenheim puppies - three females and one male. They have a 3-week vet exam scheduled for May 15th at 3:15 pm. They're doing great!
As of April 25, 2023:
Pictures have been posted of Mocha's litter - the adoption process has started.
Starting the scheduling to pickup Tanz's litter on or after May 5th.
As of April 23, 2023:
All puppies from Tanz's litter have been adopted. The adoption process for Mocha's litter will start next week. Mocha has four puppies available - Ruby female, Ruby male, and two chocolate males. Mocha is our smallest cavalier. She weighs approximately 10 pounds. I expect these puppies to be on the smaller side as adults.
In a few days, I'll reset the deposit list by removing the five adopting families from Tanz's litter and we'll start back at pick one for Mocha's litter.
As of April 13, 2023:
Mocha's litter had a perfect 3-week vet exam yesterday. They're growing and doing great.
As of April 11, 2023:
All the puppies are doing great! Dot and Rosy have been adopted. Rosy has a permanent name of Millie. Mocha's litter has a 3-week vet exam tomorrow. Tanz's litter is currently eating wet food. We separate the puppies from the mom once they're weened or they'll continue trying to nurse constantly. They love the wet food. They'll be eating all dry food starting at 6-weeks old.
As of April 4, 2023:
Both litters of puppies are doing great! The adoption process is moving along for Tanz's litter. Once they are all adopted, I'll remove the five adopting families from the list and reset the numbers. We'll start back at pick number one for Mocha's litter. Mocha's litter has their three week vet exam on April 12th. We'll start their adoption process shortly after that time.
As of March 29, 2023:
Tanz Litter had a perfect exam today at the vet. All five checked out perfect. The adoption process starts soon. They have another full vet exam on May 2nd. They'll receive their first round of distemper/parvo vaccinations at this exam. They'll be ready for their new homes after that exam. They can be picked up that day or any day after that is convenient for you.
I posted a picture and details on Mocha's litter above.
As of March 27, 2023:
Tanz Litter - puppies are doing great! They're growing and doing well. They have their eyes open and should be taking a few steps this week. They love to get in one big pile under the heat lamp. Tanz is a great mother so not much of an incentive for them to start walking. Sleep in a pile and eat. They're living the good life. They have a full vet exam on Wednesday and then the adoption process will start around Thursday.
We had another litter born this past Friday. I don't want to say to much about them and jinx anything but they're all doing great so far. The first week is critical. I'll let everyone know litter details before the adoption process starts later this week. That will help with adopt versus pass.
We have two more females bred but it's to early to determine if they conceived. The gestation period is approximately 63 days. I can normally determine, by feel, if they're pregnant around 35-40 days after conception.
As of March 16, 2023:
This weather has been crazy! 80 degrees for awhile and now freeze warnings.
Tanz had her litter on March 6th. All puppies are doing great. Their three week vet appointment is set for March 29th at 1:45 PM. They'll receive a full vet exam. The adoption process will start around March 30th. They'll receive another full vet exam at eight weeks old with vaccines (distemper/parvo).
Litter of five:
Tina - Tri - Female
Rosy - Ruby - Female
Ray - Ruby - Male
Dot - Ruby - Female
Nalu - B&T - Female
Nalu means “wave” and “surf” in Hawaiian. We've had 144 puppies adopted and only 16 Black & Tan puppies. I gave the little B&T female a special name. Of course, all names are just temporary names. The family picks the permanent name.
As of March 5, 2023:
I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather. We have a several females bred and others coming into heat. We're hopeful for several litters in the next month or two.
As of January 30, 2023:
Amaretto, Cooper, and Trey are at their new homes. Their pictures are added to the Adoption Pictures page. Click on picture to see larger image and puppy name.
Link: Adoption Pictures
As of January 26, 2023:
Lexi's litter had a great vet exam yesterday. They all checked out perfect! They received a full vet exam and their first distemper/parvo vaccination. Most vets recommend three rounds of distemper/parvo vaccinations 3-4 weeks apart. They receive their first distemper/parvo vaccination from our vet. They typically receive a bordetella vaccine at their third vet appointment. This vaccine is for kennel cough. Some vet will give them a rabies vaccine at this time and some wait until they're a little older. The first rabies vaccine is normally a yearly vaccine and then they can receive a three year rabies vaccine a year later. You'll receive a booklet with the sticker from the distemper/parvo vaccination bottle. That way your vet will know exactly what the puppy received. Each puppy is dewormed at 3, 5, 6, and 7 weeks of ago using two different dewormer medicines. They receive a fecal exam at the 8-week visit. They check for worms and coccidia. This litter was negative for both.
As of January 20, 2023:
Bella leaves for her new home today. She's a sweet girl!
I've updated the adoption list. We'll start back at pick one with the next litter.
Lexi's litter is doing great! They're growing and very playful. We separate them from mom after she weens them which is between four and five weeks of age. They're infatuated with the older cavaliers. They stay by the fence so they can see what's going on with them. They'll rub noses with the older cavaliers while their little tail never stops. They've taken a big liking to JoJo. They play with JoJo through the fence.
They're seven weeks old today. They have a full vet exam this Wednesday and then will be ready for their new homes. They'll go to their new homes with their vet records, AKC paperwork, and Kim's makes each puppy a blanket that smells like their siblings and mother.
You may have noticed Mary's name changed to Amaretto. Mary was her temporary name. The new family selects a name for their puppy. Once it's determined, I update the website.
Good information for families to read before their new puppy arrives:
Link: Leaving For New Home
Link: New Puppy Information
Link: Puppy Feeding
Link: Puppy Teething
Link: Eye Staining
As of January 14, 2023:
Lexi's litter has been adopted. In the next week or so, I'll update the list by removing those families who have adopt a puppy and Miss Bella. We're hoping for more litters in the next 2-3 months.
As of January 13, 2023:
I hope everyone is safe and sound from the tornadoes yesterday. We had one touchdown approximately 5 miles from our home. All the cavaliers are doing well. Lexi's litter is 6-weeks old today. They transition to all dry food starting today. Lexi feeds them the first four weeks. They eat wet food for weeks five and six. They'll be on all dry food when they arrive at their homes. They had a three week exam and all checked out perfectly. They'll receive another full exam on January 25th. They'll receive their first distemper/parvo vaccination at that appointment. They'll be ready for their new homes after that appointment. Their AKC paperwork arrived yesterday.
Bella has been spade and will be at her new home on January 20th. She's a sweet, sweet little girl!
As of January 8, 2023:
Updates on Lexi's litter:
We have the weekly weights of all 144 puppies that have been adopted. The average weight at 5-weeks is 40.6 ounces. Mary weighted 32.1 ounces, Ben 37.8 ounces, and Trey 37.9 ounces. It think these puppies may be on the smaller side as adults. Of course, it depends on amount/type of food, treats, and exercise.
They received a full vet exam on 12/28/22 and all received a clean bill of health. They have their 8-week vet appointment on January 25th.
Our puppies receive their first vaccines from our vet at their 8-week vet exam. Most vets recommend a series of three distemper/parvo vaccinations at three weeks apart. The distemper/parvo vaccination is one shot just under the skin.
Vaccination Schedule (you should follow what your vet recommends):
8 weeks - distemper/parvo vaccination (this vaccine is with our vet)
11 weeks - distemper/parvo vaccination
14 weeks - distemper/parvo vaccination, bordetella vaccine, rabies vaccine
Bordetella vaccine is for kennel cough. Some vets will give the rabies vaccine at this visit and some want to give it when the puppy is a little older.
As of January 6, 2023:
Adoption process has started. You can follow along on the deposit list page. Each Family has 7-days to adopt or pass to a future litter. We ask that you only take the time needed for your decision.
AKC paperwork has been ordered for Lexi's litter. It'll arrive before the puppies go to their new homes. It normally takes 2-3 weeks to receive in the mail.
Some people ask why people decide to pass. It can be for a number of reasons such as...upcoming travel, moving to new home, wanting a male/female, wanting a particular color, expecting a baby, wanting a particular mom/dad, timing,... It's perfectly fine to pass. We want you to adopt the puppy you want. It's a long term commitment.
As of January 5, 2023:
Puppy pictures will be posted later today. Click on the puppy name to see the individual pictures. The adoption process will start tomorrow afternoon. You can follow along online as puppies are adopted. We give the puppies 3-4 letter starter names. The family names the puppy. Some families already have a name picked out and some wait until they receive the puppy. Either way is fine. I'll update the listing once the puppy has a permanent name. You may or may not see some names change after a puppy has been adopted.
I'll contact each family when it's their selection. I do all I can to make sure they know it's their time to adopt or pass.
The person at pick position number one (B.P. Henderson, NV) will have the first pick and then it will move to pick position number two. When it's your selection, a person will have 7-days to adopt a puppy or pass and then it will move to the next person. Due to others waiting to adopt a puppy, there are no exceptions to waiting for longer than 7-days to select your puppy or pass. You do not have to select a puppy when it’s your selection. You can pass until the next litter. After the selection of puppies from a litter, the families who adopt a puppy will be removed from the list and everyone below them will move up. When the next litter is born, it will start at the top of the pick list (pick number one).
We set the process to adopt or pass at 7-days for a couple of reasons: 1) Seven days will always cover a weekend in case a family wants to come select the puppy in person. Kim and I can normally provide a time during the week but some families cannot travel until the weekend. 2) We must keep the process moving. We've had some adoptees cancel visits at the last minute and want to reschedule for the following weekend. This delays the process making it difficult for them to be adopted within a reasonable time frame. We ask that you only use the time needed to make a selection. I'll be glad to provide pictures, videos, and answer any questions when you're making your decision.
As of December 31, 2022:
We hope everyone had a great 2022 and have a blessed 2023.
Bella was adopted by a local family who adopted one of Bella's puppies (Henry) in April of 2020. They are currently the 8th pick and will be removed from the deposit list after adoption of Bella. Bella is scheduled to be spade on January 10th with our vet. She will be at her new home around January 20th.
Litters: We have good and bad news.
Zoe's litter was born on November 28th. Her first colostrum milk came in and the puppies were fine, however, she did not produce follow-on milk. The puppies would nurse but not gain weight. We started bottle feeding on day three and they did not survive. Sad situation.
Lexi's litter was born on December 2nd. They're doing great! They had their 3-week vet exam on December 28th and all checked out perfect. She has a Blenheim female, Blenheim male, and Tri male. We'll start the adoption process for them in a week or so.
I'm not sure how the adoption process will go. Everyone in the top nine picks are wanting a female. Of course, they can adopt any available puppy when it's their pick. The two males may drop far down the adoption list. Just never know. We've had some litters go all the way to a pick in the 20's due to wanting certain colors and gender. It's perfectly fine to pass. We want families to adopt the puppy they would like. It's a 10-15 year commitment.
We should have 3-5 females in heat within the next three months. We've had a new female (River's Jemma Jewels) for over a year now and skipped her last heat. She's should be in heat in Jan/Feb. She's a beautiful Blenheim with fabulous markings. Her grandfather is a famous AKC champion and three of her great grandfathers are AKC champions. We look forward to seeing what puppies she produces. We're also hopeful for some chocolate and merle puppies this spring. Luna and JoJo are due in heat soon also.
Some families have been on the list for quite some time. Let me know if you'd like your deposit returned.
Have a Happy New Year.
As of December 14, 2022:
Bella has been adopted.
We are retiring Bella. She's a Black & Tan AKC registered CKCS. She is 5-years old. She had an exam by our veterinarian on October 12th and weighed 19 pounds. She is a perfect size for her bone structure...that is a great weight for her. She was negative for heart worms and her heart checked out with no murmurs. She received a 3-year rabies vaccination on that day. She's currently taking Sentinel for heartworm prevention and flea control. That's the brand we use for all our dogs but you can switch her to your preferred brand. That is the only medication she takes other than standard vitamins.
She's a beautiful cavalier! She has no white on her. We searched for several years for a solid B&T and found a breeder in Arkansas that specialized in solid cavaliers (B&T and Ruby). She's very sweet! Before Kim's mother passed away, Bella was registered with local nursing homes and Kim would take her to visit with patients there.
Link: AKC River's Razorback Bella
Adoption Cost: $1,000
I'm offering her here (on this private page) to the families on the deposit list. Let me know if you're interested in adopting her.
As of November 20, 2022:
Good news! Lexi and Zoe are pregnant. They're both in private kennels eating all puppy food. They're taking vitamins and liquid B-Complex daily. We're expecting puppies next month. All the other cavaliers are doing well. We're expecting other to come into heat in the next 2-4 months. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.
As of October 27, 2022:
We've had several females in heat. We should know who is pregnant around the 35-day mark after conception. We're hopefully for puppies in December. Females attempt not to conceive if the puppies will be born in the winter. It's a built in instinct in canines. We have documented conception dates and will be checking around the 35-40 day mark. Fingers crossed.
As of October 4, 2022:
Been awhile since an update. Not much going on with the cavaliers until recently. Several have been in-heat the last week or so. Of course, we never know if conception takes place. We monitor the male and female using our cameras in each kennel. We can then mark the day of breeding. The gestation period is ~63 days. We're hopeful for puppies around the first of December.
As of August 16, 2022:
Zoe's litter is at their new homes. Their permanent names are Zoey and Oakley. Louie is here and hanging out with Mocha. Mocha is a sweet girl! We love all our cavaliers but it's impossible for her not to be one of the favorites.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a good movie. I expected more of a suspense type movie but it's a love story. Kim loved it. If you guys need brownie points...I'd suggest taking her to the see that movie.
As of August 5, 2022:
Zoe's litter had a great exam today. Azul is leaving for her new home tomorrow. Tia is leaving on Sunday. We'll miss these two little girls!
Today, Kim and I have been married for 33 years. We first met Junior year of college. A group of people played Rook every night in the dorm. Seemed like we always ended up partners. Dated junior year, engaged senior year, and married now for over three decades. It's been a great time! Her band is playing tonight and I have a double header playing softball. We're celebrating tomorrow with dinner and seeing Where the Crawdads Sing. I hear it's a good movie. Amber read the book and gave it to me but no time to read it yet. I hope everyone has a great weekend.
As of August 1, 2022:
All puppies have been adopted. We expect the next litters in around three to four months. Cavaliers typically come into heat every 6-8 months. The gestation period is ~63 days. We keep the puppies for around 8 weeks. So, a heat cycle in October will result in puppies being born in December and leave for their new homes in February.
We have quite a few females coming into heat around October. Of course, some will conceive and some will not. By feel, we can normally determine pregnancy around the 35-40 day mark after mating. Abdominal palpation (gently pressing on the surface of the abdomen with the fingers) to detect swellings in the uterus that signal the presence of developing puppies. Blood tests and ultrasounds can confirm but it doesn't change the fact. We've had both performed but have shied away as it just puts more stress on the female.
Information:
Link to: Puppy Food
Link to: New Puppy Information
As of July 29, 2022:
Tanz's litter had a perfect vet exam this week. Finn left this morning for his new home. It was good to see his big brother Buggs. I posted a picture of them on the Adoptions Page.
I plan to put Zoe and Ruby's litters up for adoption later today. All the puppies are doing great!
As of July 25, 2022:
Deposit list has been updated. Tanz's litter will receive their third vet exam this Wednesday and then start the process to leave for their new homes. They're a very sweet litter and will be missed!
Our puppies receive their first vaccines from our vet at their eight week vet exam. Most vet recommend a series of three distemper/parvo vaccinations at three weeks apart. The distemper/parvo vaccination is one shot just under the skin.
Vaccination Schedule (you should follow what your vet recommends):
8 weeks - distemper/parvo vaccination
11 weeks - distemper/parvo vaccination
14 weeks - distemper/parvo vaccination, bordetella vaccine, rabies vaccine
Bordetella vaccine is for kennel cough.
Zoe's litter will start the adoption process this week.
As of July 23, 2022:
All of Tanz's litter have been adopted. They're three beautiful and very sweet puppies! Tanz is a great mother. Some are just natural mothers. Tanz is one of them. She reminds me of Candy. Candy and Tanz both don't like anyone touching their puppies until they're older. Both will put their head over a puppy if you reach for it. Not aggressively...just like that's my baby. Finn will be Buggs little brother. Buggs is one of our favorite puppies of all time.
Check out the picture of him sitting in a tree!
Link: AKC Buggs
Zoe's litter had a good vet exam this past week. They'll be up for adoption in a few days.
Mocha and Jemma both had great exams this past week. Mocha Latte is our new chocolate cavalier. Jemma Jewels is our new Blenheim cavalier. More will be posted about them when they're older.
As of July 13, 2022:
Pictures of Azul, Ben, and Finn have been posted. They all received a great vet exam today. The adoption process will start tomorrow. Ben and Finn are standard pricing. Azul has an adoption price of $3500. This is a terrific litter! They're all very sweet.
We spent several years looking for a merle cavalier from healthy lines. We found Tanz, I sold a kidney, and we adopted her :) Both of her parents are AKC registered. I'll provide the AKC pedigrees for both Tanz and Apollo inside the puppy packet. Tanz's litter cannot be AKC registered due to her being a merle. Tanz and Azul are both Black and Tan base cavaliers with Merle coloring. Every single employee at the vet office had to hold Azul. She's the first merle cavalier they've ever seen. One lady waiting with her cat got a picture with Azul to send her daughter who has a cavapoo. She got lots of loving and enjoyed every second. Kim has her spoiled rotten!
I haven't posted many updates lately. Our software company won another government contract and it triggered a DCAA audit. The DCAA is equivalent to the IRS for personal tax audits. It's been 6-weeks of long days and weekends getting them the required information. We found out last week that we passed and the contract can start soon.
Zoe's litter is doing great! They're gaining weight and healthy. They have a vet exam on July 22nd and the adoption process will start soon afterwards. She has a female Tri and male Tri.
We had someone inquire about a cavalier several months ago. Due to the wait, they adopted a cavalier from another breeder only a few hours from us. The cavalier was almost twice the cost of our puppies. They called me this week and was very upset. They took the puppy to their vet and she has several serious health issues. Some things that can be fixed with medicine and some that cannot. The family spoke to the breeder and the puppy had not received a single vet exam until the new family took her to the vet. That's sad for the puppy and the new family. Our puppies receive a full vet exam at three weeks old. This is a good time to determine if any serious problems are present. They also receive another full vet exam and vaccinations at eight weeks old. Some litters receive a full vet exam at six weeks old also. Warm humid weather is more prevalent for parasites and worms. Most summer litters receive the six week vet exam also. Out of 140+ puppies adopted, only one has been diagnosed with a heart condition. It was caught at the three week vet exam. That puppy was provided to a family free of of charge. Recently, I was explaining this condition to someone on the list and he said, "a PDA?" Turns out he is a medical doctor and knew exactly what I was talking about.
As of July 4, 2022:
I hope everyone has a great 4th of July.
All the puppies are doing great. Mom's are doing well. Tanz's puppies are eating all dry food now. Zoe's puppies will start on wet food this coming Thursday.
As of June 23, 2022:
Tanz's litter had a great 3-week exam. I'm waiting until they're 6- weeks old to start the adoption process. It should go fairly quickly with three puppies. We want to wait a little longer to determine more about Azul's coat and eye color. They're doing great.
As of June 18, 2022:
Look at Will's ears in the picture above. They're already getting roll curls at the front edge. He's going to have BEAUTIFUL ears!
All the pups are doing well. Mia and Will have left for their new homes in Florida and Tennessee. Bentley and Mocha are hanging out together. Bentley leaves Monday for his home in Huntsville, AL.
Ben, Luke, and Azul are doing well. Tanz is a great mother!!! She loves her puppies. She stays with them almost 24/7. All three are little chunky monkeys which is great. We want them as chunky as possible the first 8-weeks in case they get a cold and need that extra buffer of weight.
Ben, Luke, and Azul have a vet appointment on Tuesday.
Zoe's litter are doing well. They're nine days old and growing.
I hope everyone has a great Father's Day weekend. We have a special treat planned for Apollo and Rusty tomorrow. Of course they'll all get a special treat.
As of June 14, 2022:
Lexi and Tanz's pups are doing great. Lexi's pups have a vet appointment tomorrow.
Zoe: Sad news! I always keep you informed. You hear the good and the bad. That's a part of being in the adoption process and we're on this journey together. We set our alarm the first 3-4 days and check on them every 4 hours. Then we switch to every 6 hours. Apparently, Zoe laid on one of her female pups last night and it didn't make it. Sad situation! It was fading this morning. I gave it nectar three times to get her energy up. She wouldn't nurse. Fed her by syringe several times. She received subcutaneous IV fluids and didn't survive. It's tough when you lose a little one! Your heart breaks for the puppy and the mother. It's part of the tough side of raising puppies. The part most people don't see when they adopt a puppy at 8 weeks old. We love the joy that puppies bring to families. It's the reason we do this. It's really tough when we lose one! Kim is taking this one especially hard. She's really bonded with this litter. She's taking it especially hard right after we switched from every four hours till longer periods. She's loved on Azul all day and I can tell it's really tough on her. Azul is spoiled rotten. Whoever adopts Azul better be ready for a spoiled puppy who is a cuddle bug.
As of June 12, 2022:
A lot is happening!
Lexi: Litter is 7 weeks old. They're doing great. They have their 8-week vet appointment this coming Wednesday. I'm now scheduling their departure day/time for their new homes. I have full day of meetings Thursday with DCAA auditors concerning our software company. I will not be able to have pickups on Thursday.
Tanz: Tanz had a litter on May 31st. She had two handsome Tri males and a stunning Merle female. The Merle baby is a Black and Tan base with Merle coloring. Their first vet appointment will be around June 20th.
Zoe: Zoe had a large litter of all Tri puppies on June 9th. It's a mixture of male and females. They're only three days old and still very fragile. They're doing well so far.
River's Mocha Latte: We added a new baby to our family. She's a rare chocolate King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Mocha is beautiful puppy! She's a base Ruby with chocolate markings. Both her parents are ruby cavaliers that carry the chocolate gene. Her mother has golden eyes. The chocolate gene can be reflected with standard, blue, or golden eyes. As a puppy, chocolates start out with dark eyes displaying a blue hue to them. As they get older, the eyes either darken like standard cavalier eyes, turn blue, or turn golden. It's be interesting to see what eye color Mocha has as an adult. We're not certain if she will have future puppies or just be our pet. She's very sweet and a special little girl. She's hanging out with Lexi's litter and they love having a big sister with them. Mom weens the puppies at four to five weeks old, we then remove mom from them. The puppies will nurse for as long as mom allows. At four to five weeks old, the puppies can eat solid food and have a mouth full of sharp little teeth. Mom weens them and then they drive her crazy trying to continuously nurse.
When we worked with Husky's, I've seen moms get very rough with the puppies after they're weened and trying to nurse. I haven't seen cavalier moms act that way but you can see the mom's are miserable trying to stay away from the puppies chasing her around trying to nurse. That's why we remove mom. She's had a rough two months of being pregnant, birth process, and then taking care of the puppies for two months. She's ready for a break!
I've witnessed the birth of our two children and hundreds of puppies. The birth process is a miracle.
As of June 8, 2022:
Pups are doing great. They'll be 7-weeks old tomorrow.
As of June 3, 2022:
Lexi's litter has been adopted. I'll leave the information posted for a few days and then remove the three families who adopted plus the one who requested to be removed.
We'll start back at pick position number one with the next litter. (B.P. Henderson, NV). With each litter, you move closer and closer to the top of the list.
I expect the next adoption process to start in 3-4 weeks.
As of June 2, 2022:
I posted a picture above of the deposit list. You can see a lot of females desired in the top 15 picks. Adopting a puppy is a long term commitment. We have no issues with families passing to the next litter. We want you to get a puppy that you desire.
Lexi's litter is 6-weeks old today. Mia weighed 2 lb 7.4 ozs, Will weighed 2 lb 1.7 ozs, and Bentley weighed 2 lb. 8.5 ozs. They're all doing great!
Their next vet appointment is June 15th.
Our puppies get a full vet exam around 3-weeks old. We then start the adoption process. The puppies receive a second full vet exam around 8-weeks old. They receive their first distemper/parvo vaccination at the 8-week exam. They're then ready for their new homes. Most vets recommend three rounds of distemper/parvo vaccinations approximately four weeks apart. Most vets (I say most vets because this is not the gospel - you should follow your vets recommendations) will recommend a bordetella (kennel cough) vaccination at the last distemper/parvo vaccination. Puppies should be spade/neutered around 6-months of age. This is a good time for a rabies vaccination and a microchip.
We highly recommend that you do not take your puppy to an area that is common for dogs until they receive all three rounds of distemper/parvo vaccinations. Places such as dog parks, walking trails, common restroom areas along the interstate, etc... If you stop for a bathroom break try to find an area that other people probably do not take their dogs. That could be driving a little farther to a different area or finding a very small patch of grass at the stop area. We've never had parvo at our kennels and don't know of a previous cavalier who has acquired parvo, but it can happen. A friend adopted a large breed puppy, Belgian Malinois, and stopped along the interstate for a bathroom break. Puppy was sick with parvo and within a breath of dying. Thankfully, he survived. A small breed would have most likely died.
Another thing to consider is the heat this summer on pavement and concrete. It will quickly burn the paws of a puppy and adult.
As of May 28, 2022:
Sam has been adopted. His permanent name will be Bentley.
Reasons people pass: It can be bad timing or they may want a particular color/gender. Adopting a puppy is a long term commitment. We want you to adopt the puppy you desire. Some families may want a Ruby female and pass to a future litter. That's fine. I'm thankful that most people let me know quickly where we can move on to the next family.
As of May 23, 2022:
Mia has been adopted by J.W. (Lynn Haven, FL). She will be a little sister to Charlie.
Link: AKC Charlie
All the pups are doing great! They're all walking and enjoying the warm weather.
As of May 17, 2022:
Pups are doing great. They're trying to walk. They should be walking by the weekend.
The first pick (B.P.) moved to Nevada. I updated her city.
As of May 16, 2022:
Pictures of Lexi's litter have been posted. Adoption process has started.
As of May 11, 2022:
Lexi's litter had a vet exam today. All three checked out perfect. I'll post individual pictures on the website and start the adoption process on Monday May 16th.
As of May 5, 2022:
Lexi had a litter on April 21st. Three beautiful puppies! Great markings! Most of our litters are 3-6 puppies. We have small females. Mom and pups are doing great! They have their first vet appointment on May 11th. The adoption process will start after the vet appointment.
As of April 22, 2022:
Cavaliers are enjoying the spring weather. We have some females coming into heat. Should be able to determine pregnancy status in 45-60 days for a couple of females.
As of April 9, 2022:
All is well. Not much going on right now with the cavaliers. We should have several go into heat over the next couple of months. They're enjoying the warmer weather and sunshine for a change. Rain predicted Monday through Thursday of the upcoming week.
As of March 28, 2022:
All the cavilers are doing great. Zac leaves for his new home in Tennessee today. Jake is at his new home in California. I added an adoption picture of Jake at the airport.
Link: Adoption Pictures
If you have a dog or cat that is in need of additional nutrition the food listed below is very good. It helps after sickness, surgery, or any stressful situation.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets CN Critical Nutrition Formula Canned Dog & Cat Food is designed to help manage the nutrition of dogs and cats that are critically ill or anorectic. This formula centers on providing a concentrated energy source and an optimal nutrient profile to support your pet in recovery. The smooth texture allows this protein-rich formula, so you pet can begin to experience its benefits as quickly as possible.
Key Benefits
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This energy dense formula provides concentrated nutrition to your dog or cat that is critically ill, anorectic, or recovering from surgery.
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Added antioxidants promote overall well-being and high protein and fat content provides nutrition for your pet when they need it most.
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High palatability and digestible so your pet can experience it benefits quickly.
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Made in the USA.
You do need a prescription for purchase. A lot of veterinarian offices have the food in stock for purchase. It's typically $3-5 a can.
Link: Purina Critical Nutrition Cat/Dog
As of March 21, 2022:
The cavaliers are enjoying the warmer weather. Jake is with his new family. They'll be flying to California tomorrow. Zac is hanging out with JoJo until Monday (March 28th). Zac was adopted by the next family on the list. He's doing great.
As of March 16, 2022:
All the cavaliers are doing well. I'll be thankful for some dry, warm weather.
We give each adult cavalier one of these vitamins per day:
Link: Doc Roy's Daily Care Canine
It's a quality vitamin and they see them as a treat.
We also give Doc Roy's B Strong liquid daily. It's really good for a boost if a dog gets sick or stressed. It helps with their immune system.
Link: Doc Roy's B Strong
Link: Small Syringes without Needles
I have not tried these but hear good things about them:
Link: Omega Gold Soft Chews
We are not affiliated with any company and do not receive any type of kickback. You should be leery of any breeder demanding you use one particular food or vitamin. We do highly recommend you start your puppy on Iam's puppy food as that is what they've been eating. We provide directions on how to transition the puppy to a different food if you prefer. If you switch them cold turkey there's a good chance they'll have an upset stomach or not eat at all.
Two of my favorite placed to order dog items is Chewy and Revival Animal Hospital.
As of March 10, 2022:
Luke and Zac both had a great vet exam yesterday. Cavaliers have enjoyed this warm weather. Going to be a cold weekend with possible snow.
As of March 1, 2022:
All the cavaliers are doing well. Not much to report. Glad it's not raining all week again. Zac and Luke are here. They're both playing and doing well. They both have their third vet appointment next week. They'll get a full exam and their second distemper/parvo vaccination.
As of February 21, 2022:
All the cavaliers are doing well. I'm sure they're dreading all the rain this week. It cuts down on play time.
Little Zac is still growing and doing well. He gets after it and loves playing with the other puppies. We bottle fed him every three hours for weeks. He also received 0.5ml of clear hummingbird nectar several times a day to keep his sugar level up. He's a handsome guy with a beautiful coat!
Zac weekly weights:
1 week: 7.7 ounces
2 weeks: 7.2 ounces (decrease of 0.5 ozs)
3 weeks: 9.9 ounces (increase of 2.7 ozs)
4 weeks: 12.1 ounces (increase of 2.2 ozs)
5 weeks: 16.0 ounces (increase of 3.9 ozs)
6 weeks: 1 lb 7.1 ozs (increase of 7.1 ozs)
7 weeks: 1 lb 11.5 ozs (increase of 4.4 ozs)
8 weeks: 2 lb 2.4 ozs (increase of 6.9 ozs)
9 weeks: 2 lb 10.8 ozs (increase of 8.4 ozs)
10 weeks: 3 lb 3.4 ozs (increase of 8.6 ozs)
He's been on the right track now for the last six weeks.
As of February 16, 2022:
Some things to consider:
Medicine - Chews are normally not a problem but it can be difficult if you need to give your dog tablets. One trick is to take a small (1"x1") piece of bread and wrap the tablet in the bread making a little ball. The make pill pockets and those can work also.
Bath - You should not bath your dog more than once a week. It can dry out the skin. We use unscented baby wipes for between baths and to wipe their feet after being outside. We use baby shampoo for our dogs. Several companies make "no more tears" type shampoo. You can also use pet shampoo. You should not use flea and tick shampoo on a puppy unless it's necessary.
Common Public Potty Areas - Common areas for dogs to use the restroom are ripe for worms, viruses, and parvo. If you stop at a gas station or other area for your dog to use the restroom pick a location that other will not commonly use. Don't use the most obvious location. I see some interstate gas stations that will have a grassy area on one side. Many times this where 95% of the dogs go for a potty break. Avoid that area.
Chewing - Puppies will be teething. Keep an eye on electrical cords. For some reason they love to chew on cords and shoestrings.
Link: Puppy Teething
Vet Offices - Our vet offices are very clean, however I try not to let our puppies or adults touch the floor. I use a large tub for the puppies and plastic dog travel crate for the adults. Vet offices have a mixture of healthy and sick animals that arrive. I may be over protective but I look at it like a human walking around in a hospital emergency room barefoot. I wouldn't want to do that and would not let my children do that for sure.
Information:
Link to: Puppy Food
Link to: New Puppy Information
As of February 10, 2022:
Zoe and Luna's litters had their vet appointment yesterday. Ruby Rose (Lady) and Nash (Ben) are at their new homes. I updated the Adoptions Pictures page with family pictures. Both went to Huntsville, Alabama to great families. They are going to have great lives!
Kim gets attached to all the puppies. It's always tough on her when a puppy leaves. It will be especially tough with Zac! We have spent more time with him than any puppy we've had born. He is such a fighter! He's absolutely handsome and very, very sweet! It's like he knows that we didn't give up on him. He got a great report at his vet appointment yesterday. His heart is perfect! He weighed 2.4 pounds yesterday. He got down to 6.9 ounces at one point. Kim and I set our alarm every three hours for weeks and bottle feed him. He wouldn't give up and neither would we. We love that little guy. He's special for sure. We plan to keep him for another month or so. He'll have another vet appointment. If everything goes well (I feel confident it will), then he will be up for adoption. He's going to be a blessing to some family! We're thankful for all the prayers and messages about Zac. He's had a lot of people pulling for him. We appreciate it...he's like our little kid!
I sent all the new families videos yesterday. You can see how happy and beautiful the puppies are at this age. Six weeks and up is my favorite time with the puppies. If you're ever having a bad day...just go see the puppies. A puppy can brighten any day. It is true...dog is man's best friend.
Lexi's progesterone test on Monday showed a level of 0.3 ng/dl. That shows she is still in phase two of the breeding cycle. Apollo is still at her side and will not let her out of his sight. We're hopeful she will continue the cycle and her progesterone level will increase. It can spike quickly. Lexi and Apollo have BEAUTIFUL puppies! Her pedigree is outstanding. Apollo and Lexi both have perfect, show quality markings. Apollo is from a show line, which is normally a red flag for us, but he came from a healthy lineage. From my experience, most (not all) show lines only care about looks and not health. They show the cavaliers, in their prime, and then have little use for them after they are older. We value health and temperament over looks. We produce beautiful puppies but our number one goal is always health.
We try to keep you informed along the way. As you know, you are part of this journey with us. Cavaliers are a great breed. We've had so many families adopt a cavalier and love them. If you look at our deposit list, most are repeat families or friends of an adopting family.
As of February 6, 2022:
Puppies are doing great. I reset the deposit list. We'll start with pick one at the next litter.
As of February 5, 2022:
All puppies have been adopted. Within a few days, I'll remove the adopting families from the list.
Zoe and Luna's litters can leave for their new homes starting with the afternoon of February 9th. Ruby's litters can leave for their new homes starting with the afternoon of February 16th. You can schedule a time for pickup. I have a list of scheduled pickup times on the Deposits List page.
Lexi is in heat now. I plan to take her to our vet for a progesterone test early next week.
As of February 2, 2022:
Noah and Jack were adopted. We try to make our adoption process as open and honest as possible. You can follow along as the puppies are adopted and see your place on the adoption list. We've had people offer double the adoption cost to move up and we refuse. It's not about the money. It's about finding great homes for our little pups. We love them all. It's like our little kids leaving. We're not in this for the money. We file every thing on our taxes and rarely break even. It's about doing what we enjoy. There's just something special about having little puppies. They make every day better! If you're ever having a bad day... just spend time a puppy. They will always brighten your day. They're all special!
Pups are doing great. All three litters are weened. I have them together in the same kennel. They have fun hanging out together.
As of January 31, 2022:
I have not heard from the next pick on the list - A.R. (Lanett, AL). I sent a text, left a voicemail, and sent an email. The voicemail recording said her name. I have to assume that is still the correct phone number.
Pups are doing great. Zoe and Luna's litters are weened. I have them together in the same kennel. They have fun hanging out together.
Zac is growing and energetic. Other than being small...you can't tell a difference in him and others. He has a very small open fontanel due to being born premature. It's slowing closing over time. He's feisty and a little go getter. He loves the wet food. Nulo and Solid Gold are his favorites.
As of January 26, 2022:
Lady (Ruby Rose) was adopted yesterday.
The pups are starting to venue out of the whelping box and explore.
Started a new Updates Page. The previous page reached it's limit on text characters. This page has updates starting in 2022.
As of January 23, 2022:
Mia was adopted yesterday. The next family (H.S. - Huntsville, AL) plans to visit on Tuesday to see the puppies.
The AKC forms, for all three litters, arrived yesterday.
The pups are doing great!
Information:
Link to: Puppy Food
Link to: New Puppy Information
Link: Puppy Teething
As of January 19, 2022:
I will know about the next pick on Saturday.
Little pups are doing great! I took them out on the grass today from the first time. It's been so cold that they've been in the whelping box 24/7.
Pups eat wet food from weeks four through six plus they still nurse. We always experiment with all varieties of high-end wet food. It seems Blue Buffalo always comes out on top. Blue makes great canned wet food. They typically love it. This group of litters really love the Nulo canned food. We feed a variety as some like other brands better and it gives them a variety. This group will get Nulo once a day and an alternative brand once a day. They will be separated from mom at six weeks old and be eating all dry food. You will only need to geed dry food when you pickup the puppy.
Little Zac is doing great! I've had quite a few people texting, asking, and praying for Zac. I try to respond to the all the messages. We appreciate the prayers for him! He's gaining weight and doing great. As you know, he was born premature. We share everything with you. He's gaining weight and loves to eat. He loves the wet food! We bottle fed him for four weeks. He got up to 20ml per feeding. Now he's on wet food. He's feisty and very sweet. In 120+ caviler puppies and hundreds of husky puppies, we've never spent more time with a puppy. He's precious for sure. He's very special and will make some family a great addition soon. Kim always gets attached to the puppies. She pretty much cries every time one leaves. Zac will to extra tough on her. We both see how special he is and spend lots of time with him.
As of January 15, 2022:
As you can see in the picture above (that I posted several days ago), I have a large towel in the whelping box. The towel provides different layers of warmth. The puppies can lie directly on the heated floor (for the most warmth), on the towel on the heated floor (for a little less warmth), or only on the towel. It provides different levels of comfort for the puppies. Puppies cannot regulate their body temperature, shaking or panting, until around four weeks of age. I don't use towels at all unless the heated floor is needed. I know it's dangerous but a must with the heated floor. Last night, Ella got wrapped up in the towel and Ruby laid on her. She didn't survive. Sad situation and the reason we don't use towels unless it's necessary. In twenty plus years of breeding dogs, we've had this happen quite a few times with husky puppies but this is the first, at this age, with cavaliers. Husky moms are so large that it only takes a few minutes to be devastating. We only breed cavaliers now. There's always a risk of lying on the puppies during the first two weeks. Puppies can be scattered everywhere...where should mom lay to feed them? Normally, after a couple of weeks the puppies are big enough to get out of a bad situation of mom laying on them. Wrapped in a towel changes that...the reason we only use them if needed.
In life, honesty is the best policy. I'm always honest with people. That means, at times, I have to share the bad news with the good. All of you are going through this journey with us. You see the happiness of successful adoptions and also see the pain of bad news. We provide the absolute best care for our cavaliers, who are like our children, that is possible. Countless hours of care and devotion. From December 12th until January 6th, we set our alarm clock every 3 hours 24/7 and checked on the puppies to make sure they are warm and with mom. It's like bringing a baby home from the hospital. We did that 28 and 24 years ago. As empty nesters, the puppies are like our little kids. Kim is a retired kindergarten teacher, she has the patience of Job. We do all we can for them.
Most breeders list their puppies at eight weeks old. Families don't see all the details of what occurs throughout their puppies lives from birth until they arrive at their home. We want the families to go on the journey with us. It shouldn't be like purchasing a vacuum cleaner from Wal-Mart. We love each of our puppies. We hope that the family sees the puppies, through this process, and they already have a special place in their heart and family before the puppy arrives at their new home. We hope that a bond is made with the families. We've been very fortunate that our puppies have gone to great homes. At least five to six times a week, I get pictures and updates about previous puppies. We do all we can for them to get off to great start. We're thankful for the families providing them great homes.
As of January 14, 2022:
I added information and pictures for River's Duchess Tanzanite (Tanz). She's listed on the pull down under Current Cavaliers. The pictures are from the summer of 2021. I'll add Jojo as time permits. We've already started researching JoJo's lineage to double check from our pre-adoption list.
Link: River's Duchess Tanzanite (Tanz)
As of January 13, 2022:
The puppy adoption process has started.
Ruby's puppies checked out perfect today at their vet exam.
Zoe and Luna's litters have their second vet appointment on February 9th at 2pm. They'll receive a full exam and their first distemper/parvo vaccination.
Ruby's litter has their second vet appointment on February 16th at 2pm. They'll receive a full exam and their first distemper/parvo vaccination.
All puppies will be ready for their new homes after their second vet appointment. You can schedule a pickup day and time.
As of January 12, 2022:
Puppy pictures have been posted. Click on the puppy name to see the individual pictures. The adoption process will start tomorrow afternoon. You can follow along online as puppies are adopted. We give the puppies 3-4 letter starter names. The family names the puppy. Some families already have a name picked out and some wait until they receive the puppy. Either way is fine. I'll update the listing once the puppy has a permanent name. You may or may not see some names change after a puppy has been adopted.
I will contact each family when it's their selection. I do all I can to make sure they know it's their time to adopt or pass.
The person at pick position number one will have the first pick and then it will move to pick position number two. When it's your selection, a person will have 7-days to adopt a puppy or pass and then it will move to the next person. Due to others waiting to adopt a puppy, there are no exceptions to waiting for longer than 7-days to select your puppy or pass. You do not have to select a puppy when it’s your selection. You can pass until the next litter. After the selection of puppies from a litter, the families who adopt a puppy will be removed from the list and everyone below them will move up. When the next litter is born, it will start at the top of the pick list (pick number one).
We set the process to adopt or pass at 7-days for a couple of reasons: 1) Seven days will always cover a weekend in case a family wants to come select the puppy in person. Kim and I can normally provide a time during the week but some families cannot travel until the weekend. 2) We must keep the process moving. We've had some adoptees cancel visits at the last minute and want to reschedule for the following weekend. This delays the process making it difficult for them to be adopted within a reasonable time frame. We ask that you only use the time needed to make a selection. I'll be glad to provide pictures, videos, and answer any questions when you're making your decision.
As of January 11, 2022:
All the puppies are doing great. The adoption process will start on Thursday afternoon. Individual puppy pictures will be posted prior to Thursday afternoon. Once the pictures have been posted, the link for each puppy will be active and you can click on the puppy name to see the pictures.
As of January 6, 2022:
Zoe and Luna's puppies had their vet appointment today. The puppies checked out great. We will start the adoption process around the next Thursday for all the puppies except Zac. He's still very small. I want him to grow some more and see how he responds to wet food. We've never had a puppy this small at 25-days old. He's very handsome....just small. I want to make sure he's 100% healthy before he's adopted.
Ruby's litter have their three week exam this coming Thursday at 10:45am.
I'll post pictures of Ruby's litter before we start the adoption of Zoe and Luna's litter. Most of you have gone through an adoption process in the past. The way it works...Kim and I will take individuals pictures of the puppies and post them to the Deposit List page. The first pick is S.M. (Acworth, GA). She can adopt a puppy or pass to a future litter. When it's your turn to adopt a puppy, you have up to seven days to adopt a puppy or pass. When it's your pick, you can request additional pictures, videos, or come see the puppies in person. I'll be glad to answer any questions you have. After Zoe and Luna's puppies have been adopted, I'll remove the adopting families from the list and we'll start back with pick 1 for Ruby's litter.
As of January 6, 2022:
I received the necropsy report from Auburn University.
Diagnosis: Immature Lungs
Comments: Microscopic findings in the lungs are most consistent with immature lungs, which most commonly occurs in premature animals.
The puppies were born 57-days post surgical AI. The average gestation period is 63-days. It's most likely the reason these two passed away. It could be the reason Zac is small and still catching up on weight and size. He eats like a horse! I supplement his nursing with bottle feeding several times a day. He'll gulp down 15ml of formula every bottle feeding.
As of January 5, 2022:
During 2021, we added two cavaliers to our family. They will be displayed on our website within the next few months.
River's Jazzy JoJo. AKC JoJo is a beautiful Tri female. She has great markings and comes from a stellar breeding program and pedigree. We expect puppies from her this summer.
River's Duchess Tanzanite: AKC Tanz is a Black & Tan Blue Merle Cavalier. She is absolutely stunning. Merle cavaliers are very rare. I had to sell a kidney to acquire her with full AKC breeding rights. She has a beautiful Merle coat with black & tan face and ears. We expecting puppies from her this summer.
As of January 5, 2022:
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! All is well for us. We had a great holiday season. So far, our family has been Covid free. It does seem to be spreading more. I attended the funeral of a friend, who died of Covid complications, this past Saturday. He was healthy, fit and then went on a ventilator for 29 days. Sad for his wife and son.
We've been busy checking on the puppies every three hours 24/7. All our holiday functions were held at our house so we could make sure the puppies are warm and with mom.
We have three litters of puppies. We'll start the adoption process for Zoe and Luna's litters in around a week.
Zoe had a litter on December 12th. They are three weeks old. Luna had a litter on December 16th. They will be three weeks old tomorrow. Both of these litters have a 3-week vet appointment tomorrow at 2:30pm. They will have a full vet exam.
Ruby had a litter on December 23rd. They will be two weeks old tomorrow.
As I've posted before, we have small females which results in smaller litters. Most canines gets roughly a 50/50 split on size genetics from the mother and father. However, it seems that spaniels receive more along the lines of 70-80% of their size from the mother. We like smaller cavaliers. They tend to be more active, healthier, and produce more of a lap dog that most people associate with a cavalier. A lot of breeders have the largest females they can find to produce the highest number of puppies. I've seen 30-40 pound females who then produce puppies that will be that weight range as adults.
Luna's Litter: Luna delivered four puppies. All are doing fantastic!
Zoe's litter. She delivered four puppies. Two passed away. They are now at the Auburn University veterinary hospital for a necropsy to determine the cause of death. I believe these two puppies were allergic to the milk. We weigh the puppies each day and these two would not gain weight. They would nurse but not gain weight. Within a period of a few hours they went from active to not doing well. I took them to our vet and he gave them fluids and tube feed them. They did not make it. We are waiting on the results from Auburn.
Ruby's Litter: Ruby delivered four puppies. All are doing fantastic!
Zoe/Apollo: Blenheim Male - Zac
Zoe/Apollo: Tri Female - Mia
Luna/Rusty: Blenheim Male - Ben
Luna/Rusty: Ruby Male - Jack
Luna/Rusty: Ruby Female - Mary
Luna/Rusty: Blenheim Female - Lady
Ruby/Apollo: Blenheim Male - Luke
Ruby/Apollo: Black & Tan Male - Noah
Ruby/Apollo: Ruby Female - Ella
Ruby/Apollo: Black & Tan Female - Cora