I always recommend a year to eighteen months between new dogs, just as one is matured and "knows the ropes" the other can be introduced.

__________________

SOMETIMES YOUR KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR IS MERELY AN IDIOT WRAPPED IN TINFOIL

make sure Both parents are fully health tested:

The main health problems in the breed are:
Mitral Valve Disease of the heart (MVD) - Read more
Syringomyelia (SM) - Read more
Eye – Hereditary Cataract & Multi-focal Retinal Dysplasia (MRD) - Read more


The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club - Health Information

stunning dogs, someone who has 2 kittens from me just bought one, helped her find it

__________________

Congratulations on deciding on one of the most delightful dogs you could wish for! (Biased!) I have three, and they are all so different in their personalities, and truly are my best buddies!

I suggest you get in touch with the breed club nearest you, they can give you lots of great advice and can point you in the right direction to the good breeders. They can also tell you about shows where you can go and meet some of the owners and see the dogs.

You will get conflicting advice about MRI scanning, some breeders MRI their dogs and some don't - my advice would be to do as much research on Syringomyelia as you can so you can make an informed decision. Not all breeders believe it is the best way and some feel (like me) that as it is the only test available at the moment all potential breeding dogs should be screened. It is a test whch is done voluntarily at the moment.

The heart test is done by a proper cardiologist, not by the usual vet, and certificate is issued saying that the dog's sire/dam is clear from murmur/MVD. You should be able to see both parents certificates, even if the sire is not owned by the breeder. This is the same for the KC/BVA eye certificates.

When you find a breeder and you know the name of the dam and sire, you can check on the Kennel Club website to see if there are current eye certificates.

There is some fantastic and fascinating information on the Breed club website,
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club - Front Page and it's worth having it bookmarked!

Good luck with your search and research!

Ange

PS Rubies are my favourites too!

__________________
Stella, Louis and Asha