What I've learned about Cavaliers.....

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Having lived with Lenny, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, for 4 months now I've learned the following:

They don't think they are dogs ~ cannot read a threat from a fellow canine.

They are bigots ~ love to romp & play with dogs of their own kind AND color. A Cavalier of a different color is a no go.

They are Olympic butt scoochers ~ it's entertainment for them. No physical reason is going on, they just love to scooch with a big doggy grin on their faces.

They have no concept of danger ~ will follow a butterfly into the streets.

They are a one man(woman) dog.

Lenny is still attempting to jump the fence. kt & her staff were out digging the hill down even more & we sat & watched. Lenny takes off running down the entire length of the yard & goes sailing over the fence.

All in all a bit GFGish. Little goofy creatures.

AND I've fallen head over heels for this breed. If I could afford it I'd get Lenny a companion Cavalier to hang with.

Lenny is a wonderful service dog; he's learned his job well. Once that jacket comes off tho he's just a goofy & extremely loving animal.


:cool_dog:

 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Lenny sounds like a handful but also like he's a great little dog. I didn't know they were ever used as service dogs! I've always loved the way they looked with those ears and those big eyes but I've never known anyone that actually had one. Have you ever noticed ... in museums there are lots of very old paintings of kings and queens posing with their Cavalier King Charles spaniels?
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Donna, King Charles in England practically ruined his country because he played with his Cavaliers & didn't pay attention to running his country. This breed has been the dog of kings & queens for centuries.

Unfortunately of late this breed has become quite popular & there are many unethical breeders out there. I hate that for any breed. Lenny is a "mutant" because his nose didn't fill in completely ~ he looks like he's wearing a little pink nose ring.

I chose him for a service dog because I didn't want or need a big dog. Lenny is my hearing dog ~ he's learned to alert me to phones ringing, the door opening or closing, the smoke & carbon dioxide alarms, an off noise in the car, kt leaving the house. He's very persistent until I acknowledge his "alert". I've had him trained privately & he's passed his tests with flying colors.

The service dog needs a certain temperament & must pass the canine good citizen's award along with the various & sundry tests for the service dog status. Because he is a one person dog his attention is on me alone until/unless I release him.

I have a doggy treadmill to walk him on because of the amount of snow & cold we've had this winter. He's up to 1.5 mph for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. I do this twice a day & kt will walk him until the snow melts. He's my favorite person of late. :flirtysmile3:
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
I had never heard of a Cavalier being used for this but it sounds like Lenny is perfect suited for his roll as a service dog, especially being a one-person dog! I know a lot of people who have therapy dogs that go to hospitals and nursing homes and they too have to pass the CGC tests.

I wonder if the popularity of Cavaliers didn't pick up when the character Charlotte in "Sex and the City" got one? Every time a certain breed of dog is shown in a movie or on TV, people all start wanting one and before long the puppy mills are are cranking them out and selling them to people who have done no research and have no idea what they're getting in to. That's very sad. "101 Dalmatians" came out and everybody wanted them, not knowing how much exercise they require or that many of them are deaf, which presents other problems. And when they had the long haired Jack Russell on "Frazier" (what was his name again?) everybody ran out and bought Jack Russells without knowing anything about the breed other than that the one on "Frazier" was really cute! It's a shame when the unethical back yard breeders and the puppy millers get in to it and start flooding the market with genetically defective or unhealthy dogs.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
I've had a soft spot for this breed from the first moment I laid eyes on them. You've just warmed my heart to them even more. lol
 
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