The most frequent questions and their answers are:
Do they shed? Yes they do, not as much
as larger breeds! With brushing it is usually not very much.
Are females better pets than males?
In this breed, the
neutered males are just as loving, if not more loving than the females.
The saying is that the girls love you, but the boys are in love with
you!
How much are they? You can expect to
pay anywhere from $1500-2500 for a pet puppy from a reputable, health
testing breeder. The going rate in the Midwest is $2000, on the East and
West coasts they are higher, as much as $2000- 3000.
Beware of the brokers who collect up puppies from all over
the world, importing them from Ireland (and elsewhere) and then
reselling them. You should want to meet the breeder and see the parents
and other relatives of any puppy you are considering bringing into your
family. If something goes wrong with the puppy the brokers will not be
there to take it back or to help you. Also, be leery of breeders who use
registries other than AKC or CKCSC,USA.
Cavaliers need to be with people and not kept in a barn or building away
from human contact, so also be suspicious if you are not able to see
where they are housed. Any reputable breeder will want to establish a
relationship with you before they let one of there precious cavaliers
leave. They will want you to come and meet the parents/relatives and to
be sure that the cavalier is truly the breed for you.
LOOKING? HOW TO MAKE AN INQUIRY THAT
GETS ANSWERED!
Many of the breeders listed on the Cavaliers Online! Breeder List
receive well over a dozen puppy inquiries a day. Sometimes it is
difficult to answer every single one. Here are a few tips to help you
receive a response.
1. Introduce yourself. At least give your name. The more you write
about you and your home situation the better.
2. State your location. A number of breeders do not ship and this
will help them answer you. If you are willing to fly in to meet the
breeder and see their dogs, let them know.
3. Be as specific as you can as to what you are looking for, pet
quality or something to possibly be shown/bred. Puppy only or would an
adult be ok? Color and sex preferences, if any. This can save a great
deal of time.
4. If you are sincerely interested, give an alternate means to
communicate with you, phone number or mailing address. There are so many
ways to be anonymous through email that a lot of breeders do not answer
if they feel the person is just fishing for information for one reason
or another.
One other tip, save the general breed questions for subsequent
communications. It would be very helpful for you to have researched and
studied the breed before starting to contact breeders.