Hi,
I am new to the forum. My name is Brian. I am looking into purchasing either an English Toy Spaniel or a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I am wondering first of all about the MVD in Cavs.

How serious of a concern is it?
Is it definite for all pups? Although I am seriously considering a Cav that issue is really a 'deal breaker' for me.

Second, does anyone know of an English Toy Spaniel breeder? (specifically I am looking for a Prince Charles [tri color]).

Last, is there anything I should know about either of these breeds that might not be indicated on the internet? I have done a lot of reading and have decided these are appropriate breeds for me. So any help can do.

Thanks,
Brian

Hey! I'm a Cav person! More than happy to help you out here. There's also a Cav-specific board that has lots of very knowledgeable people. It's at http://www.ckcsboard.com/messageboard (hope it's ok to post that...?)

MVD... ok, here's the deal. It will basically affect the dog at some point in its life. Pretty much all Cavs get MVD. 50% of them will have it by age 5. It is, however, a manageable disease. At least, it can be. Dogs can live for YEARS with the condition (with proper care) if it doesn't progress too quickly.

To avoid the dog getting MVD early in life, you MUST GET YOUR DOG FROM A REPUTABLE BREEDER. The mother and father should BOTH be heart clear, and preferably be over age 5 (this increases the chances of you having a healthy pup that STAYS healthy for a longer amount of time). Thing is the testing is expensive, so if you want a Cav, be prepared to pay a lot of money for them. PLEASE do not go the cheap way and try to get a cheaper pup. You also need to make sure you can see PROOF of the heart clearances, as plenty of "breeders" can say they test their dogs and just never show you papers.

They are worth every penny though, they are the sweetest things in the world. (if you get them from a good breeder, of course)

A GREAT site to get information from is the Premier Cavalier Infosite... the address for that is: http://premiercavalierinfosite.com/

Sorry to keep rambling... if you have ANY more questions feel free to ask. I LOVE answering questions about Cavs.

I woul dhelp you with the English Toy Spaniel bit but I honestly know nohting about them... sorry!

I'm trying ot think if htere's anything else in particular you need to know... not much I can think of right now. You should definitely check out the above listed site if you haven't seen it already.

Let us know how it goes with getting your dog! My Cavalier is in my signature. And like I said, if you have ANY questions, I'm MORE than happy to answer them!

Sandy covered the Cavalier wonderfully. The key to any breed is truly research research research, and to always buy from a reputable breeder.

My suggestions are to try www.breeders.net for breeders near you, but weed through them carefully and ask a lot of questions. OR the best way is to go to www.akc.org and use their breeder referral program. They will at a minimium direct you to the most local breed organization near you to further you in your search.

Good luck and keep us posted.