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Hi everyone - can you give me some advice as someone who's looking to obtain a puppy?

I'm well aware that as much as i want to make sure my pup comes from a good responsible breeder, any good breeder will also be concerned to know that we can offer the pup a good home. As we've not had a dog before, I'd appreciate some feedback as to whether I'm doing the right things to put a breeder's mind at rest and about one issue (my health) in particular.

We're after a Cavalier King Charles puppy. I'd be the main person to look after the pup - I'm 26 and have just had to move back home to my parents (near Stratford-on-Avon) due to my health. (I was working & living in London, in the City, before.) We've never had a dog before as the house is empty all day (Mum & Dad got a Cocker Spaniel pup when they were first married, aged 20, but returned him to the breeder within a few weeks as he couldn't stand the loneliness while they were at work - the experience (and the tears shed!) stuck in their minds.)

As I'm now home alone all day I would love a dog as a companion and also really look forward to the routine and effort required to look after and train a puppy, particularly in the first year. I have cancer which is not curable and this is why I've had to stop working. I have a very odd and very rare form of cancer though, that progresses very slowly indeed - I've been ill for 8 years now already. I only have tumours in my jaw (no probs, except pain which tablets control) and in my left lung (more problems, as I'm not as fit as a normal 26 year old. I can walk easily, but would have difficulty running very far and if i have to climb a lot of stairs can get out of breath - I guess I'm a bit like an elderly person, which is what's helped direct us to the CKCS as a breed). I have NO disease in my right lung and even if any did start to show it would take a heck of a time to affect me, plus I could have a course of radiotherapy very easily to put back the progress. And as long as my right lung's clear, I'm alright. SO my life expectancy, whilst it may not be quite as long as a CKCS, is likely to be very well over 5 years, being conservative. (Sorry to spill such personal stuff, but it scares me that this illness has affected my life enough already, if its going to put breeders off letting us have a pup, then i want to stop the project of finding one now before i get too upset.)

Do you think my illness would put breeders off letting a puppy come to our home? It would initially be primarily me who looked after it, but the whole family are v much on board, mum & dad will love it. (And they're approaching retirement age before too long and dad now works at home a lot already, so less scope for dog to be lonely at home even if the worst happened to me. They're obviously aware of this issue.)

Aside from that, I've met and spoken to a few people who have CKCS's about their dogs and have read up. (Have read a couple of books about the breed and also Gwen Bailey's Perfect Puppy & Bruce Fogle's Dog Training Manual from cover to cover.) We're in the process of pulling up all the hedges in our back garden and replacing them with fencing, to make it completely secure for a tiny pup and have reviewed hte downstairs of the house for stuff like wicker and other dangers.

We're also pretty aware of the impact of a puppy, in terms of mess, house-training, chewing, adolescent behaviour etc - we know that there will be some things like these that you wouldn't necessarily choose, but the rewards of having a lovely pup for companionship and to love would be well worth it. (THink having raised 3 messy and very lively kids, our house & my parents should be pretty happy with what a puppy can do to it - perfect neatness and order are not a natural state of affairs, not without a few days preparation!!)

DO you think that there's anything that would put a breeder off about us? ANy advice very gratefully received!

Thanks everyone
Katie

Hi Katie,
I would think that as long as the rest of your family go along to view litters etc, with you, so that you can show you have backup and the whole family is behind you, a good breeder shouldn't be too put off. After all, people's circumstances change all the time - divorce, illness, accident etc. You will probably find that a breeder will want assurances that if, at any stage you feel you have to part with the puppy/adult dog, you return it to the breeder.

Good luck. You sound as if you have done a lot of research, so I hope it all goes well with you.

PS - I'm near Stratford-on-Avon, too!
:)

try this linkhttp://www.ckcsforums.com

Lots of information re cavaliers