I am looking at buying a puppy for my childern in the new year. I have been advised that there are breeders who breed at the lower end of the weight range for the cavalier. I dont know how true it is and if its possible but id be greatful to hear from anyone who does breed the smaller cavalier or know of anyone who does. Thanks for your help

colino'hare@uisl.co.uk

I'll saying nothing except health tests & character are obviously not of any importance as long as the dog is small :rolleyes:

I'm no big breeder or anything, just had a litter but would certainly not sell to anyone wanting a puppy for their children.  Sorry

Guest
your first priority should be health and temperament. ALL dogs should be bred to conform with breed standards ...anyone celiberately breeding smaller than standard dogs is not a reputable breeder and should be avoided like the plague!
I also agree with Penny...puppies are not for children...children are not capable of taking on the commitment needed for a new puppy or the commitment for the next 10+ years that a dog requires.
Archer

Of course, Guest might have already looked at some healthy litters but decided the parents are too big for their taste so is looking for the smaller more delicate type - we don't know whether size is their only requirement! I do agree that puppies are not for young children - but these might be 8, 10 or 12 years old, and responsible enough to have a dog. As long as the parent is willing to make sure their child cares for the dog properly, I would not immediately rule out any child, if I ever have a litter. I would want to meet all the family though to assess them!

I fully agree with everyone that the OP's request didn't come through sounding good (it should be the *family* that want a dog, not the kids), but I have another angle to the size question. At least here where I live, there are a LOT of puppy farm bred cavaliers, and most of them are WAY too big. Puppy farms like to breed from bigger bitches as they get bigger litters that way. I've known people to refer to mine as miniature Cavaliers -and they are not in the slightest smaller than what they should be, or normally are. It could be that the OP has come across some of these "giant" badly bred ones.