Puppy Love

Though I intended this journal to be a diary of my adventures with Ellie I think this is also a good place for me to share my dog obsession as well and see where it leads me.

I love animals. Anyone who knows me knows this simple fact. I blame my mom for this. Growing up I never had a pet (ok, goldfish and turtles but they don't really count) the reason being that my mom is terrified of all creatures big or small (she was afraid of my goldfish even!) so she never let me have any. Now imagine growing up as an only child with no pets and you have my childhood. Needless to say I think this is the reason I am animal crazy and want to own my own zoo (I think being sibling less is also the reason why I want 5 kids of my own so they wont be lonely like I was) When I was in high school I volunteered at my local animal shelter and when I have time again in my life I plan to go back. When I was little I read all kinds of dog books trying to figure out which dog breed would be the best for me when the time finally came and I could get a dog. My research lead me to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel naturally.

The Cavalier has everything I wanted in a dog. They are small, beautiful, and have lovely easy going natures. The more I read and learned about this breed the more I knew it was the one for me.


My other childhood love was the West Highland White Terrier


The Westie is known to be a good family dog, friendly and sweet which was what I was looking for in a dog. I know I want to own one at least once in my life. Im not sure if it will be a lifetime love the way I know Cavaliers are already but I want to have one so I know. My husband and I live in a condo and even though I know lots of Westies live in small apartments I wanted to wait till I had a house with a yard (with a fence of course!) before buying one.

In my opinion I am definitely more then a casual dog lover. I'm the child that stayed up to watch Westminster every year and can name most dog breeds by sight because of all those books I studied as a child. The more I delve into the Cavalier world the more interested I become. I have started to attend shows and have kept in contact with a lot of breeders I met along the way. I really do think I would love to become a Cavalier breeder one day way way in the future as my love for this breed is more then just a casual pet owner. I would love to one day be able to make a difference in the health of this breed in particular. I'm sure all Cavalier lovers agree that the day MVD and SM are breed out of the breed will be a wonderful day indeed and I hope in my lifetime we can see significant improvements toward that and perhaps I can even be part of that wonderful movement one day.

Anyways when I was looking for a breeder to buy my first Cavalier from I searched within a 5 state radius of where I lived. I contacted millions of breeders and even went to shows to meet them. With such serious health issues as the Cavalier has it was vital to me to find a breeder who breed for health and adhered to the guidelines set out by the parent clubs. A good breeder will be with you for the life of your dog and I wanted to find someone who worked well with me as a person and who was knowledgeable about the breed whom I could learn from. Lucky for me I have met some fantastic breeders along the way and I hope to continue to meet more as I go. A good breeder who is willing to mentor me and teach me more about the breed is something I really hope to find as I think the best way to learn anything is from the people who work and know that topic the best. My husband also likes to point out that I am a bit of a info addict. When I get hooked on an idea I love researching it out and talking to people about it and just garnering more knowledge. He says every now and then Ill get hooked on something new and that will keep me going for weeks, months, years. With Cavaliers I know it will be a long time before I feel comfortable even beginning a breeding program but I am thrilled with all the nuggets of info I can learn along the way

Which leads me to my new obsession


That lil guy in the background is a white Pekingese and I think he is simply adorable (even if he wasn't so in love with that frog of his) Now Ill be honest I don't know a whole lot about Pekingeses as I was never interested in owning one, I didn't even know that they came in white!! Since I saw that picture though I decided I had to know more so for the last 2 days I have been reading up about them. I contacted a few breeders about them just inquiring about their nature. I have no interest in owning one until I really know that they would be a dog that would suit me and my family. A dog to me is a big decision as its a family member that will be with you for its entire life. I have loved a lot of dog breeds in my life but I'm wise enough to understand that every dog isn't suited for my lifestyle. Australian Shepards are gorgeous but without work to do they can easily become destructive and since I don't have work for it I don't want it finding work for itself in my house while I'm away. So I have been trying to learn what I can about the Pekingese. From what I knew before I heard they were more obstinate dogs and that they usually cling to one person. I also read that they don't do well with young children and for me thats an issue since I do plan on having children one day and I didn't want a dog that wouldn't get along with children. From speaking to breeders I agree that socialization is key for all breeds. If bought from a good breeder who socializes the puppies when they are young its a better chance that the pup will be more well rounded. The two breeders I contacted seeking info are both top Peke breeders. One woman is a judge as well as breeder and the other is the only one that breeds white Pekes as white Pekes have a harder time in show rings and thus many breeders dont like to breed them. I find that kind of funny as I only like the white looking Peke! Anyways my jury is still out about the Peke as I still don't feel I know much about it but I did find a Peke show in my area in July so I'm planning on going to further educated myself. Im also going to the Westie show in my area in May. Can't hurt to start looking around for breeders early! Also I have begun to enjoy dog shows and this will give me a few more to attend as there are a few Cavalier shows that are close enough for me to attend but due to the dates they are scheduled I won't be able to go. I will continue to try to learn more about Pekes to see if they are a good match for me but until I think they are Ill never buy one because for me a beautiful face isnt enough of a reason for me to buy a dog. It really has to be a dog I know I will enjoy having and will have a happy safe home with me as well.