We have chosen our breed, now comes the big task of finding a breeder. For me, finding the right breeder is almost as important as finding the right breed. A good breeder makes sure that they only breed the best of the best. Their breeding stock has thorough health evaluations and their puppies are well socialized before they go to their new homes. I want a breeder who wants to know as much as possible about the people who want to adopt their puppies. Ideally adoptive families should have to sign contracts to make sure that if they no longer want the puppy, it must be returned to the breeder and not abandoned on the street or surrendered to a shelter.
I looked up breeders on the Dogs in Canada and CKC websites. I also got in contact with people who have Cavies and asked about their breeders. I contacted two breeders in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan. I quickly eliminated one of the Alberta breeders. She never asked one question about us or our lifestyle and she said she didn’t do any health testing of her breeding stock. I was very impressed with both of the remaining breeders. They clearly loved their dogs and asked me a lot of questions to make sure that they were satisfied that their puppy was going to the right home. These are the kind of breeders I want to support. It is going to be hard to choose one breeder…..I wish we could get a puppy from each one. Regardless of which breeder we go with, I will definitely recommend both of them to anyone who is interested in adding a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to their family.