Cabrook Cavaliers – Breeding Practices

Our Experience and Aims

Sally and Ray both have over 30 year’s experience breeding Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Our aim at Cabrook is to breed and exhibit happy, healthy, sound, typical Cavaliers. All our Cavaliers have the appropriate tests before joining our breeding program. All puppies are Heart & Patella tested at the Vet after their 8 week vaccinations and a health report provided.

Behaviour and Socialisation

The Cavaliers at Cabrook are never shut in, but run freely together, enjoying a great life. They are part of our life and all our puppies are whelped and reared in our home. Our puppies quickly get used to the normal hustle and bustle of daily life and when they are old enough, are introduced to our older dogs.

Health

Breeding healthy Cavaliers is our aim with every litter and appropriate health testing allows us to make educated and informed decisions about the Cavaliers in our breeding program. These tests include Mitral Valve Disease by a qualified cardiologist, Eye diseases by a qualified ophthalmologist and DNA testing for Curly Coat (CC), Dry Eye (DE) and Episodic Falling (EF). All our females are Vet checked for suitability for breeding by our veterinarian before any matings occur.

Health Tests

Heart Certificate: All of our Cavaliers used in our breeding program have a “Heart Certificate”. A heart certificate indicates that a breeding dog has been screened by a qualified veterinary cardiologist to ensure they have a healthy heart, clear of any issues.

Genetic Tests

Curly Coat (CC): This is a genetic condition affecting Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that causes severe skin, nail and eye issues, as well as making the usually long smooth coat tight and curly.

Dry Eye (DE): Curly Coat is linked to Congenital Dry Eye disease. There is a DNA test available to identify if breeding Cavaliers are carrying Congenital Dry Eye or Curly Coat.

Episodic Falling (EF): This is a genetic neurological condition affecting Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. It causes sudden stiffening of the legs, often causing the dog to fall over and be unable to move. There is a DNA test available to indicate if a breeding dog is carrying this disease.