The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel price is one of the first things to consider when thinking of bringing one into your home. And this isn’t just the sticker price of the dog per se, but how much you should expect to spend over the course of your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel lifetime.
For instance:
- What kind of health concerns will you have to worry about?
- Is there anything you may have to budget for the long-term?
- How much do you have to spend on food each month?
- And how much will the basics like leashes, dog toys, and possibly wee-wee pads run you?
What follows is a glimpse into this breed’s temperament to help you decide whether the Cavalier King Charles is truly the dog you want.
You’ll also better understand the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel price range to help you better decide whether you can afford one of these pups.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Up Close
People bred Cavaliers as, essentially, living blankets who could keep them warm during the colder months.
As their name might suggest, the breed first emerged during the 17th century, during the reign of England’s King Charles II.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Temperament and Personality
It’s good to understand the Cavalier’s temperament and personality because if you find one out of your price range, his temperament may sway your decision.
For instance, if the breed is a known troublemaker, you may not want to invest thousands of dollars in a dog. However, if there are truly irresistible qualities about the breed, you may be willing to squeeze your budget a bit to secure one of these dogs as your own.
Take the Cavalier, for example. This is a needy breed who loves to lick. However, if you have children, this breed is one of the best out there.
The Cavalier is a friendly dog – too friendly even, considering he makes a terrible watchdog and worse guard dog.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Size
A dog’s size can influence your purchasing decision too. Maybe you don’t want a dog who’s too large or too small.
A full-sized adult Cavalier’s weight is between 13 and 18 lbs. Their average adult height falls between 12 to 13 inches tall. So while they are mid-size, they are also pretty skinny.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Price – How Much Do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Cost?
It is not unheard of for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy price to range anywhere from $1,800 to $3,500.
This range may seem too ridiculous to be true but remember, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel average price falls prey to a variety of factors. Some possible influencers include the pedigree of the dog and the popularity of the breed.
Scarcity
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is not a rare breed. However, some colors of the breed can be rare.
For instance, normal colors for this breed include tricolor, black and tan, ruby red, or Blenheim, which is a mix of chestnut red and white.
You can consider any pup of this breed who is a different color from these as rare.
However, beware of breeders whose sole selling point is the rarity of their dogs’ coat colors. Chances are good they’re only breeding them for their coats and don’t care about their overall health and temperament.
Demand
As with any breed, you may have to wait if you want to buy a purebred pup from a breeder.
If the breeder does not have any pups available when you want to buy, then everyone needs to wait for the next estrus cycle, or when the bitch goes into heat.
Then, of course, you have to wait for the pup to be born and to grow old enough that the breeder can separate him from his mother.
However, depending on the breed, people may be lining up at the door in droves for that pup, and you’ll have a harder chance at getting one. (See: Golden Retrievers.)
In this case, however, the line for the Cavalier, if you will, isn’t as long. The Cavalier wasn’t a popular breed until recently, and even now it is only the 19th most popular breed in the U.S., according to the AKC.
Pedigree
A Cavalier breeder may brag to you about how her pups are “show-worthy” dogs. While you may think this is just her way of trying to sell you a dog, this is actually pretty important.
The higher quality a puppy is, the less likely that puppy will get sick or develop a genetic defect. This is what you end up paying thousands of dollars for – a healthier dog than you would otherwise get from a shady breeder or pet store.
So, the choice is then up to you. You could spend thousands of dollars now on a healthy puppy and hope nature doesn’t intervene and the dog ultimately gets sick anyway.
Or you could save money on a lower quality dog from a puppy mill whom you might have to pay even more money for later on if he develops a health problem.
Scenario B is more likely to happen than Scenario A, which is why breeders often charge thousands of dollars for their dogs.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue and Adoption
Another way to save money on a dog is to adopt one through a rescue or adoption agency.
Some dogs who are up for adoption are purebreds whose families simply couldn’t take care of them anymore. It’s like going to a doggy thrift store and finding a great bargain!
Plus, when you adopt, you’re giving a home to a dog who might otherwise never find a new one. And that’s a good deed worth doing.
You just need to be prepared for any potential additional expenses, since many times organizations don’t know their dogs’ histories.
You could end up adopting an inbred dog who is only a few years away from a host of health problems. Or you could adopt a perfectly healthy dog. Just like humans, you just never know.
Cavalier Rescue USA can provide more information on how to adopt one of these beautiful dogs. Check out their website for more information.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Cost of Ownership
Like many things in life, there are hidden costs involved in buying a dog. Sure, the dog may cost $2,000, but then you also have to worry about vet bills, grooming bills, training classes, basic essentials, food, etc.
Here is a list of some of the more common expenses you should factor into the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel price before ultimately settling on this breed.
Cost of Food
The amount of food you need to feed a dog goes by the dog’s weight.
In this case, because the Cavalier weighs between 13 to 18 lbs., you need to feed him about 1 to 1.5 cups of food a day. Not per meal, but each day.
You can, therefore, best estimate how much you’re going to spend on food by pricing out how much food is in a bag.
A lot also depends on which food you’re going to feed him. Plus, the food you feed a puppy should be different from the food you feed an adult due to the specific nutrients in the food.
Health Care Expenses
Of course, you can never truly predict how the health of your dog is going to go. Odds are good that if you adopt an inbred dog, you’re going to have more health problems than if you purchase a purebred puppy from a breeder.
With the Cavalier, for instance, you may have to deal with any of the following issues that are common for this breed:
- Heart disease
- Hip or retinal dysplasia
- Patellar luxation
- Eyelid entropion
- Syringomelia
Health conditions cost you money due to vet visits, medications, and possibly even surgery. This is why it is crucial you know which ones affect the breed you’re interested in, as it could affect whether you ultimately purchase one.
Training Programs
Training a Cavalier is thankfully pretty easy. They’re smart and willing to learn, so you shouldn’t have any trouble.
Of course, just like people, every dog is different, so if you feel the need, you may want to enlist the help of a professional.
For instance, if your Cavalier is listening to you on everything but housetraining, you may want to select a specific dog training program to help him.
Something like housetraining is too important to just ignore. So, if you can’t seem to find the magic words to help it stick for him, you’ll need to factor in the expense of a trainer.
Grooming Costs
Another cost to consider is grooming. As for his coat, the Cavalier is pretty easygoing, doing well with just regular brushings and a bath when he starts to stink.
However, like other floppy-eared dogs, you have to make sure you check his ears often. If they accumulate moisture, they can develop an infection.
You also have to regularly trim his nails.
If you feel you may not have time for these things on the regular, or if you don’t trust yourself to remember, then you’ll have to factor in the cost of a professional groomer, too.
The same goes for activities that are important, but that you may not feel comfortable doing yourself, like cutting your dog’s nails.
Final Thoughts on the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a wonderful family dog, being both good with kids and adaptable to your style of living.
He’s also a bad watchdog and guard dog, and you can never trust him enough to let him off-leash, as he has a wandering problem.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a dog who can protect your home, or who can run with you off-leash on hiking trails, this may not be good for you. That’s why it’s important that you know all you need to know about this breed before paying the potentially exorbitant Cavalier King Charles Spaniel price.
Kailyn has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2012, and during that time she has written about nearly every dog breed imaginable. Her mother loved Collies, and so Kailyn grew up with three of them throughout her childhood – including a blonde one who was half-blind! Now her home belongs to her first official dog, Macho, a Dogo Argentino rescue.
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