ADOPTED
Let me introduce you to your new best friend, John.
John is an 8 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whose sole purpose in life is to love everyone he meets.
John came to us from a puppy mill where he spent his life in a barn, making puppies. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing a Cavalier, you know that they want nothing more in life than to find a human and give unconditional love while curled up on your lap. John has 8 years of love to make up for and he’s determined to give all he’s got!
John has Black and Tan markings, with a splash of white on his chest. When John first arrived to us, his fur was dull, matted and shedding like crazy. But we got him bathed, gave him a thorough brushing, and set to work getting through his mats. He took it all like a champ and came out looking shiny and smelling like a spring day. John has the most beautiful coat of shiny black fur that bounces when he walks. His ears are long and he doesn’t mind if you play with them. He has chocolate brown eyebrows that can give him a very serious expression, but once you know his personality you’ll know that he’s never been mad a day in his life. His tail never stops wagging and always has a happy little up-curl to it. He has some grinchy toes and feathers on his legs but I doubt he’ll ever be able to grow a proper show-quality skirt. John says he likes it better that way anyway, less snowballs to stick to him when he’s out on adventures. John has a lovely round face that lets the softness of his personality show through.
John came to us as a chunky boy with a couple of spare pounds to lose. We got him on a good diet and started to exercise and he quickly became a svelte little man, ready to take on hours of fetching. It’s always important to keep you dog at a good weight, but especially for cavaliers and their problem-prone hearts, it’s imperative to keep them nice and trim.
John got a full check up done and aside from his extra weight, his body is in good shape. He has a low grade heart murmur, as most Cavaliers will, but for 8 years old, this is great news. Any potential adopters of John will need to be well informed of the health issues that Cavaliers face in their lives and be willing to do routine check-ups and ultrasounds to monitor their heart health. We will only consider a home for John with those experienced or very knowledgeable with the Cavalier breed and committed to the heart monitoring and general medical upkeep of this breed. Cavaliers are bred to be extra sweet to make up for the many medical issues that their people need to be aware of and keep on top of to ensure their best life.
Unfortunately, John needed to get most of his teeth pulled and is left with just his two bottom canines, enough to keep his tongue from slipping out of his mouth and hold old to his stuffed toys for playing. He eats softened kibble and is still navigating different textured treats, but it doesn’t seem to bother him anymore. In fact, one of John’s favourite hobbies is chewing stuffed toys, especially ones that squeak, for hours on end, and thanks to his special dental situation he no longer destroys his toys.
John’s hobbies include keeping watching out the window for potential squirrel threats to the house, curling up in a cozy spot for a nap, giving and receiving love from any nearby human, fetching, mouthing his toys, and hunting for prey in the yard.
From his years living in a barn, John has developed quite a high prey drive, especially for mice, squirrels and our chickens. John hasn’t had the pleasure of spending time with a cat while he’s been living with us, but I don’t think he’ll have the best manners when it comes to living with one. We would also recommend no pocket-pets or birds in John’s new house as he can get a little obsessive if he thinks there’s a potential snack running around his home.
When his humans are home, he’s actively trying to give and receive love from them… Very actively, John is still learning about personal boundaries and is trying to find a balance between trying to sit on his human’s chest and get as close to your face as possible, and quietly lying beside you on the couch. He asks that his new family let him sit on the couch with them, because all he wants in life is to be with his people.
John sleeps really well through the night in his crate, but requests a treat be given before he enters. Occasionally we’ll find him curled up in our bed during the day, so he would love nothing more than to be someone’s cuddle buddy in bed at night, but he understands if he has to sleep in his own bed. When his crate door opens at 6:00 for first bathroom breaks and breakfast, he always takes a moment to curl up in to our laps for a good cuddle before he starts his day.
John’s daily routine is to get up at 6:00, have his cuddle and then head outside to take care of business. Then inside to wait for his breakfast. John is a great eater and loves his kibbles. Then he, and the rest of his foster brothers and sisters follow us around while we get dressed for the day. One more bathroom break at 7:00 and then they’re all ready to find their spots for the morning to snooze. John can last 5-6 hours on his own before he needs another bathroom break, so his foster mom 
comes home at lunchtime for a pee break and a lunchtime treat. John LOVES when we make him an egg for lunch-snack and hopes his new foster family might continue with the occasional omelet as a treat. Then back to relaxing until his humans return home for the evening where he showers them with love and affection. His evenings are kicked off with some fetching around the house, and general playtime with his humans. Dinner is served at 6:00 and then he hangs out with his toys and his family for the rest of the evening. If the weather permits, he likes to go for a walk in the neighbourhood. John doesn’t have perfect leash manners yet, because the world is still full of wonderful new things to smell and taste and discover, but he’s working diligently on that.
John has a very high desire to please and he’s a smart boy, so he learns quickly. Before we knew it, he had taught himself what “sit” meant and that it must be done before he gets a treat. “Stay” is a hard one for John because he just so badly wants to be with his humans, but he’s trying his best and he’ll continue to develop as he gains more confidence.
John is great with all his foster brothers and sisters, mostly ignoring other dogs and being happy to co-exist in the same house. He likes to curl up and cuddle with another pup for a nap occasionally. So John would be fine as a solo-dog or with a dog-sibling, so long as they know he would like to get as much of the humans’ time as possible in the relationship.
He’s has the pleasure of getting to hang out with children 6 years and older and thinks they’re just as great as adult humans. If we could pick the perfect family for John, it would be a big family with lots of people for John to love that’s often got someone home with him to hangout with, or is willing to include him on family adventures. John would also love a single person to build the strongest of bonds with, so long as he’s not alone too much.
John is great in the car and always game to meet new people and explore new places. I see a lot of potential in John to be a loyal companion for someone. I even see potential for him to develop a career as a therapy dog, he has so much love to give the world. If you are looking for a devoted companion and your new best friend, and are a true fan of the CKC Spaniel breed then John may just be the perfect dog for you!