I was very fortunate in
the early years to have some wonderful mentors and advisors.
Though I have had dogs my entire life, I did not breed my first litter
until I had been involved in the breed for five years. It took
time to understand breed “type”, structure, movement, temperament and
health issues. I’m glad I waited. My priorities are to breed
healthy dogs with wonderful temperaments I can use for Pet Therapy.
I very often sell puppies to families who have children with special
needs. This is where my heart is. Yes, type and conformation
are important, but if a dog is placed with a family of children and dies
at an early age, what has been accomplished? I’d rather produce a
long-lived dog with the “typical” Cavalier personality than the
prettiest one.
Breeding is only half
of the equation. Anyone can put two dogs together to produce a
litter of puppies. As a breeder, my most daunting task is proper
placement of puppies so everyone is successful, the dog, the family and
me!
In order to purchase a
puppy from Evanlake Cavaliers, every family must visit in person with
all the people who will come in contact with the dog on a daily basis,
and fill out a two-page questionnaire. This helps me gather
information I may forget to ask during a visit. It also gives me
information on the priorities of the family. Do they want a
specific gender or color? Do they have a timeframe in mind?
At seven weeks of age a
Temperament Test is performed on all the puppies by a Technician
specifically trained for this task. This assists me in knowing
which puppy I may keep and which puppies are best suited for which
family. I do not promise anyone a puppy in the order they visited
and I do not take deposits for that reason. I like to match the
puppy with the family and I take this as my most important
responsibility.
At the age of eight
weeks, a “Structure Exam” designed by Pat Hastings is performed. She
believes that the structure and proportions of a dog at eight weeks
are relatively the same as the dog will be when it is
full-grown. It also helps to identify structural abnormalities that may
preclude the dog from competitive sports later on in its life. This
also helps me decide the best dog to keep for breeding if the
puppies are all of relative good quality.
All the puppies are raised in the house with some of the older dogs and receive plenty of socialization. Visitors are welcome to see the puppies after they have received their first shots at eight weeks old. Please call to schedule an appointment. 908-362-7588.
