Cavalier King Charles Spaniels - Cost & Breeder Info Needed, Please!

I don't have any specific breeder advice but if a CKCS puppy is much below $1,800 I would question the quality of the dog and the integrity of the breeder. I would also NEVER get a puppy that fragile shipped, don't do it, make the drive!
You can also attend some local dog shows (do a google search for New York or New Jersey state) that's a great way to meet and network with all kinds of dog people, including breeders and breed specific rescue groups.

Here's the breeder list for NY from the national website for the breed: http://www.ackcsc.org/index.php/breeder-referral/51-ny

We have not owned a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ourselves (but our neighbors have one and they are SO darned cute!), but having been in the dog show world with our Boxers, I do know how to find a reputable breeder. Go visit the breeders. Observe how they keep their dogs. Do the dogs look healthy? Do they interact well with humans? Ask what kind of health problems they have experienced with their dogs (and if they tell you their dogs have never had problems - RUN the other way - all breeds have some health problems, and responsible breeders breed AWAY from those problems to improve the breed). Bring your children (if possible) so you can see how the dogs react around children. You should be able to meet the dam (mother dog), and maybe even the sire (if he belongs to the same breeder - they don't always).

Be aware that if you buy a show-quality puppy, it is fairly typical that the breeder will ask you to sign a contract promising to show the dog until s/he "finishes" - that is, to show them until they have obtained enough show points to qualify as a champion dog. This also means you can't have the dog spayed/neutered until they "finish," which can be problematic (I speak from experience). If you don't want to show the dog, then you can ask for a pet quality dog rather than a show quality dog. Puppies that don't qualify to show might have a slightly different color or pattern than would be allowed, or they are slightly too small or too large - nothing that would matter to you, just that the dog couldn't be a show dog. Ask about breed-specific quirks - how easy are they to train? (You may have read about this already - but listen to what the breeder has to say, too.)

The breeder should show an interest in you, and should ask you a lot of questions. If the breeder shows no interest in you, be concerned. Good breeders feel very strongly about finding good homes for their puppies, not just ANY home for their puppies. Every reputable breeder I've ever met has been willing to talk my ear off about their dogs, and the breed in general.

Good luck in your search!

Just some advice re breeders in general. Once you find one or two you are interested in check out their references and talk to people who have purchased their puppies. A reputable breeder will do health and genetic testing. They will require you to fill out a form and sign a contract, probably including a spay or neuter. They should also offer to take the puppy back should it not work out or you can't keep it. Oh, generally they also like to socialize their puppies and raise them in their homes and won't let them go to their forever homes until they are at least 9 weeks of age.

I purchased a Miniature Poodle from Ilene of Eriand Poodles (they have a website). She is located on Long Island and breeds Mini Poodles and Standards for show. I don't know if she is familiar with the breeders of other breeds, but you could contact her to see.

I suspect you will have to pay $1200-2000 to get a puppy from a reputable breeder, depending on the puppy's gender, parentage and pet vs. show quality. Good luck!

I would check with the local rescues, often they get many pure breed animals and then you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to some breeder who may or may not be running a puppy mill. Some breeds even have rescues dedicated just to them, although I don't know if that is the case for Spaniels.

If you are dead set on a puppy form a breeder then a google search should be able to find you a local breeder, but be sure to check out the kennels and the treatment and condition of the dogs. There are more puppy mills and back yard breeders then there are ones who actually respect animals. Breeding, after all, is a for profit business.

Are there any rescue groups near you where you could look for one that needs a home? Personally I don't think there are any reputable breeders. And especially those that ship dogs. Those are puppy mills. Stay away from them.

http://www.cavalierrescueusa.org/northeast.html

You are in NY so expect to pay 1000-1800 for that pup. It all depends where you find your breeder and how reputable he is. Do not misunderstand......reputable just means how popular and how often they sell for show versus pets. If you have a breeder who sells just for show, pup will cost an enormous amount of money. If they sell for show and pets, it may be a moderate cost. If you go out of state you may get a great deal. But if you do go out of state...PLEASE....pick puppy up or have breeder deliver directly, and do not have him shipped. Puppies are too suseptable to so many things to be put in a crate and shipped. I recently went just looking and was very surprised to see how expensive puppies are nowadays. Both in AKC puppy stores and breeders. Just look at this website to get some sort of price orientation. It really depends on breeder, how reputable and well known he is, and location. Good luck.

http://www.puppyfind.com/for_sale/?breed_id=36&order_...

I don't know specifically about that breed, but general buying from a breeder. Bredding is not a for profit business. The breeders make some money, but good breeders are breeding to enhance their lines for showing. The true purpose of breeding is to enhance their lines to better the overall breed. Start by looking at the AKC site. Find the breeders in your area that show. (I have a great dane and I started at the Gread Dane Club of America site. CKC spaniels should have a breed site too). Then talk to the breeders and make sure that they are doing health testing in their lines (there's a public website to see the results). Ask them why they chose the sire they did. What is he bringing to the breeding? What are their strengths and weaknesses in the lines? What kind of breeding contract are they going to have, etc.

It's a lot of research to get a dog from a reputable breeder. My dane was around 1800, plus the cropping fee. But that cost goest to cover all the health tests, the inseminations, the ultrasounds, the whelping, etc. Plus covers some of the cost of running the show kennel.

Sooo cute! They are an expensive I would expect to pay around 1500.00

Hell on Heels' advice is spot on.

And sorry to disagree with another post below, but please don't use affordablepup.com-- this is not in any way a reputable breeder. They are pet brokers with pups originating from who knows what conditions. You'd be much better off locating a breeder through ACKCSC (the AKC parent club for Cavaliers) breeder referral. Best of luck!

I have one of these dogs and he's beautiful and a wonderful pet. We were fortunate enough to get the puppy from someone's whose dog had a litter. We paid $400 bucks. He's a golden tan color. But because you are in NY, you will pay $1,500 - $1,800 on the cheap end.

Affordable pups in OH. They are wonderful. They ship for one low price.

affordablepup.com

They are so cute - good luck!

Great breed! Guessing your have research them well and know they have many congenital problems and genetic diseases and concerns that go along with the breed. Check with the parent club for the breed about all the current health checks that should be done and make sure the breeders do them. Ask about any history of the problems in the lines. I know they can have heart and several brain conditions, but cannot remember what else. CERF for eyes for any breed. The pup will be pricey, guessing around $1800, but could be more, If you are local go and visit, meet the parents, other dogs. Make sure they are not breeding the same dog to often or breeding lots of breeds, large numbers of the same breed. A good breeder is also going to interview you and may want to help choose which puppy is best matched to you from the litter. AKC will have registered breeders, check with ones out of state since it is a breed that is not as common. Although in NYC with it being a small dog there may be more breeders there. Sorry if this isn't quite what you are looking for.

Good luck and enjoy your new pup! They are one of my favorite breeds, I have never met an unhappy one that didn't want to give kisses.