Our Purchase Protocol & Puppy Questionnaire.

** We never sell pups to people we have not met, to brokers, auctions, or pet stores.  We work with YOU personally, a Loving Pet Family, to help you make a quality, educated decision.  We also DO NOT Ship our pups. 

PROTOCOL:

1.  Please Fill out the Questionnaire Below ONLY if 1. You want to get onto our Preferred Waiting List,  2. We have pups available,  3. We have a Very Pregnant Queen.

2.  AFTER I read through your Questionnaire, I will email you back.  If I feel you are a good candidate, I will email you as to when a good time to chat is for you.  We will have an initial phone/online interview so we can both ask each other all the important questions required to determine if a cavalier is right for you. I do not sell to everyone. They are a rare breed and I only sell to qualified homes I choose.  I do not sell first come first served.

3.  If all goes well on both sides, you will be emailed all of the parents health certificates which are current, pictures of the parents, and our Standard contract to review and fill out.  I will send you pictures of available pups and you can choose one.  I take pictures of your pup so you can see it grow up!  A DEPOSIT is required when you mail back the contract to us, to hold a puppy for you.  The deposit can be Cash, Zelle, or Bank Check ONLY.   We do not accept personal checks.

4. Remember, there is no aggression in the breed – so don’t be concerned about male/female behavior issues – which sex to purchase - they are all sweet mushes, non yappy, very intelligent and non aggressive.  When a male pup is neutered BY 6 months of age he should NEVER lift his leg on your furniture or on trees when going for a walk. He will squat and urinate like a female dog, making ownership and walks a lot more pleasant.  Spay/Neutering by 6 months of age is a requirement in the contract as well. 

5. Your deposit is fully refundable up until the pups are 4 weeks of age.  After that you can receive your deposit back minus $150 to relist puppy, etc... 

6. The next puppy payment will be at 6 weeks of age.   Payment by Zelle, Bank Check or Cash.  Pre-Covid you would come visit us in our home to see your sweet puppy.  Due to Covid, and us being a high risk family, we now send a lot of pictures and video to you so you can see the puppy grow-up.   Depending how bad Covid is in your area and ours, we may allow an in-person visit at 6+ weeks old outside of our home, under our porch, everyone being gloved and masked.  This has worked out well on occasion.  At 6 weeks of age they are now walking and starting to play, and super cute!  

7. We work closely with you to help make the process of adding a dog to your home even more enjoyable.  ON THIS WEBSITE WE RECOMMEND doggie websites to help you choose the CORRECT, BASIC items needed for your pup, and plan out your housing, potty training  set up.  We are here to help!

8. When the pups are 9-10 weeks old and all is prepared in your home, you will be able to pick up your new family addition. The last payment is due on your pup at this time with a Bank Check, pre-paid on Zelle or Cash.  We require that you take the pup’s health record we give you and the pup to your vet 24-48 hours after purchase.  We double up on vet visits (us at 8 weeks, you at 9-10 weeks) because we want to make sure you are 100% happy with the health and quality of your new family member.

9.  We do NOT HOLD ONTO PUPS PAST "NINE toTWELVE" WEEKS OF AGE, depending on the maturity of the individual litter.  The pups need to bond with you, it's new forever home.  Please make sure you plan your vacations, work schedule around getting the pup when it's this weeks of age.  WE DO NOT BOARD DOGS OR PUPS. 

10. All our pups are of high quality, and are sold as loving Pets and cannot be used for breeding, raffling, auctions or resale.  Our Occasional Breeding is a Full Time endeavor, Very labor intensive, scientific, and an expensive process. Professional breeders require a great deal of medical knowledge, time, money, commitment, patience and nerves of steel!!!   All of our efforts produce pups of stellar quality and gives you the peace of mind that your pet is healthy and well socialized.

11.  It is VERY IMPORTANT to take the time to delve into the ckcsc.org and Cavaliers of the North East websites. There is amazing cavalier information on the sites and you can obtain an incredible insight into cavaliers from there.

12.  A lot of companies offer Pet Health Insurance.  The company you work for may even carry it!  There are a few examples of pet insurance places listed on the "Puppy Shopping List" Page to guide you.  Do your research & ask your vet for suggestions as well.

13. Even the very best vets are not always familiar with the unique hematology of the cavalier breed. 

I am attaching a link to a very important article regarding  cavalier platelet counts.    It is important that you read the article in detail, and that you familiarize yourself with it.  Please also pass this article to your vet.  http://www.cavalierhealth.org/platelets.htm#IN_DEPTH

14.  Cavaliers sometimes get "umbilical hernias" from the birth process.  This is NOT a health issue and common in cavaliers.  This is a small opening Under the skin by the belly button area, it looks like a small bubble under the skin.  Most umbilical hernias close up as the puppy gets older (Reducible hernia).  If it is still present at 6 months of age, your vet will fix it with a stitch or two when the spay or neutering is done.  There are no residual effects from this procedure.  

15.  YOUR VET - it is important to get a quality vet for your puppy that HAS OTHER CAVALIERS as PATIENTS.  It is important to keep up with yearly check ups and shot recommendations with your vet.  You need to feel comfortable that you can ask your vet ANY question and be answered to your satisfaction.  Be aware, like any health care professionals, there are good ones and a few bad ones,  crazy expensive ones and reasonably priced ones.  When it's time to spay/neuter your dog at 6 months of age, get an estimate of the total cost.  I would suggest getting cost estimates from a few vets and your Local Animal Society or Shelter as well. 

16.  Why am I so serious about dog health testing, proper breeding protocol, having our dogs live in our home, socializing our pups from birth?  See what we are constantly fighting against every day to prevent, log onto http://stoppuppymills.org/ or humanesociety.org/puppymill to see how “pet store” dogs are raised. About 50% of all puppy milled dogs never even get to the pet shops and unfortunately die from disease, neglect or congenital abnormalities.3

 We are always available to you to answer any questions you may have. The loving, easy going personality, dedication and snuggly warmth these dogs provide to ALL Members of the household is truly unmatchable!!! 

I do NOT call people unless they fill out the questionnaire. thanks!

IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED TO PURCHASE A PUP FROM US - Please COPY the QUESTIONNAIRE BELOW into a WORD Document, Fill out ALL the Questions and Please EMAIL it to us "BEFORE" calling us so we can better Match the perfect Cavalier to you!  Questions? email us at info@sweetdreamcavaliers.com 

 The purpose of this questionnaire is to get better acquainted with you and your lifestyle, to insure that a cavalier would be the best fit for you and your home.  Information is always kept strictly confidential.  THIS IS THE 1ST STEP IN POSSIBLY GETTING A PUP FROM US, IF WE HAVE PUPS, HAVE A PREGNANT QUEEN OR YOU WANT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR OUR PREFERRED WAITING LIST !!  Thanks

PLEASE PRINT YOUR FULL NAMES HERE: 

__________________________________________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS:

               ___________________________________________________________________

1.           What Website did you find us on?  

              Who will  be the primary caretaker of the puppy?

2.           Do you have kids?  This breed is great with kids.  If so, the ages please.

3.           Do you have other pets?     If so what kinds, ages and their temperaments.  

             Are they spayed or neutered?  

             DO you have close friends or relatives with dogs that are not spayed or 

             neutered?

4.           What State do you live in? 

              Do you live in an apt., condo or house?  

              Any yard access?  

              Any fencing?    What kind?  How High?  Cavaliers must Always be LEASHED 

              when not in a Secured Fenced Yard.

5.           WHAT WERE YOUR WORK HOURS BEFORE COVID-19 and NOW??  

DO NOT EXPECT to buy a pup from us & leave your pet alone ALL DAY by itself, and come home for lunch.  This is NOT good enough for this breed.  Some one MUST be HOME during the day to properly care for, potty,  & love this Very Sweet SOCIAL Breed.  They THRIVE on human companionship - so please do NOT fill out this questionnaire if your household works FULL-TIME outside of the house, you are Not correct candidates for this breed.

6.           Who will feed (3 times a day) and walk the pup ( EVERY 2 Hours and MORE in the initial potty training stage, which may take weeks!) during the day.  (Pups need to "go" a lot, so someone needs to be around to properly potty train a young puppy.  As they get older - over 6 months of age, the frequency lessens, but they still need SEVERAL potty breaks a day.)  Will someone be available to do this CORRECTLY when the pup comes home with you for several months?? (you, dog walker, neighbor...?).  DO NOT EXPECT TO TAKE 1-2 WEEKS OFF FROM WORK TO TRAIN YOUR PUPPY AND EXPECT IT TO BE HAPPY WHEN YOU RETURN TO WORK FULL-TIME, AND JUST HAVE A DOG WALKER COME 1-2 TIMES A DAY.  A PUPPY NEEDS MORE ATTENTION THAN THAT.  If you live close to work and are thinking of coming back to your home for potty breaks, will your boss really let you leave every 2 hours for potty training and playing with the pup for weeks?  You REALLY need to think about this time Commitment seriously, potty training (and loving) are the most important thing you will be doing with a new pup or dog. Please Explain your answers.

7.           Have you had any pets in the past?  If so, what types and where are they now?

8.           Do you have a reputable vet to bring your dog to within 48 hours after you purchase a pup, as stated in the puppy contract?

9.           Do you have a relative, or neighbors (the Best options), or quality cavalier boarding facility who can help baby sit the dog if you are away for a weekend, vacation, etc? We do NOT recommend regular boarding facilities for cavaliers.   There are 2 places I know of "Camp Chadwick" just for cavaliers in CT., and also a Cavalier boarding facility in Long Island, New York.

10.        Will you spay or neuter your dog at 6 months of age or are you looking to breed your dog to have puppies?  Our vet at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in N.J. states that "small breed" dogs should be spayed or neutered by 6-7 months.  Please check with your vet to insure they he/she is like minded.  We need to know this Before we will accept a deposit from you on a puppy.  We will NOT sell a puppy if your vet says that all dogs need to be spayed/neutered after a first heat or at 18 months of age.

11.         What are Your and your Partner's work hours each day, outside of the home   As stated earlier, Baby Pups need to go potty All The Time during the day as they are getting potty trained, which will take awhile.  Someone needs to be home for this during all of the day time hours.  In addition, once the puppy IS potty trained, a puppy should not be left alone for more than 2-3 hours at a time when you go out.  (for proper potty times & proper socialization).  I will be happy to discuss with you the fine details about this....  we are here to help you! Please explain your answer in detail.

12.        You will probably want to attend a "puppy kindergarten" class for you and your pup to be trained together on basic skills.  Are you interested in doing this? The larger chain pet stores by you usually have classes available to sign up for.  Or you can do it yourself!

13.       What is the purpose of purchasing a cavalier? Family pet, showing, breeding, therapeutic dog, emotional support animal, etc?

14.        Is ANYONE in your house allergic to dogs, cats, rabbit or furry animals?  If so, have they been tested in the past 6 months by an Allergist and do you have the report?  You cannot come here to "test" to see if you or a child is allergic to cavaliers, that is a liability & unsafe G-D forbid a person reacts severely.

15.       *** Please give us your CELL numbers so that we can reach you in the daytime and early evening to chat about pups.

16.        Please add any additional information Below, so we can get to know you and help choose the right pup for you.  Thanks so much for your answers and your time!!  Please feel free to email us, we are HAPPY to answer any questions you may have!  robin.sweetdream@gmail.com