[pippywhippypipps]

Hi there. Not sure if going through a registered breeder or shelter. I'm trying to figure out what breeds to look at. We've been recommended a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Mini Poodle, Tibetan Terrier and Havanese so far. We're looking at puppy-5 years old at the moment, but the breed must be good with respectful cats.

My Dad is retired and has all the time in the world as he spends most of his time at home. He doesn't go many places a dog can't go except for store errands. Mom is retiring within 2 years and is home on evenings and weekends. They live a quiet life in a quiet neighbourhood, a nice house with a fenced in yard. Both are pretty relaxed and they need a friendly, affectionate, low energy friend that is up for a few play sessions through the day and a short walk.

They were so wonderful with my rescue that I had for nearly 13 years. My dog was a Papillon-mix and followed my Dad constantly while he was puttering around the house and I swear he loved my Mom more than me. They took such good care of him and I really want to find them a good friend.

 

[Shell]

I'm not super familiar with the breed but some friends of mine, a couple aged about 50ish, have two Havanese and they are adorable sweet dogs. They have nice soft coats, small but not tiny dogs, and don't seem too demanding for exercise aside from normal walks and some yard romps.

Puppies of any breed are kinda attention demanding but if your parents are OK with stuff like middle of the night potty breaks for the first couple months, then its do-able.

 

[Crantastic]

I'd think something like a havanese or a shih tzu would be good, yeah. It depends on the lines too, of course. I have a friend who breeds the most laid back shih tzu who love to be groomed and will happily lounge on their beds getting brushed for hours. She's part of a therapy dog program and visits nursing homes and libraries and the like. I helped her out at shih tzu nationals one year and it was probably the least chaotic dog show I've ever been involved with, haha.

 

[arcouillard]

Cavaliers are fantastic little companions. We have one, and he is the easiest, sweetest little thing. He loves to fetch, but he's not crazy if he doesn't get regular walks...he has basically no interest in our cat or rabbit, he LOVES everyone he meets, doesn't bark at all. Grooming is fairly easy if you keep on top of combing, I comb him all over about every other day (takes less than 10 min total) and haven't had any issues with matting or anything. Also for basically no grooming you can get them clipped short.

I'd say the only con is that they are overall a fairly unhealthy breed. They have a handful of genetic issues that can be serious if you're not careful about breeding. If you can find a quality breeder who tests breeding dogs for these issues, and keep your dog on a healthy diet, at a good (slim) weight...you can mitigate some of it. I've known many cavaliers who lived to be 10-14 yrs.