Form the time I started researchig breeders till the time I got my Cavalier it was about 6 months. Once I found the breeder I wanted I only had to wait for the litter to be born and determine the show potential of the resulting pups. However it can very easily take 2-3 years to find the right dog from the right breeder, and I was fully expecting to be wait listed. For my old sheltie I believe it was only 4 mothns from start to finish. Though I was only 10 at the time and I didn't have to search for a breeder. There was no wait for my other 2 dogs since they didn't come from a breeder.