Pawrade Breeder Partner Martha is beginning a long day as she surveys her beef cattle grazing in the distance of her 10-acre farm. The chickens are hungry this morning, demanding and pecking each other to get to the feed as she prepares to milk the goats. As a homemaker of 6 children and a breeder of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, there is never a dull moment in Martha’s life, full of happy hearts and happy tails!
Martha has been breeding dogs since 2018, starting with one Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy. Martha notes, “My husband had a friend who was a breeder similar to us. We heard they’re a good housedog for people and had good reviews, so we bought a puppy.”
Their puppy provided plenty of opportunities keeping the children busy with chores, learning more about the dog breed, and having fun. At one point they had two breeding females, but one has since retired. Martha owns her sire and got him as a puppy. Parents have champion bloodlines, are good quality, and come from people who know their history. Each litter produces about 3-5 puppies on average.
Let’s learn more about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and see what life is like as a Pawrade breeder partner for Martha and her kennel.
Martha’s Chosen Breed: All About Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
With their signature long, floppy ears, big, round eyes, and gentle nature, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy will bring joy to any household. They are often just called Cavaliers or referred to as CKCS dogs. This "Velcro" dog thrives on having a strong bond with its family because they are such good companion dogs. They are perfect for both seasoned and first-time owners. Given their love of all people, they require a lot of human interaction. With their eagerness to please people, training a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is typically easy.
Cavaliers are friendly, gentle, versatile, and clever. Martha notes, “They are such special dogs and so sweet. They adapt well to any environment. They are there to please you. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are great for first-time owners, families with kids, and seniors. They are good therapy dogs, too.”
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are medium-sized dogs, growing to be 13-18 lbs. and standing 12-13 inches tall as adults. They have round eyes with a sweet, doleful expression and a special type of beautiful hair feathering on their legs and paws. They will need regular haircuts and trims at the groomer with some owners opting to keep their hair shorter in the summer, and owners can bathe them every 4-6 weeks.
Keeping a Cavalier healthy will result in a long lifespan, sometimes up to 16 years old! Although it’s important to meet their activity needs through short walks, active games, and mental stimulation, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels don’t require a lot of daily exercise. Feed them nutritious food and take them to regularly scheduled vet appointments to give updated vaccinations and health checks.
Customers love Martha’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Over the years, Martha has gotten to see the love her clients have in particular for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. There’s something about them that captivates people with their first one, and some people return years later for another Cavalier. Martha loves seeing families with children be so excited they can hardly wait to get out of the vehicle to meet their new puppy. “I just love to see my clients when they decide on a puppy,” Martha notes. “I love seeing the satisfaction that they found a fit, a good puppy for them.”
Martha shares some heartwarming customer moments over the years when adopting out her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies. “I love hearing happy feedback from clients. I sold a 9-month-old puppy to a client I had sold one to two years ago who wanted a playmate. I delivered that one and saw where my dog went to, and that was really exciting and amazing to see the growing dog.” Another notable moment is seeing them go for Christmas. “A family bought a puppy for their teenage son and described to me how they put him in a box and wrapped him up to give him at Christmas. That’s a highlight of how happy the puppies make people.”
Raising Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Raising puppies begins before the first contraction starts. Martha ensures a sanitary, safe whelping area for mama and babies. The kennel is in a separate garage shop building with little dividing walls where dogs can go in and out a doggy door for potty needs. Martha has special flooring she keeps sparkling clean for a sanitary environment.
Pregnancy, birth, and beyond
Martha keeps a close eye on her pregnant dam on the days leading up to the birth. “We put a camera on here when we aren’t there to see that she’s eating well. We know when she’s getting close, a couple days you know it’s going to happen. Then we go out there and spend hours out there, staying with her till they’re all born.”
Martha is extremely busy during the first crucial 3-5 days after their birth. It’s vital that puppies get as much colostrum as they need, a substance the mama produces containing nutrients that is perfect for sustaining newborn puppies. They can’t receive the colostrum and milk unless they latch properly though. “I do a great job paying attention in the first week. We’re constantly checking on the puppies. I make sure the big ones don’t get greedy and the small ones get pushed away. You have to make sure they’re suckling well, feeding with a dropper if needed, and putting them to the nipple,” Martha explains. If not, the puppies can have failure to thrive. They could look like they’re nursing, but careful examination is needed to see if all the puppies are getting enough milk. After that first critical week, the mama and babies have established a good nursing relationship, and Martha can let the mama take over.
Puppies can’t nurse forever; eventually, they will begin on solid food. Martha explains, “At 4 weeks I start putting puppies in a separate pen with mama in there 4x a day. I wean them over 2 weeks, then the next time I put them in the pen 3 times, and gradually wean them off milk. They have food available and love it! They never have a problem eating.”
Learning about the world around them
The first 8 weeks of puppy development is a crucial time for puppies to learn about the world around them. They learn how to socialize, interact with their littermates and mama, eat solid food, where to use the bathroom, and explore their environment in a safe, positive manner. Martha provides all these opportunities for milestones and more.
The puppies’ individual personalities begin to emerge right after the weaning stage. Martha notes overall the personalities share similar qualities of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: They are loving, curious, and pleasant. They can range from laid-back to energetic and are playful when encountering something new. Whether they are male or female, Cavalier puppies are ready to love their new owners.
Martha’s puppies are lucky because they have plenty of playtime! “I have four children at home,” says Martha. “My daughter plays with them and runs around, so the puppies are used to kids by the time they get to their new homes.” Martha’s puppies are also used to being around other animals like farm dogs and kittens. Puppies who are exposed to environments and experiences early on with proper puppy socialization opportunities are more successful in acclimating to their new homes, and Martha does a fantastic job getting her puppies used to daily life.
Martha’s favorite milestones
While raising puppies provides many heartwarming moments, some phases stand out more than others to Martha. “I love the stage when they’re weaning. I love the interaction between us. Before that, they’re always sleeping and nursing. I give the mama lots of attention when they’re very young.”
Martha takes amazing care of her puppies before they leave for their homes. “We do our own vaccinations and deworming. I have a puppy record that I can give to my clients providing a canine health record and a health certificate before they go home,” notes Martha.
Thanks to the doggy door, puppies have plenty of chances to learn to go outside. “My puppies come potty trained, and they hardly have any accidents inside. It’s amazing how easy it is to train them because they are super intelligent,” Martha explains.
How Pawrade Helps Breeders Like Martha and Customers Like You
Martha was inspired to turn to Pawrade after a friend told her about it. “I’ve always put them on marketplaces, but the last company wasn’t doing us any good, as I had not been getting calls like I used to,” she says. Martha is not as tech-savvy as others and needed a company like Pawrade to streamline her services. “I love to talk with clients and it’s so much fun to raise puppies, but we needed help with both because we are not a big operation. If a message comes into Pawrade, I can chat with the customer.”
Martha supports Pawrade’s efforts to stop puppy scams and puppy mills from taking advantage of customers with our scam-free transaction management system. “I would say to customers that they’re not going to be ripped off,” explains Martha. Pawrade will never ask for payment via gift cards, MoneyGram, or unsecured apps. The portal also serves as a communication hub among breeders, buyers, and our Puppy Concierge team.
In the future, Martha would love to expand her kennel. “I would love to raise more puppies and have a few more females,” Martha notes. You can help her dream by browsing Pawrade Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies for sale.
