Frequently Asked Questions

Recommendations on things to have ready when I take my sweet puppy home?

Puppies will need some important things when you get to your new home. There are some must haves and some nice to have things that can make transitions much easier. I'm hopeful this list will give you some information so you can choose what works for you and your new puppy!Our Amazon links earn us 1-4 cents on the dollar we use to give back to Cavalier Rescue.

There are lots of things to get for your new dog, but if you purchase one of our puppies, we will send these items home with you:

Here are a few things that are nice to have but not must haves:

When to Spay and Neuter your Cavalier?

Why are health tested AKC Registered Cavalier Puppies expensive? 

Content contributed by Rivershyre Cavaliers, thank you! Note this is general information and does not include a quote for the price of a Cavalier Puppy.

To address a subject that seems to always have many opinions and none of them are the same! Pricing puppies! This is not an easy thing to do and some of us wish we could afford to give them away but not unless we win the lottery! To help put things in perspective this is how it really is!


First we as Breeders have the experience of buying breeding stock Cavaliers that are of the highest quality bloodlines and pedigrees as well as health background.

I know I have between six thousand to eight thousand in my breeding Cavaliers. Remember we have to pay for full registration. We have to perform genetic testing and ensure we do not pass on any poor traits that may lead to health conditions. We do OFA and CHIC Certifications which are done annually for each breeding dog. And...

Now care for these beauties for two years before we can breed them. Easily another five thousand for food, Vet care, flea and tick and heartworm medicine. Anything else they need.


Now the breeding and it's not always that easy Females that don't want to breed then possibly AI (artificial insemination) which doesn't always take and cost us about $250.00 each time. Now care while pregnant and vitamins as well as Vet care. Now if C-section is needed then as much as three thousand dollars if it's necessary another expensive cost and if and it usually is in the middle of the night even more.


Puppies arrive now you're taking time hours of no sleep up every one to two hours checking on babies to make sure they are nursing well. If you have a weak one you're hand feeding and incubating with oxygen up even more hours. I figured out once we have puppies normally around 56 days 58 days. We're up at 6:00 am and don't go to bed until 10:00 pm. So 16 hour days so around 900 hours of work while puppies are getting to eight weeks old. Now even if you say oh no way you work all those hours well maybe not every minute or hour but you're home bound and can't go anywhere for those weeks not anywhere because who would you trust with your babies to care for them the way you do?


So we haven't talked about supplies after puppies come let's see laundry everyday, birthing needs, puddle pads, food for mother and puppies after weening, bath products and Vet visits and we go three times before they leave.


Now you sit down and think about answering an ad for a puppy for sale! It screams Puppy Mill or Backyard Breeder because I am a Breeder now nine years just in Cavaliers and I just told you my experiences and there's no way I could sell our Cavaliers for that I would go broke!


So if you want a healthy beautiful Cavalier please buy from a reputable Breeder who loves the breed as much as we do.

There are wonderful people breeding these gorgeous creatures and I have met a lot of them! They give of themselves every day to make the breed better for you!


If you think about it you can't buy a good diamond for less than $3000.00 and believe me it won't ever love you like a cavalier will! 

Please note, this is not a quote for the price of your Puppy. Puppy costs may varry so you'll need to discuss the specific price of your Cavalier directly with your breeder. 



Training Tips 

Content contributed by Sher Miller, thank you! 

A few things that the everyday dog owner should know when getting a puppy or dog.

The training starts the second you bring the dog home

All puppies and dogs need to be crate trained. The crate should be a place to rest the body and mind. Should never be used as a punishment. Feed some of the puppies meal in the crate and use some of the food for training.

Too much freedom inside the home before the puppy can handle it is one of the biggest and most common mistakes people make. Do not let a puppy or untrained dog roam your home unsupervised. Keep the puppy in immediate view, use a long leash, or crate if you can’t have your eyes on the dog. Freedom is given in small doses as the puppy can handle it without getting in trouble. The goal is to create the behavior you want, not constantly correcting the puppy for what you don’t want. With that being said, puppies must be corrected for unwanted behaviors. Peeing and pooping in the house or crate can’t be corrected. That’s your fault. A puppy is like an infant. They can’t control peeing and pooping like an older dog. Take your puppy out often and get on a consistent schedule. No water or food after 6 or 7pm.

Use food/Royal Canin Puppy Kibble to train, not other 'treats' to avoid a picky eater later on. The basics should be taught and practiced daily. First teach the puppy to follow the food. Meaning nose goes to your hand and you allow the dog to push trying to get the food as you slowly move the hand away from puppy allowing the puppy to follow nose pressed to hand. Start using a reward marker like Yes or a clicker. Mark then open hand to give the food. Meaning the verbal must come first, then the reward.

You MUST have a language dedicated to your dog that your dog can learn by you being consistent and applying meaning to the words you use. Your dog MUST know what yes means, but also MUST know what NO means. If nothing comes after those words, yes equals reward for good, no equals correction for bad, your dog will never give meaning to either. Your dog’s name is not a command, or correction. NO should not be your dog’s middle name.

The way you live with your dog inside the home creates the dog, good or bad. If you are with your dog you are training. Are you training for good or are you training for bad. If you have a dog you are a dog trainer. That simple.

Your dog is a dog, not a human child. Constant unearned affection is a killer and creates an unhealthy addiction for both dog and owner. Your dog will love you unconditionally but will never respect you unless you give it reason to.

Your dog does not need dog friends. Your dog doesn’t need to play with other dogs, they need to play with you. Learn to play like a dog understands it. It’s the most powerful motivator and relationship building activity available to you. Mastering food to teach behaviors and mastering play to enhance behaviors and relationship is vital.

The foundation of the basics are a must. A few things that your dog MUST be taught. No exceptions:

First, the most basic of basics, your dog must learn how to be still in any situation. If your dog can’t be still around any distraction, you will never have control.

• Recall

• Sit

• Down

• Walk nicely on leash

• Out, meaning release anything in your mouth

The place command is fine but actually a newer thing in training and usually over used as doggy jail, to suppress and control the dog due to a lack of obedience. People focus on place but can’t teach their dog to Out. It’s a problem

Learn how positive reinforcement works, and learn to use it properly, not like the big box stores use it. Learn how to utilize negative reinforcement. Paired with positive reinforcement, it’s an incredibly powerful way to create a well trained dog. Very few actually understand punishment so we won’t get into that

This is just the Reader’s Digest version. A small glimpse of what is needed to get started. Getting a puppy is a ton of work. You’re raising a dog not a puppy. What you think is cute at 8 weeks won’t be at 1 year.

Enjoy the process, but training is not optional. If you can’t commit to training and raising a dog properly don’t get a dog. Get a cat.

A dog is a living, breathing, emotional(in their own way) being. Treat them with respect and compassion. Everyday they wake up thinking it’s going to be the best day of their life. Don’t let them down. They think you’re an amazing human. Try to be what they think you are. They’re not here long. Enjoy them to the fullest while you can because it goes fast and you’ll regret not doing so when you had the chance. HAPPY TRAINING


What about Grooming our Cavaliers?

I see a lot of questions about how to groom a Cavalier.


Cavaliers just need brushing combing and a trim on the bottom of their paws. That is so they don’t slip on slick surfaces like your hard wood floors. I use a detangling brush a metal comb and a grooming brush for matts. No need for electric clippers, scissors work as well. They do not need any other haircuts. Some people trim the ears to give a blunt cut. Others prefer a Puppy Cut. There is nothing wrong with that if that is your preference.


They need their toenails kept trim with special attention to ensure dewclaw nails are also clipped. Interesting fact….Most Cavaliers that still have dewclaws, only have them on their front paws. But check them all! Dewclaw nails if left uncut can grow into the skin and be painful.


We should not over bathe our doggies. I bathe mine quarterly unless we get into mud puddles or something very dirty. The oils in their skin and hair helps them regulate their body temperature. It also helps their coat shine. We never want to get water inside our Cavalier’s ears as they are prone to infections if they do get wet. Many female doggies can have a hooded vulva which can trap moisture and cause soreness on their precious lady bits if they are not dried well. I like the mane and tail shampoo. It doesn't strip the oils and give a dog dry flaky skin. Most human shampoos are not good for your doggie. Now, Dawn will work great if you want to kill fleas as a one time use. Just follow that with a gentle pet shampoo for the second wash. So don't over bathe and dry really well especially ears nooks and crannies. Be careful using a hairdryer. They can burn skin and hair. Keep it on a cool air temperature and let their disdain complete you. Even though my dogs are used to all this they prefer to run and roll on the beds and carpet rather than let me blow them dry. So being the pushover I am, I lay out towels and let them do that and use the blow dryer on cool very sparingly to finish drying them.


Wash your dog quarterly and dry them well, brush and comb daily and the only real grooming is the toenail and foot pad fur clipping. You can do those yourself and save up your vet budget for emergency and dental care.


We socialize our puppies by playing with their teeth with a toothbrush and their feet with a toenail trimmer and brush and comb their ears. This makes them associate these things with loving care. They lie back and enjoy their spa treatment.


I think if we need to focus a bit more caring for our Cavalier’s teeth vs their coats. We can save money on grooming to afford anesthesia based dental procedures and teeth cleaning. And we’ll save more of their teeth if we brush them.


If we want longevity toothbrushing and dental cleanings are a great investment of time. Save your money, groom at home, add teeth brushing and you’ll easily be able to afford annual dental cleanings after age 2-3.


When should we Spay or Neuter?

Why are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels such a highly recommended breed?

What is best for a female dog's health? Back to back breeding or skipping heat cycles? And when should a breeder stop breeding a female?

We have been rescue workers for over forty years and now we do extensive health testing for our dogs. We have reproductive, internist, cardiolgist, neurologist, ophthalmology and hospice care veterinarians. I have taken extensive Midwoofery/pun intended education on whelping and reproductive health. So we work closely with and always follow vet recommendations. They’ve taught us that there have been several studies done on what is healthier for a breeding female and the results of these studies conclusively show that it is healthier for a female to be bred every heat instead of every other heat (I have attached articles below). While we do breed every heat, when a female is in excellent health; we never breed first heat and sometimes not on second heat either depending on the age and health of the female. It's also important to pause or stop breeding at anytime the female dog is experiencing any health or behavioral concerns. We must all put the health of Mom first and foremost with every decision we make.

We do not believe that because you breed every heat that you should continue to breed as long as those that don't breed every heat. This means that our females retire earlier than those breeders that breed every other heat and we retire earlier than most breeders regardless of their frequency of litters. Our girls do not mate after the age of 4 years old and spayed. No later than age 5. This way they are breeding in their prime when it is healthier and safer for dam and puppies. While it is healthier to breed every heat we also think that breeders need to use common sense and make sure that their females are back to a healthy weight before breeding again, as well as, judging on a case by case knowing what is right for your female and her health. We get several physical exams to confirm whats best for the female before, during and after each pregnancy in addition to the normal annual exams most people get for their pets. 

Please know we will NEVER over tax our beloved ladies. If they need a pause - we pause. If they need to stop - we stop.Period.

Now, the gentlemen are very different. They can 'go' as long as they have desire and physical prowess to mate as long as their sperm counts are condicive to fertility. 

Here are a few articles:

Back to Back Breeding and Pseudopregnancy

The Australian Journal of Professional Dog Breeders

February 5, 2011 By Dr Kate Schoeffel

It is frequently claimed that breeding dogs on every heat or “back to back breeding” is bad for a bitch’s long term health and well being. However the research in canine reproduction shows that not breeding a dog when it comes into heat can in fact be bad for its health. Scientist have shown that pseudopregnancy ['phantom pregnancy'] increases the risk of mammary cancers which are the second most common cancer in dogs after skin tumors and are 3-5 times more common than breast cancers in women

1: Pseudopregnancy often occurs when a bitch is not bred. She will show signs such as nesting, weight gain, mammary enlargement and lactation – usually about 6 to 12 weeks after oestrus. Pseudopregnancy represents the extreme of the changes which normally occur during the oestrus cycle and it is suggested that it is a hang over from dogs evolution from wolves. Subordinate nonbreeding pseudopregnant female wolves in a pack can help to raise pups by nursing the litters of other females”

2 In 1994 Donnay and his associates showed that there is a relationship between the number of pseudopregnancies a bitch goes through and the development of mammary cancer

3. Verstegen and Onclin (2006)1 have also studied canine mammary cancer and found that a large number of bitches presented for mammary tumours also show pseudopregnancy, that a large percentage of these females had frequent pseudopregnancies and that the bitches with recurring pseudopregnancy at each cycle tended to develop mammary tumors significantly earlier than other animals. Both of these authors say that there is need formore research but clearly bitches which don’t breed are likely to become pseudopregnant and pseudopregnancy increases the risk of cancer.

Skipping cycles in breeding has been linked to mammary cancer Pregnancy protects against life threatening uterine diseases. The most common uterine disease in the bitch is cystic endometrial hyperplasia. It is linked to several serious uterine diseases including the potentially life threatening disease “pyometra”(literally – a uterus full of pus) which affects nearly one quarter of dogs under 10 years old which are not desexed

4 . According to canine reproduction specialist Dr S. Romagnoli “bitches whelping regularly throughout their reproductive life almost never develop pyometra, while those who whelp rarely or never in their lives have a greater chance of developing this condition”. Furthermore a standard textbook of veterinary internal medicine notes that uterine diseases are less common in kennels where bitches are bred and conceive regularly indicating that pregnancy has a protective effect on the lining of the uterus or “endometrium”

Given that artificially restricting bitches, which haven’t been desexed, from breeding is bad for their health, it is not surprising that many breeding dogs bred have reproductive problems. If they are show dogs they often don’t start breeding until they are three years old, and have finished their show career, and then kennel club rules and even government regulations require that the bitch is only bred on every second season. Frequently older bitches need veterinary intervention to reproduce, and good bitches may end up being bred well beyond 6 years of age when their fertility is beginning to decline.

No responsible breeder who cares about their dogs would breed their bitches until they are exhausted, and rules certainly need to be in place to ensure that irresponsible breeders don’t exploit their dogs, however the current regulations in place in some states do not take into account the biology of the bitch. Breeding should be regulated by limiting the number of litters a bitch can breed or the age at which they should be desexed and retired. Breeding dogs regularly while they are young,followed by desexing and rehoming them early is in the best interest of the bitch and a good pet breeder can use this knowledge to work with the natural biology of their animals. Breeders must be aware of and comply with any government regulations regarding dog breeding in their state and unfortunately in Victoria, NSW and QLD current regulations do not permit this approach to dog breeding.

1.J.P. Verstegen III and K. Onclin. Prolactin and Anti-Prolactinic Agents in thePathophysiology and Treatment of Mammary Tumors in the Dog. NAVC Proceedings2006, North American Veterinary Conference (Eds).

2.Canine Pseudopregnancy: A Review (Last Updated: 23-Aug-2001). C.Gobello1, P. W. Concannon2 and J. Verstegen III3, Recent Advances in SmallAnimal Reproduction, Concannon P.W., England G., Verstegen III J. andLinde-Forsberg C. (Eds.)

3.Donnay I, Rauis J & Verstegen J – Influence des antécédents hormonaux surl’apparition clinique des tumeurs mammaires chez la chienne. Etudeépidémiologique. Ann. Med. Vet. 1994, 138, 109-117

4. Simón Martí Angulo Clinical aspects of uterine disease in the bitch and queen.Proceeding of the Southern European Veterinary Conference Oct. 2-4, 2009. S.Romagnoli, How I Treat… Pyometra. Proceeding of the SEVC. Southern European Veterinary ConferenceOct. 17-19, 2008 – Barcelona, Spain

5. Davidson AP, Feldman EC. Ovarian and estrous cycle abnormalities. In: EttingerSW, Feldman EC (eds) Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. WB Saunders,2004

6. Johnson CA. Cystic endometrial hyperplasia, pyometra, and infertility. In: Ettinger SW, Feldman EC (eds).Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine WB Saunders, 1992, pp. 954.

Recently at an AKC Dog Breeding Discussion held at Michigan State University with key note speaker Dr. Claudia Orlandi Ph.D. (AKC's breeder of the year and author of The ABC's of Dog Breeding) shocked many breeders when it was disclosed that there have been scientific studies to show that it is detrimental for dams to skip heat cycles. It was shared that once you have begun to mate a dam that you should NOT skip any heat cycles until she is completely finished breeding. A dam is said to be "finished" breeding when her litter size is drastically decreased. The study involved following females that were bred every heat cycle and females that were bred every other heat cycle. After they were "finished" breeding, the dams were spayed and their uterus dissected.

Those showing most stress, and damage of the uterus were the females that were bred "every other" heat cycle. Part of the rational that skipping heat cycles is harmful stems from the fact that with consecutive heat cycles there is no "flushing action" of the uterus, which normally occurs by having a litter of puppies. The female will go through Estrus no matter if she is bred or not and by breeding a healthy dam back to back, can lessen the chances of the female experiencing pyometra, infections and false pregnancy. The choice to breed or not, should be contingent upon the goals the breeder has and for sure the mental and physical health of the female, above all else.

Our Vet Recommendations on Preventatives for your Puppy

Its Important to get your puppy in for well care once they are home with you. Pups are not fully immunized for several months and so do not have full protection from parasites and other concerns. We suggest that you go right away to ensure all is well. 

Local folks may want to have continuity of care for their puppy and may seek out Integrity Vet in Simpsonville where one of our vets, Dr. Dan Moore will be happy to continue care for your Thunder Puppy! 

Integrity or your Vet can start heart worm, flea and tick preventive medications when the time is right. He suggests Sentinel and Bravecto for pets.

Are your dogs AKC Registered?

Yes, all Thunder Pups Farms puppies and dogs are sold with AKC Limited Registration. Limited Registration allows the owner to participate in AKC events. Limited Registration means the dog is not a breeding dog, and should not be bred. If you breed a dog with limited registration, your puppies will not be registered dogs.  

If a breeder wishes to purchase a Thunder Pup Cavalier for breeding purposes, we consider this on a case by case basis. If you have a compelling case for wanting to breed, you can reach out and we are happy to discuss your program with you. We also offer full stud services for breeders.