1. Crate. Your full-grown Cavalier will need a “Medium” size crate approximately 24 inches long x 18 wide x 21 inches high. It is advantageous to purchase a crate with a panel included to section off the crate so it is smaller at first. Another option is to also purchase a smaller crate for the puppy stage. A full size crate leaves the small puppy too much room for accidents. You’ll want to bring a crate or travel bag for the puppy with you to pick him up. Dogs need to ride in a “carseat” in cars, just like children. A crate offers them some protection. This is our favorite crate.
2. Crate pad/bedding to fit the crate. We recommend having at least two so they can be washed frequently. 23×18 is good. This is our favorite crate pad. I will also provide you with a small blanket that smells like home and mom.
3. Stainless steel food and water dishes. We prefer stainless because it can be sanitized in the dishwasher. We recommend having at least two sets so that they can be washed frequently. These bowls with rubber no-skid bottoms are great and have held up well for us.
4. Small Collar and leash. We recommend embroidered collars because often when dogs get loose, they lose their tags in the process. An embroidered collar can have your phone number right on it, and if purchased online, costs about the same as a plain collar in a pet store. Be sure to get a leash without a large buckle that might hit the puppy in the face.
5. Engraved Tag. We highly recommend flat collar tags from boomerangtags.com. These tags last forever and are deeply engraved on stainless steel instead of lightly engraved on aluminum or plastic. Flat tags don’t jingle, don’t fall off, and can’t catch on something causing a strangulation danger.
6. Toys. The specialist who cleans our dogs’ teeth recommends “Bully Sticks” as the only safe chew that actually cleans teeth. The best price we’ve found is at Costco. We also like rope bones, fleece ropes and various squeaky toys. Cavaliers seem to love things that squeak. We are careful to watch our dogs and throw away any toys that start to fall apart. We used to give our dogs elk antlers, and we’ve never had any problem with them, but the Texas Tooth Fairy says they can chip or break teeth, so we’ve taken them away and no longer recommend them.
7. Safety gate. If you have stairs, you may consider getting a gate to block them off while the puppy is too young to understand heights. We’ve heard of far too many tragic stories of small puppies running straight through stair railings.
8. Grooming supplies. You’ll want a small pin brush, comb and slicker brush. Our show dogs get brushed daily to prevent mattes, but your pet can probably be brushed weekly. We like the Isle of Dogs line of shampoos and conditioners. If you prefer to buy something in a pet store, we recommend choosing a natural product that is dye and fragrance free to hopefully prevent any allergy issues. We bathe weekly to maintain show coat, but you can probably bathe monthly unless the dog gets dirty, of course. You’ll also want a tool for clipping nails. We prefer to use a Dremel to file the nails, but scissor and guillotine style clippers work as well.
9. Waste bags for walks. There are many options, but cheap sandwich bags from the grocery store work well.
10. Food. We are feeding the puppy Blue Buffalo Small Breed Puppy food. It is a high quality, natural food that is corn, wheat, soy and by-product free and available at PetCo or PetSmart. I will provide you with a small bag of the food. If you choose to feed something else, please mix the two foods together and switch over slowly. It is best to always feed a food that is corn, wheat, soy, and by-product free as these ingredients can quickly cause health problems in Cavaliers.
11. Books. We recommend two wonderful books on puppy training, both by Brian Kilcommons: ”Good Dogs Great Owners” and “My Smart Puppy“. We have used his techniques for many years and really love his approach.
There are many great books specifically about Cavaliers. There are also many awful books full of misinformation. The best but also the most expensive is “Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in Fact and Fancy” by Barbara Garnett-Wilson. This book is cheapest when purchased directly from the author: http://www.laughingcavaliers.com/in-fact-and-fancy.htm
12 Exercise Pen. It’s certainly optional, but it really helps to have an exercise pen. You can use it for the lifetime of the dog, if you ever travel and need to set up a place for him to safely potty off leash. I have this one and love it: http://amzn.com/B00063KG0K . 30″ tall with a door will be all you’ll ever need, though I wouldn’t leave an adult dog unattended in one. If you do have an exercise pen, you can keep the puppy in it when he isn’t being actively watched or if you have to leave for hours at a time. In it, he can have room to move around, a bed, food & water, and a puppy pad to potty on.
13. Training Treats. It is not necessary to waste money on unhealthy commercial treats full of preservatives and junk ingredients. Try bits of sliced or string cheese or diced chicken breast. Dried liver is good when you don’t have access to a fridge. Your dog and his waistline will love you for it.
