From the Whelping Box
We just breed for our next potential show dog , so puppies are rare and very special. Puppies are started out in our bedroom, and I stay with them 24/7 to make sure everything is going just right until they are five weeks old. We are just like mother hens to these little ones. At five weeks they need a lot more room, so they move to the puppy pen in our dog room, which is also our sunroom. We pretty much live in there, so our puppies are still with us most of the time. Puppies are all litter box trained, and we begin our adventures outside after first shots to start potty training, time permitting.
Throughout their time with us, we will continuously monitor their health and well-being. I do fecal exams for parasites 2-3 times over the course of 10-12 weeks, and periodically worm them. Luckily, we almost never have had any intestinal parasites in any of my dogs, but I do this preventatively just in case, as it is best practice to do this. Puppies not destined for the show ring will have one or two rounds of DAPP shots, and are eligible to go home at about 11-12 weeks old.
We work very hard at our breedings - looking for just the right boy for our girl. We rigorously test our dogs for clear hearts, eyes, hips, elbows and patellas, as well as check thyroids and DNA test our breeding stock for inherited diseases. All outside stud dogs must also provide their health certifications to us as a part of the process of selecting a sire. We will provide copies of our certifications from veterinary specialists for every puppy placed as well as their full health records, pedigrees and registration information, puppy instructions, supply lists and a wealth of reading material on your new Cavalier puppy. We also provide a health certificate from our veterinarian indicating that our puppy is healthy and free from any known diseases, and we provide a one year health guarantee with all of our puppies.
We are preservation breeders, which means that our focus will be on ethical breeding practices, health, socialization and temperament as well standing by our puppies with our health guarantee and a lifetime of my support. This hopefully gives our pet families some comfort that they are getting a wonderful puppy from us with all the best qualities inherent in the Cavalier breed! We encourage our prospective puppy parents to visit us so that you can meet our dogs, see the puppies and assess our environment. We want you to be comfortable that we've raised our puppies in the best possible circumstances and with the best possible care.
If you are interested in one of my puppies, please complete the Contact Form and I will be back to you within a day.
Puppy Costs
Many people inquire about puppy cost. In the Carolinas, most of the responsible show breeders charge around $4500 - $5000 for a high-quality, well-bred puppy. Like everything else, health testing, maintenance and breeding costs have dramatically increased since COVID. Some puppies may also be on the higher end due to factors related to the stature of the Sire and/or Dam in the show world, but few are less. My prices are similar - around $4500 most of the time.
I ask for a $1,000 fully refundable puppy deposit to hold the puppy. The deposit is fully refundable up to the day you collect your puppy in case of a change in circumstances.
Alternatively, if I am rehoming a 3-4 year old retired show dog or Dam, there will be a rehoming fee (usually around $1500), and may also include the cost of his/her neuter or spay and teeth cleaning (if needed), booster shots (if needed). I typically take care of those things when s/he is still with me as it will be much less stressful if s/he is in my home environment during recovery.
A Typical Laurelwind Puppy
Available Puppies
Puppies are available for adoption from time to time. Puppies are sold as companion animals, with limited registrations, which means they cannot be shown or bred. Please complete a contact form on the Contact page and I'll keep you informed of puppy news.