At Kingswear we breed solely for one reason; to improve the breed.

Owning Cavaliers (well, being owned by a Cavalier!) is the greatest privilege. They are undoubtedly the best breed. The most loyal friend. But with this comes particular responsibilities. 

Cavaliers are companion dogs; meaning they need a constant companion. Whether another dog, or someone home most of the time, we only send dogs to homes where they will have someone to keep them company. Cavaliers are not a self-occupying breed. If you work full time it is best to think about getting two dogs or to consider a different breed. 

We generally breed a couple of litters a year, depending on what we need for the show ring, or for developing our lines. 

All Kingswear dogs come with pedigree papers.

Pedigree papers are simply certificates that come with the dogs, that has the dog's family tree on it, and is tracked within the ANKC/ Dogs Australia database.

Only ANKC/ Dogs Australia Registered Breeders have the power to administer pedigree papers. The papers are a way to keep track of which lines are being put with which lines. They're essentially a detailed birth certificate. 

There are two types of pedigree papers you can get. 

1. 'Limited register' (the dog is for a pet home)

2. 'Main register' (the dog is for showing and/or breeding)

We sell both paper types. Please let us know which you are looking for and we will be able to determine whether or not we are a good fit for you. 

'Limited Register'

Limited register is the type of pedigree paper given with puppies that are deemed best for pet homes. The certificate shows that:

The pup is from an ANKC/ Dogs Australia Registered Breeder The family tree of the dog. Careful consideration goes into which lines are put with which. And is otherwise essentially a birth certificate with all of the relevant info (Breeder, DOB, registration numbers, etc).'Main Register'

Main register pedigree papers are the type that are given when a dog is destined for the show ring or to be bred to continue the lines. 

Only the best dogs are determined fit for Main register papers. There are genetic conditions that stop Cavaliers being put with other Cavaliers. Sometimes these particular dogs are suitable for pet home but not for breeding. If bred correctly, the dogs are simply carriers of the gene but it has no effect on them. However, if you breed with this dog the pups can be affected by the diseases for their lifetime. 

Therefore we ask for honesty with enquires for either paper type, as there are reasons that each individual dog has been assigned their register. 

A great number of factors go into pricing ANKC / Dogs Australia Cavalier puppies.

As a rule of thumb you may find that ANKC / Dogs Australia breeders are for the most part, on par.

Cross breeds and 'designer breeds' are generally more expensive. 

Reputable ANKC / Dogs Australia registered breeders have committed their life to bettering the breed and this comes at a great cost. Personally, professionally and monetarily.

Breeding and showing quality dogs is not a profitable exercise. In fact you will generally find registered breeders work a day job to support the breeding and showing. 

Some costs you may not have considered that go into breeding are:

- Stud fee (can be up to several thousand dollars per litter)

- Purchasing the dam (the mother dog) with Main Register pedigree papers (several thousand dollars)

- Artificial insemination or TCI procedures

- Semen collecting, freezing, transporting, and holding costs 

- Health certificates, breeding approvals, ultrasounds, X-rays, hormone level tests, post-breeding clearance, general vet bills, DNA tests

- Insurance, taxes, etc 

- Whelping set up costs 

- Quality food, grooming and pet supplies 

- ANKC / Dogs Australia fees, council registration, club fees  

- And much more

Cavaliers from registered breeders are priced to cover these expenses. You may be able to find a cheaper dog from a backyard breeder or a breeder who is not in the ANKC/ Dogs Australia. However, the rule of thumb, generally speaking, with Cavaliers is that you get what you pay for. Making sure you do your homework and are buying a quality dog now may save a lifetime of medical expenses or vet bills from a breeder who hasn't been trained in what they're doing. It can also add or subtract several years from your dogs end of life. 

The pricing also differs from Main to Limited register. 

To get an exact price, please inquire via our inquiry form. Our prices may depend on the specific litter information.

The approximate price of a Cavalier from a Registered Breeder at the moment is between $4,500 - $5,500.

Once you've read through the relevant information on our site, to enquire about a Cavalier from us, please fill in the application form.

On the application form there is a check box for whether you're looking for a puppy, and adult, and some other questions.

Please note that we receive hundreds of applications and unfortunately can't reply to every application in a timely manner as we are.

Please know that once your application has been received, it will be personally and manually reviewed by us. We look carefully at every application.

Once we have a litter ready we normally go back through the applications to find the best recent fits.

Once we have a litter ready we normally go back through the applications to find the best recent fits. 

We don't have set times of the year where we plan litters - so it's best to just try your luck. 

Sometimes you may have to wait a few weeks or even months before we have a litter; OR sometimes you may enquire the day that pups are born! You never know your luck! Unfortunately we don't plan litters as we don't know too far in advance what we need for the show ring or what lines we want to develop. Even when we do know both of these answers, things don't exactly always go to plan! 

Cavaliers are notoriously difficult to breed correctly; with small pups that need a lot of attention, and small litters. Often we will have a litter of one! (Known as a singleton). 

If you'd like to follow up on your application or ask for feedback or any other questions, please reach out to us via email. We are always available to help!

It's important you know exactly what to look for in a breeder. 

Not every breeder will be a good fit for you, and vise versa. 

It's important that you feel comfortable with the breeder, trust them, and can verify them. 

Reputable breeders in Australia can predominantly be found to be a member of the ANKC/ Dogs Australia.

ANKC (the Australian National Kennel Council) (now known as Dogs Australia) was founded in 1958. It is the peak body in Australia for ethical breeders. ANKC/ Dogs Australia run the dog shows and provide the framework for ethical dog breeding in Australia. 

Registered breeders are bound by a code of ethics. These include but aren't limited to a high standard of:

- Housing conditions for dogs

- Mandatory pedigree papers 

- Breed-specific DNA and health testing

- Setting the minimum age requirements for breeding dogs 

- Setting the maximum numbers of breeding dogs per breeder 

- Setting the maximum amount of litters per dog

- Setting the minimum wait time between litters 

Becoming a registered breeder is an invite-only process, followed by a year-long wait period, followed by an exam, followed by prefix selection and then following the Code of Practise to breed. 

Registered breeders are required to submit all sorts of reporting from a 'fit to breed' vet check certificate, to a post-breeding certificate ("postpartum"), annual vet checks, breed-specific DNA testing through labs, pedigree papers, etc. 

All in all, the process to become a registered breeder with this body can take up to several years, and you know that by the end of the process you most likely have a breeder who is committed to the breed for life. 

Please note: There are other cross-breed dog registries that have popped up recently (MDBA etc) that imitate the ANKC / Dogs Australia. These people may refer to themselves as 'registered breeders'. Always make sure to ask which body they're a member of. 

You need to ensure that the breeder, at a minimum:

- Has ethical breeding practises 

- Ask how many litters the Dam has had/ is going to have

- How long in between litters

- Why the breeder is breeding 

- Minimum age for the Dam

- Is performing genetic/ DNA health testing. Genetic health testing, otherwise known as DNA testing, is done by sending swabs of the dog's saliva to the lab to be tested against diseases that the breed can be susceptible for. The second part of this is pairing only compatible gene types with compatible gene types. 

- Is getting the Dam and Sire's heart checked, preferably annually, by a specialist canine cardiologist (not just a general vet). 

- Is getting the Dam and Sire's eyes checked, at least once, but preferably every few years, or throughout their life when changes are noticeable, by a specialist canine ophthalmologist (not a general vet).

- Are breeding only dogs with sound hearts or that they know the heart condition of the family of the dog.

- Some breeders also screen patellas (knee-joints) although it is a not a life-threatening issue for toy breeds like Cavaliers.

- Some breeders get MRIs when the dogs are old enough, to screen forSyringomyelia.

The purpose of ANKC/ Dogs Australia is to maintain, and better, what we call the 'breed standard' of each dog type. Each one of the 180 dog breeds in Australia have an official document called a 'Breed Standard' which outlines the ideal attributes of the breed such as the body shape, formation, temperament / personality, genetic conditions, coat, colouring, etc. 

By aiming to better the breed with every litter, we are helping to eradicate horrible diseases that sit within the breeds. And from there on giving a better life to all dogs in the future.

For example, there are diseases or syndromes that Cavaliers will develop if not bred properly. These are awful and give the dog pain for their whole life. Not to mention a life of vet bills. By ensuring genetic testing and appropriate pairing, we can eventually aim to eliminate these completely. 

It's vital that your breeder is testing for genetic conditions, pairing appropriately and performing all health checks required for the breed. 

With pure-bred dogs, you know what you're getting and can have a pretty accurate assumption of the health status of the dog for the next decade of its life. 

There are several potential issues with cross breeding dogs, which is why it is strictly prohibited by ANKC/ Dogs Australia. There are issues such as:

- With pedigree dogs you have decades or hundreds of years worth of strict-breeding protocols and pedigrees which ensure you know what you're getting, health-wise (hopefully!), for the life of the dog. 

- Genetic testing can be done on both Dam (mother) and Sire (father) to guarantee what genetic illness status (clear of being affected by genetic conditions hopefully!) of the pups in the litter. When you're mixing different breeds you don't know what genes are reacting with what genes in the other breed.

- It can be a completely mixed bag. It can be pot luck whether the fur or coat will be high-shedding, long, short, hypoallergenic, etc. 

- Cross-breed breeders aren't affiliated with ANKC/ Dogs Australia (as it's strictly prohibited) so you would need to do some in-depth homework to make sure that breeding practises are ethical and controlled.

By getting a pure-bred dog from a reputable registered breeder with ANKC/ Dogs Australia you are endorsing the breed, promoting ethical breeding practises, and sustainability of the breed standard and health of future generations of dogs.

Unlike a lot of breeds, there isn't a huge amount of difference between girls and boys.

As a general rule of thumb, and in our experience with our lines, we find that

- Males are a little calmer, a little less frantic, and a little less clingy. They can be a little more confident and won't hesitate to walk you to the cupboard to let you know they're ready for a treat.

- Females can be a little more clingy and may like to invite themselves into your bed or onto your lap on the couch. They wont want to leave your side.

Please note that males with cock their leg and mark their territory a bit in new environments and especially until they are desexed (and then occasionally after).

Females will get their 'period' every 6-7 months and bleed from their vulva several times a day for a week or so. This is perfectly natural and will also quieten down once desexed.

Yes, occasionally we have older dogs that need rehoming. Occasionally these are ours, and sometimes from homes who's circumstances have changed.

Please feel free to enquire by filling in the application form and selecting the 'older dog' option. We may not get back to you right away, but as soon as we have or hear of an older dog who needs a new home, we will review all of the applications and be in contact if we think you're a good fit for the particular dog.

The fees are usually nominal and are lower the older the dog is.

Generally speaking:

Search DogzOnline for ANKC / Registered registered breeders of your chosen breed. DogzOnline only lists registered breeders. 

Do some research on the kennel (search the kennel name in dog groups on Facebook, check if there are testimonials online, check out the breeder's website) and get a feel for breeders you feel you could get along with.

Remember getting a dog is a 10 year commitment (if not longer) and your relationship with the breeder can last this long. We are at a point where we are consistently sending pups to homes we sent a Cavalier to over a decade ago.

Email the breeder, or submit an application, and wait to hear back. Follow up if you are waiting for a reply. The breeder may let you know the time frame if your application is successful with them. An unsuccessful application may simply mean that the breeder is not the best fit for you at this time. You could try other breeders, or ask for a referral or recommendation for another breeder, ask why the application was unsuccessful, or try another time. Sometimes it can just depend on timing of litters and nothing else!

When the pup is born you will generally be notified and assigned a pup, and are welcome to pick it up at age anywhere from 8-16 weeks depending on how much training and socialisation is needed. 

Payment: generally the breeder will ask you to make a payment of a deposit when the puppy is born, and then the balance on pickup, either by cash or transfer.

You need to ensure you have thoroughly vetted your breeder to ensure they are legitimate breeders, reputable, and real (not overseas scammers!). 

You will receive what we call a puppy pack when you pick up the puppy.

Generally we don't give beds, bowls and carriers - as the homes like to pick these out, but we are more than happy to if you request!

You will receive some food, some printed information, a buyers contract to sign, and a few bits and pieces. 

Most people like to bring someone with them at pickup and they generally end up cuddling the puppy on the way home. But otherwise we recommend bringing their crate they will use, or a pet carrier you can use when transporting the dog. 

We also commonly send our dogs all around Australia via pet transport vans or flights which offer door to door services. There are hundreds of these companies (ask us for recommendations of reputable ones!) in Australia and they generally offer door to door pickup and drop off of the pup. We are located in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. 

We recommend the following:

- A few beds around the place (maybe on in the lounge, one in the bedroom).

- A crate for crate training at night if you proceed this training this way.

- A seat belt/ harness or crate for moving your dog. Although you can't travel with your dog until they've received their second vaccination at around 12-16 weeks, you'll want to show off your new family member, and you'll want to take your Cavalier with you more than you think!

- Food (we use the brand Xp3020 which is available at PetStock or online. A pup will only eat around 1/2 cup a day so a 5kg bag will last a month or two.

- Pet insurance if you decide it's worth it for the cost. Most major insurers have a dog option. Run the numbers for yourself to decide. 

- Food/ water bowl. 

- Puppy training pads for toilet training. 

- Epiotic, an ear treatment that is available at Pet Stock. 

- Nail clippers. Leash and collar (harnesses are popular for walking).

- Wire pen for supervised play time.

- A wifi camera (you can pick these up for around $29 at Kmart these days).

- Treats for training (the pet shop or puppy school can advise).

- Grooming brush (from pet shop).

- Toys (although don't go too crazy yet because Cavaliers can be highly strung and are very picky about toys they like! They will either leave them dead in a ditch or be obsessed for hours on end. For some reason Cavaliers LOVE cardboard toilet rolls and paper towel rolls and pieces of cardboard! Go figure! 

- Puppy shampoo. We recommend maybe an Oatmeal one or a natural one (try the Dermcare Aloveen Oatmeal Shampoo and Conditioner from Pet Stock!). Although you should hardly ever need to bathe them (and be careful because you can upset the pH balance in the skin and coat, dry it out, etc) you may like to do it from a young age so that they get used to it. Especially if you're thinking of showing the dog later on. 

- Flea and worming (heart and intestinal) treatment (and tick, depending on your location). Your breeder will advise the best. We generally use Bayer's Drontal. We don't recommend using preventative flea treatment until you notice fleas. Especially if you don't have other dogs around or socialise with other dogs much. Dogs can go their whole lives with never having had fleas. In Vic where we are located you don't often come across ticks so this information is location specific. Same with heart worms.

We understand that dogs are a 10-15 year commitment and we are here for the long haul! 

As mentioned, we consistently have homes coming back to us after a decade or so requesting another dog. 

This is validation to us that our dogs are sound of quality and our support practises are second best to none. 

You are welcome to email us any time with as many questions as you like. 

Although, we generally find that a home may have a million questions before picking up the dog, but none after - Cavaliers settle flawlessly into your way of life and want one thing  - to be your companion. It is their greatest joy.

It is a long and tedious process to become a proper registered breeder with ANKC / Dogs Australia, let alone a reputable one, where the process is often several years long. You have most likely decided to dedicate your life to the breed.

There is one reason to become a breeder; to better the breed. Any other reason is unacceptable. Being a registered breeder is not a profitable exercise and many/ most registered breeders work a day job to support the breeding/ showing. You generally have to outlay tens of thousands to be set up and trained properly, which is partly why it can take several years. 

The only dogs that can be bred according to ANKC/ Dogs Australia code of conduct are dogs with a 'Main Register' pedigree paper. These are papers that contain information such as the family tree, breeder, owner and registration numbers. These papers are used to ensure correct pairings between dogs. A breeder must be willing to sell you a dog with Main Register papers. The new breeder, litter, and dog must be screened to ensure it is fit for breeding and Main Register pedigree. 

Generally speaking the process is:

- Starting with an interest in the breed itself, joining ANKC/ Dogs Australia and state clubs as a paid financial member, and attending dog shows to learn about the breed.

- Finding a breeder mentor, someone in the breed who can show you the ropes and who you get on well with. Sitting out the waiting period (a year or so depending on your state). Passing the breeder's exam.

- Obtaining your prefix (kennel name) and Main Register (breeding dog pedigree papers) dogs from a breeder who is preferably investing their time and knowledge (mentorship) in you.

- Perhaps showing your dog to learn what attributes are favourable in the breed from different judges and expert's perspectives.

- Sticking to the conduct and ethics on dog breeding which a lengthy guideline document which outlines conduct such as (but not limited to):

- Paperwork and registration requirements for breeder, vet agreements, dogs and pupsHousing and environment requirements for the dogs Minimum/ maximum ages for breeding (different depending on the breed)

- Maximum amounts of litter per dogs

- Whelping requirements etc 

- Refund and sales policies for sales, etc

If you are interested in finding out more about breeding or showing and think we can assist you, please reach out to us via email.

A Guardian Home is a home who adopts a dog from a breeder. 

The dog returns for breeding 3-5 times (situation dependent). 

The breeding cycle takes a few weeks each time it is returned. After these matings, at a few years of age, the dog is theirs to keep.

A breeder needs a certain number of dogs to keep diversity in the lines. 

However, due to council regulations or home spacial requirements, we can only have usually a few located at the household. 

The purpose of breeding is to improve the breed. Any other reason is wrong. 

To improve the breed we should only be keeping the best pup from the
litter to breed. Sometimes there isn’t even any great pups from the
litter, and in this case none should be kept. 

Remaining pups should be sold as pets for homes with Limited Pedigree Papers. 

As a breeder, sometimes we have lineage that we have spent years tracking
down and we want to preserve that line. For example, we waited 4 years
for our current boy from a breeder friend. To this effect we need to
breed him with one of our girls. However, due to council regulations we are only allowed 2 dogs on our property. This is where a Guardian Home
comes in. 

A Guardian Home is beneficial to the breeder because we are able to preserve and use the lines still. 

Generally we would pick the best pup from each litter to use for breeding (if there are any outstanding ones) and the rest, if there are any remaining, would be sold to pet homes. Breeding is not a profitable exercise and the purpose of selling any remainders would be to attempt to recoup the costs of breeding. Remember that a stud fee alone can be several thousands of dollars per litter, as well as medical costs which can be several thousand per litter too. 

1. The dog is sent to a Guardian Home

2. The owners check the dog at 6 months to see if the dog is bleeding (like a period).

3. 6-7 months after that the dog will bleed for the second time. The day
that the bleeding starts, the dog needs to come back to the breeder for some blood tests to measure where in the heat cycle the dog is.

4. The dog is taken back by the breeder for a week to get successful matings.

5. For the duration of the pregnancy, the dog is returned to the breeder,
or remains with the Guardian Home (case dependent). Gestation (pregnancy period) is 63 days.The dog gives birth.

6. The dog stays with the pups for 8-10 weeks.

7. The best pup from the litter is kept by the breeder and if there are
any remaining they are placed with breeder friends or sold to pet homes. Generally this is not a profit making exercise and remaining pups
(notoriously small litters, often of one pup) are sold in an attempt to
recoup breeding costs).

8. The dog is returned to the Guardian Home.

9. The dog will return for another breeding in 6-7 months a further 2-4 times (case dependent). But no more than twice in 18 months. In this case they will miss the heat cycle and wait for the next.

10. After the breeding program is done (3-5 litters, case dependent) the home keeps the dog.

The gene pool for Cavaliers in Australia is quite small. Cavaliers have been seen in royal portraits for a few hundred years - but only came to prominence in Australia less than 100 years ago. 

The first ANKC recognised Cavalier was imported into Australia last century.

This means that to get variance in your lines you need a wide variety of unrelated dogs. 

The purpose of breeding is to improve there breed, so to this effect variance and diversity is paramount from the ground up.

From a litter you may choose the best dog and breed that.

And then 2 years later choose the best one and breed that onward. And so on and so forth until you have acquired several dogs over a decade or so.

A pedigree document (a sort of birth certificate for dogs) has a family tree on it. 

Seeing as the gene pool is so small in Australia it can take a very long time, a lot of money, and a lot of networking to find a second dog that is completely unrelated to yours. 

Generally unrelated dogs are preferable unless you’re doing a specific type of breeding called Line Breeding. 

As breeders waiting for top and quality stock (best of the litter has to match a number of conditions), we can wait several years for a good
quality dog. So they take a long time to build up, and then they
compound as they are bred and eventually you’ll get the dogs you require for a quality breeding program. 

1. The guardian home keeps an eye on the bleeding, once daily from 5 months old to check when the dog has come into heat (and is therefore ready to be mated).

2. Keep open communication with the Breeder.

3. Will house, feed, and cover any expenses arising in the dog, the way that they would in any other circumstance.

4. Will desex the dog after the breeding program ends.

1. The breeder will provide the dog for the Guardian Home. 

2. The breeder will let the home know when approximately to expect bleeding and the dog to come into heat.

3. Will carry out the breeding process.

4. Will pay for all breeding expenses.

5. Will keep open communication with the home.Will forfeit the dog after the 3-5 litters (case dependant) to the home.

1. Both breeder and home fail to openly and effectively communicate.

2. When boundaries are not kept reasonable (both sides).

3. If the breeder fails to remind the home to check for bleeding.

4. If the home forgets to report the bleeding.

5. If the home or the breeder isn’t returning correspondence.

Both parties sign an agreement which dictates the specific terms, however, normally this is grounds for repossession. 

The Guardian Home should essentially adopt the dog like any other circumstance.

Sometimes there is an adoption fee; it's determined on a case by case basis.

The Guardian Home should be prepared to pay for general food, vet and housing bills.

The Breeder will pay for any breeding costs.