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“Dogs,
our true friends, our angels, our teachers, our healers. They love us as
God intended, unconditionally. If we look carefully, we can learn
from them how to make the world a brighter and better place.” |
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Welcome to the
home of Grandville Cavaliers, located in the beautiful countryside of
Virginia, in a small town situated at the foothills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains. As you visit our site, we would like you to meet
our furry family, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, in all 4 colors, in
all it’s beauty.
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INTRODUCTIONS:
My husband and I, being a French American couple, spent 10 years
living in France, from 1992-2002. That is where I discovered the
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and our lives have never been the
same. ( Please visit “ Once Upon a Time..” to read the story).
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Although I have always lived with dogs, I had never seen or experienced
the beauty and love of a Cavalier. Since then, I have never been without
a Cavalier by my side, and our lives now revolve around them: dog shows,
veterinarian visits, training/handling classes, sunny walks, playtime,
cuddle, cuddle and more cuddles! |
ABOUT
THE BREED
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So what is the cavalier like? What is it
about them that made me crack?
Here is a little history to help you see:
The American Kennel Club its general appearance as follows:
“The Cavalier King Charles
is an active, graceful, well-balanced toy spaniel, very gay and free in
action; fearless and sporting in character, yet at the same time gentle
and affectionate. It is this typical gay temperament, combined with true
elegance and royal appearance which are of paramount importance in the
breed.”
The Cavalier is the largest of the Toy group, weighing between 13 and 18
pounds, and standing 12 to 13 inches at the withers, they are an ideal
size for what they are now bred for, to be a lap dog and a close
companion!
They come in four colors: Blenheim, Tricolor, Ruby and Black and
Tan...with fur that is soft and silky, with feathering on the ears, legs
and tail. Their head is striking, with a very distinctive feature,
large, round, dark, soulful eyes filled with expression!
They are excellent companions to anyone, and are especially good with
children. Gentle and affectionate, they are always looking for a lap to
cuddle in! They are often called the COMFORTER SPANIEL!
Historically these dogs became inseparable companions to the nobility,
and they are often seen in many royal portraits. England is known as the
home for the toy spaniels, mostly because of the love and dedication of
King Charles I to this breed. But his son, King Charles II, who ruled
from 1660 to 1685, was really taken with these little spaniels and was
always seen in the company of several of them. Because of his passion
for this breed, his name was thus given to them, King Charles Spaniel”.
Well, their distinctive breed qualities and noble history does fascinate
me, but why did I really crack for them? Well, look in those large round
dark soulful eyes, or hold one soft, silky cavalier in your arms and get
their licks and you will understand! They are all about LOVE!!!!
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A WHOLE
COLOR PASSION
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Gracie & Ginger
What is a whole color? The Black and Tan, and Ruby colors of a
cavalier.
Although I have all 4 colors, it seems destiny has brought me a special
love and passion for the whole colors.
Our first AKC Champion happened to be a Ruby, ( Simbab des Cava liers de
L’Ancre Bleue Marine).
Ruby
And our first female happened to be a black and tan, Savane du Clos de
la Vieille Poutre.
Savane
We are fortunate that they have given us very beautiful pups, of which
we hope to build our foundation.
Gracie, shown above, is one of their beautiful offspring I find them
extremely elegant, rich in color,
and best of all I don't have to worry about keeping the white white, as
I do with the party colors.
Even though there are 4 colors in the breed, there is only ONE breed
description of a cavalier,
and we should all strive to breed the best, always conform to that breed
standard. People often ask
me if whole colors differ in personality from the party colors, and I
say, well they shouldn’t.
However, all cavaliers will each differ a bit, they all have a unique
personality, just as humans
are all beautiful, and yet each possess their own unique personality. |
OUR
LIFE WITH CAVALIERS
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This breed thrives to be with their human family, and does NOT do well
left alone for long periods or kenneled out doors. So we have adapted,
with covers for the sofas, doggie beds around the house, and baby gates
to climb over....yes they have trained us well!
All our dogs live in our house, are well socialized, receive excellent
veterinary care, grooming, nutrition, attention, playtime
and lots of
cuddles, especially from our children, of whom I am very grateful.
They not only love on them, they also feed,
clean, train, and
participate in all the doggie chores of the family. They have also
recently began to show in Junior handling,
and are learning and having
lots of fun! |
MOVING
TO AMERICA
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In 2002, we moved to America, to Washington State, and of course brought
all the dogs on
the plane, that was an adventure!
We registered our dogs with the American kennel Club ( AKC), and the
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, USA ( CKCSC,USA), and became members
of its western regional club, Cavaliers of the West
( COTW), and of Cavaliers Of Puget Sound (COPS).
We love to show our dogs in
conformation, and have found this to be a very rewarding hobby, which
continually allows
us to see beautiful Cavaliers from all over the US,
to see what is going on in the breed, and to meet people who
share the
same goals; to love protect and enhance the breed. |
MOVING
TO VIRGINIA
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In September of 2005 we were transferred to Virginia and. we drove a
camper full of dogs 5 days across the US to reach our destination., That
was probably an even greater adventure than the plane to America!. Try
walking 9 dogs on leashes
at each rest stop for 5 days, oh my! We now
have joined the CKCSC, USA., Inc. regional clubs of this area,
COS (
Cavaliers of the South), and the CNE ( Cavaliers of the North East), and
we are excited to show in both regions. |
ADOPTING A FAMILY
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Yes, personality is important, especially when considering a family for
our baby to adopt. It is truly an adoption process,
and many things are
to be considered. Please visit our puppy page to learn more about the
adoption process. |
THANKS
In closing, we are grateful to all the breeders in Europe who have
entrusted us with quality Cavaliers , and who have been there with
advice, ready to answer any questions. Special thanks to Lamslag
kennels, Woodville Kennels, and Charles Crown kennels.
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COME BACK SOON !
Thank you for visiting with us, and we hope that you will come again and
see what is new at Grandville Cavaliers. |
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“...now these three things
remain: faith, hope,
and love.
But the greatest of these is love.”
I Cor.13
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