His Faithful Cougar Girlfriend

Parker Wakes Up

Meeting Parker

On December 18, 2009, we packed up Parker’s pet carrier and toys and headed for Oklahoma. My husband and I were like two kids anticipating meeting him. He was in Reita’s arms as we pulled up the gravel driveway. We found he was exactly as Reita had described. He had a soft, smooth Ruby coat, warm brown eyes and a spunky, playful attitude. He liked attention from everyone. However, when he calmed down, he went immediately to Reita, who held him in her arms. He continued to look up at her lovingly as she talked to us. We knew that she had taken very good care of our puppy.  And, we would continue to do the same.

Preparing for Parker

Having never owned a puppy, we took our preparation very seriously. We read a ton of blogs, online websites and books, all of which recommended products. 

Below are a few puppy products that Parker likes:

1. Nature’s Best natural puppy dog food (we found he is allergic to corn and corn syrup)(www.PetSmart.com)
2. Prime Bites natural freeze dried dog treats (www.PetSmart.com)
3. WallyBed pet beds (www.wallybed.com)
4. SturdiBag Bordeaux Pet Carrier (for air travel)(www.PetSmart.com)
5. Petmate Kennel (up to 16” tall and 22” long)(for car travel)(www.PetSmart.com)
6. Iris Pet Pen Commercial Grade (63”W x 63”D x 34 ¼”H)(www.Dog.com)
7. E-Z dog vanilla-flavored pet toothpaste (www.PetSmart.com)
8. Waterless Bath No Rinse Shampoo (www.PetSmart.com)
9. Earthbath Hot Spot & Itch Relief (www.PetSmart.com)
10. Top Paw dog brush (www.PetSmart.com)
11. DermaLyte hypo-allergenic shampoo (www.PetSmart.com)
12. And, toys, toys, toys

And, here are a few blogs/resources that helped us.

• http://toby-time.blogspot.com
• http://mycavalierspaniel.com
• http://cavalierpuppiesblog.com 
• http://momo-cavalier.blogspot.com/
• And, I watched all of the videos posted on YouTube on Winston the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Elizabeth Taylor

Okay, have to admit – I was first introduced to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel when watching “Sex in the City.”  Elizabeth Taylor’s sweet nature, confident trot and expressive brown eyes made a big impression.  I read books and went online to learn all that I could about this special breed.

My husband and I work a lot, so while we knew we wanted a dog, we didn’t feel it was right to leave him/her at home for hours alone.  With the advent (and acceptance) of affordable doggy day care, the door opened and we were able to adopt. 

To be honest, we had never been around Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  So, we called a breeder – who specialized specifically in Rubies – and traveled one hour outside of the city to meet 10 adult and six female Cavalier puppies.  I wish I would have taken video of our meeting.  My husband sat down to pet the dogs, when all 10 converged in his lap, tails wagging and tongues panting.  It was at this point, we knew we had to adopt a Ruby boy.  According to the breeder, a girl Cavalier “loves you.” But, a boy Cavalier “falls in love with you.”