~ Why it makes sense to purchase your pet puppy from a serious "show" breeder ~

Serious hobby breeders are those people whose life effort is spent endeavoring to produce superior animals. At Orchard Hill we believe that legitimate hobby breeders deserve the respect of their peers and also of the pet-buying public because it is though the significant efforts of conscientious breeders those positive changes can be made in any breed.

As serious breeders we are intimately familiar with the responsibilities breeding healthy, well-adjusted animals. Before being considered worthy of reproducing, an Orchard Hill Cavalier must first be found to be free and clear from at least the most common health problems found in the breed: all of our dogs have their hearts, eyes and patellae cleared by appropriate veterinary specialists.

 The majority of our Cavaliers are shown to their championships, an exercise which demonstrates recognition by our peers deeming our dogs to be good representatives of the Breed.

We nurture our puppies carefully; babies are whelped in our bedroom and handled throughout the day for early socialization. As soon as they are old enough they are carried outdoors several times a day, with such trips increasing as the puppies grow. These early lessons provide exposure to the world and also help with the puppies' eventual house training.  

Once the puppies are eight weeks old we begin to assess them for type, temperament and construction. (The term "type" refers to the fact that a given animal looks like his Breed Standard describes.)

Sometimes a youngster just does not fulfill his early promise: the puppy may be marked too lightly or too heavily. Maybe his teeth are not exactly straight. Perhaps he has grown too big, remained small or developed in any number of ways which make him less apt to succeed easily in the show ring. Although many Orchard Hill pets might well be classified as "show puppies," we prefer to place these puppies as gorgeous pets in loving "forever" homes.

Every puppy whelped at Orchard Hill receives excellent nutrition, loving care and strict attention to detail. All of our babies are produced from health-tested parents, more than likely champions themselves. As a result our pet puppies have a better chance of becoming successful, healthy pets than an animal which has been haphazardly produced by a back-yard breeder or "production" breeder.

Although we are breeding essentially to produce show animals for ourselves, the majority of our puppies will eventually be carefully matched with loving pet homes. Part of our joy as breeders is to see these puppies succeed in their new homes, thereby reflecting well on their parents and on ourselves as breeders.  

 Nothing is accomplished in life without great effort. The Cavaliers of Orchard Hill represent endless effort to create animals of which we can all be proud.

Healthy, happy pet puppies or young adults are placed judiciously in appropriate pet homes. We make every effort to match each puppy to the home that best suits his individual personality.  In this way we hope to satisfy our pet buyers and provide our puppies with the homes they deserve.  We will remain available for support and guidance throughout the dog’s life.    

Later to become Ch Bramble Katie at Orchard Hill and dam of four Champions !

In order to maintain an intimate relationship with our dogs we choose to keep our numbers small. Consequently we will not always have puppies available. Waiting for just the right puppy is certainly an option, but when waiting does not appeal to a prospective buyer we will gladly refer them to other equally responsible, concientious breeders.

Click here for our thoughts on Housetraining Your Puppy .  

Click here for our Grooming tips Grooming Your Pet Cavalier .