If you have been looking for a Cavalier these days, you know that there has been a real run on them. Top Meadow has never had so many inquiries, and our friends in the Cavalier world tell us the same thing. All dogs, it seems, are in high demand now, but Cavaliers always are, even when people don’t suddenly find themselves in a brand-new situation of crisis-driven stress, working from home, and kids climbing the walls.
Perfect time to get a dog, right? Especially one famous for its affection!
The answer is not a clear, “Yes.”
Let’s take these three circumstances one at a time.
First, stress. We actually recommend Cavaliers for stress and anxiety, and they are among the top choices for therapy dogs. Few things help unwind at the end of the day like a half-hour holding a Cav in your lap while reclined in your recliner. Blood pressure down, serotonin up! (And no hangover the next day.) That said, if the stress you're feeling is from a fluid employment situation, for example, then you need to ask yourself if you have the stability in your life and home that a new puppy needs so that he or she feels settled and welcome.
If you work from home, your Cavalier will love you. In fact, we do not place our puppies in homes that are vacant from 9 to 5. The question to ask is, “Is my new work-from-home arrangement truly a permanent one?” Many companies were saying about a month ago how great work-from-home is. Economic forecasters were predicting the death of office real estate. Well, the pendulum seems to be swinging back a little with major business journals running articles identifying as problems a fraying of unit cohesion and a decreasing of productivity, now that the work-from-home adrenaline is not flowing quite so fast. Before the pandemic, did you work from home? Is your new situation permanent? No one really knows what the next dozen years will bring, but that’s about the lifespan of your new Cavalier. He or she wants to spend it with you. (Side note: we’ve placed Cavaliers with people who take them to work each day. Chris brings one of ours in often. We love these kinds of offices!)
Kids at home? Hooray! Chris is always saying, “The worst thing you can do to children is make them sit at a desk for six hours!” We are huge fans of young children’s having pets. Our four sons did (Obviously!) Cavaliers give love, join in adventures and tea-parties (well, we’ve seen pictures, anyway), understand kids when no one else does, and sleep on their pillows (if that’s what you want). Some questions to ask: Did your little ones want a puppy before the pandemic? Are your hands full as it is in your new role as a homeschooling parent?
There are many more questions to ask, but they boil down to this: If you wanted a Cavalier before lockdown, then for sure, keep looking till you find your new best friend. Maybe we can help! If the current crisis has made you think that you suddenly want a Cavalier, please give it some thought. The world will start spinning again—at least we think it will! When it does, will a Cavalier fit into your life?