allie181

Thanks SecretKei, that's good advice. I hadn't thought of that.

Thanks Waffle, I appreciate the insight. Although I am sorry to hear about your dog's troubles. I hope he gets the all clear after treatment.

Thanks Deelee. Yes, I did a search. That's how I've narrowed down my options. I wanted one that offered 100% cover and many of them only offer 80%. I also wanted about a $250 excess because if (god forbid) he gets struck down with 2 or more unrelated illnesses in one year, I didn't want to have to pay $1000+ in excesses. I guess my only question is whether an $8000pa limit is enough, and previous posts didn't really seem to cover that. (I was lucky with my rottie, she never had any expensive medical problems so I have no idea what it can cost if things do go wrong).

My baby boy (an 11 week old Cavalier King Charles) comes home in 1 week and I'm busy getting everything ready. The last thing on my list is pet insurance. I've narrowed down my pet insurance (sickness & accident, 100% cover) options to the following: 1. Bow Wow - $25p/m, $250 excess, $8000 annual limit 2. Pet Secure - $24.60p/m, $300 excess, $11,000 annual limit [although once the dog is 5, this policy only covers 80% of illness costs] 3. 1300Insurance, $29.55p/m, $250 excess, $15,000 annual limit I'm leaning towards the Bow Wow cover but am concerned the $8000 limit seems low when compared to the other policies. Would $8000 cover be enough? Also, has anyone had any bad experiences with Bow Wow? Thanks in advance

OK, thanks Gretel

Thanks Gretel, that's all very useful. Regarding the crate / carrier, I've never had a small dog so have never had to train a puppy inside before. I've read about needing to 'crate' them. Can I use the carrier as a crate? I had the image in my head that the crate had to be a metal crate.

I'm intending to get a Cavalier puppy next month. I am terrible at estimating sizes so am looking for guidance from experienced Cav owners when it comes to buying the essentials. (I remember when I bought a coat online for my rotweiller it was big enough for a horse lol). Allowing for the puppy to grow to adult size, what size should I look for when I buy: (1) carrier (I'll be buying on of the airline approved ones) - should I get small or medium? (2) collar (3) harness for walks (4) bed (do they like curling up in a ball and prefer a snug bed or do they like to stretch out?) (5) bowls (I learnt from my mum's Persian cats that this is important - their flat faces required shallow, wide brimmed bowls) (6) crate Thanks

Thanks everyone for sharing your opinions and experience. I think I will go with the majority and try and find a low energy Cav. Oooh, I can't wait.

I've always had rotties. I absolutely adore that breed but now live in a unit with a small backyard so am looking for a smaller dog this time. I think I've narrowed it down to a Cocker and a Cavalier. The pup will live inside. It will have lots of toys during the day to play with when I am at work (from approx 8am-5pm). It will get a big walk every evening and lots of attention in the evenings and weekends. I'd prefer a pup that doesn't require regular clipping of its coat. From what I've read both breeds seem fairly similar, but is one better suited to my needs than the other? (I know it is better to have 2 pups to keep each other company but I can't have 2 pups unfortunately). Thanks in advance for any comments. Allie