Alfie - It's a Dogs Life

Life before Alfie...............

Just a little bit of background so you will understand how and why Alfie came into our lives.

Before adopting Alfie, we were proud to be owned by a miniature Dachshund named Oscar. He came to us aged 9 months from the RSPCA and gave us nearly 13 years of joy. Although he got on well with nearly everyone and nearly every dog he met, when I first took him to dog training classes he barked at the German Shepherd's so much that we ended up being put in a cupboard for our own safety.

When Oscar went over the rainbow bridge in December 2007 he left such an empty space in our hearts and lives, we didn't think we would ever be able to think about looking for another dog to share our home with.

Over the next couple of years although we were not actively looking for a new dog, we were regular viewers of TV programmes about dogs and their training. Then in June 2010 we starting watching a series of programmes about the different breeds of dogs, as the presenter was pointing out the good and not so good things about the breeds, we found ourselves saying "Yes" or "No" to the suitability as a breed for us. It was during one of these episodes that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed was featured. We found ourselves saying "Yes" to most of the characteristics such as energy levels, grooming requirements and most of all temperament. Here was a breed that was supposed to get on well with both children and other animals, both of which were high priority for us as we love nothing more than going for long walks in the countryside with our dog at our side infact being able to take our dog with us everywhere was important.

I found myself getting more and more excited about this breed and for the first time since Oscar's passing began to feel the longing for a new companion. I did a lot of research on the Internet and purchased a couple of good books about the Cavaliers, then there was just the not so small matter of getting my husband as excited about getting a new dog.......