Our Beginning

My Christmas present from my husband in 1981 was a Tri-color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel female puppy that we named “Mary”. She was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Martin Manger, long-time breeders of show quality  Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Papillons. This was the beginning of our love for Cavaliers.

Mary was shown as an 18 month old puppy at the CKCSC of the South Specialty in Atlanta that next autumn and won everything that a female could win except Best in Show. The male got that and she was Best Opposite Sex to BIS as well as Winners Bitch, Best Puppy, Best Tri, etc. Below is a photo of her with her prizes, trophies and ribbons from that day.

Later, when she was older, I painted her portrait in oils. Here is a photo of it. Mary was a wonderful dog, very smart and alert. She was a superb mother and her offspring were always better than either herself or their sire. 

Mary actually sat for her portrait. This painting was done from life and not from a photo. She seemed to know what I wanted and posed regally while I painted her on canvas.

Cavaliers are amazing dogs, wonderful companions and superb family pets. Each has their own personality, while all are sweet and affectionate. Mary lived 13+ years and was dearly loved.

Over the years, we have had many Cavaliers and numerous fond memories of our beloved dogs. This is the only breed for us— Cavaliers spoil you for any other breed. Nothing can compare to a CKCS.