Who We Are
At Arkansas Cavaliers, we are focused on providing quality and healthy puppies with the highest levels of customer satisfaction – we will do everything we can to meet your expectations.
With a variety of colors to choose from, we’re sure you’ll be happy working with us. Look around our website and if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us. We hope to her from you! Check back later for new updates to our website. There’s much more to come!
Why Us?
My love of this breed started when I broke my arm in 2018. After 7 weeks in a cast it was worse than before ...I probably did too much. I had to have surgery to add a plate and I developed CRPS and for those who don't know what that is it is a burning curve pain and on the pain scale index is a 42 out of 50. It's above childbirth! It went on for months. I love my labs, but I couldn't even hold a week old puppy. So that started the research find a small dog that wouldn't bother my husband. So I started seaching "Quiet small breed Dogs:They are #2, "Best small companion dog" #2, "Best first time small family dogs" #2, "Easiest dogs to own" that's all dogs, labs being #1 and Cavaliers #7. "Small dogs that love everyone" #4....seeing a pattern here? So I decided that was it and found my sweet boy Oliver.
This guy helped me through some hard times. What I didn't see in my research was how smart they were! There isn't a lot of upkeep with them except their ears they do need brushing so it does not tangle and I cut the hair between their toes on the pads of their feet. Also what was hard to find was dogs with genetic testing.
*Dry Eye Curly Coat Syndrome (CKCSID) is a genetic disorder that affects the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. Symptoms of the disease can be seen at birth and includes abnormal hair, eye and nail development. The dog’s coat will appear curly and rough and a severe reduction in the amount of tears will be observed. The dog’s skin and footpads can appear thickened also known as hyperkeratinization and there is an increased risk for dental disease. CKCSID may also be referred to as Congenital Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or Ichthyosiform Dermatosis.
*Episodic Falling (EF) is a neurological disorder that affects the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. Typically, symptoms are observed starting at approximately 14 weeks to 4 years of age but have been observed in younger and older dogs. Symptoms can range from occasional falling to freezing or seizure-like episodes that can last from minutes to hours. The episode severity can vary as the dog ages and the attacks appear to have no standard pattern. Symptoms are typically triggered by excitement, exercise or stress and are observed as an increase in muscle tone or stiffness in the dog’s limbs which can cause the dog to collapse during an episode. The disease can also be referred to as Exercise-Induced Paroxysmal Hypertonicity, Falling Cavaliers and Collapsing Cavalier Syndrome.
*Heart murmurs_They are prone to this and should be checked yearly.
*Luxating patellas -- loose knee caps. The disorder is believed to affect as many as 20% of cavaliers. The patella is the dog's knee cap. It should be located in its groove in the center of the stifle (knee joint) of the femur (upper leg bone). A luxating patella is a knee cap that moves out of its groove. It also may be called a floating kneecap. Genetic conditions which cause patellar luxation are a shallow groove, weak ligaments, and misalignment of the muscles and ligaments between the femur, patella, and tibia (lower leg bone).
In some cases of this disorder, there are no symptoms and therefore pose no physical problem. These cases are called "occult" conditions. In others, the symptoms are apparent. These cases are referred to as "clinical". In these clinical cases, if the condition is not corrected, it may degenerate: the patella's ridges will wear, its groove will become shallower, and the cavalier will become progressively more lame.
I test for all these things. I can 100% guarantee any one of my puppies with never suffer from EF and CKCSID. I also have OFA testing for Heart murmurs and patellar luxation. All my dogs are good and is in the genetics it can't be 100% foolproof offspring will not have this as an adult. Those things will be checked out when they are puppies.
Since I'm new to breeding Cavaliers I can't send you to places to ready my reviews but I can send you to my Arkansas Labs Facebook page to read reviews
*Dry Eye Curly Coat Syndrome (CKCSID) is a genetic disorder that affects the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. Symptoms of the disease can be seen at birth and includes abnormal hair, eye and nail development. The dog’s coat will appear curly and rough and a severe reduction in the amount of tears will be observed. The dog’s skin and footpads can appear thickened also known as hyperkeratinization and there is an increased risk for dental disease. CKCSID may also be referred to as Congenital Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or Ichthyosiform Dermatosis.
*Episodic Falling (EF) is a neurological disorder that affects the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed. Typically, symptoms are observed starting at approximately 14 weeks to 4 years of age but have been observed in younger and older dogs. Symptoms can range from occasional falling to freezing or seizure-like episodes that can last from minutes to hours. The episode severity can vary as the dog ages and the attacks appear to have no standard pattern. Symptoms are typically triggered by excitement, exercise or stress and are observed as an increase in muscle tone or stiffness in the dog’s limbs which can cause the dog to collapse during an episode. The disease can also be referred to as Exercise-Induced Paroxysmal Hypertonicity, Falling Cavaliers and Collapsing Cavalier Syndrome.
*Heart murmurs_They are prone to this and should be checked yearly.
*Luxating patellas -- loose knee caps. The disorder is believed to affect as many as 20% of cavaliers. The patella is the dog's knee cap. It should be located in its groove in the center of the stifle (knee joint) of the femur (upper leg bone). A luxating patella is a knee cap that moves out of its groove. It also may be called a floating kneecap. Genetic conditions which cause patellar luxation are a shallow groove, weak ligaments, and misalignment of the muscles and ligaments between the femur, patella, and tibia (lower leg bone).
In some cases of this disorder, there are no symptoms and therefore pose no physical problem. These cases are called "occult" conditions. In others, the symptoms are apparent. These cases are referred to as "clinical". In these clinical cases, if the condition is not corrected, it may degenerate: the patella's ridges will wear, its groove will become shallower, and the cavalier will become progressively more lame.
I test for all these things. I can 100% guarantee any one of my puppies with never suffer from EF and CKCSID. I also have OFA testing for Heart murmurs and patellar luxation. All my dogs are good and is in the genetics it can't be 100% foolproof offspring will not have this as an adult. Those things will be checked out when they are puppies.
Since I'm new to breeding Cavaliers I can't send you to places to ready my reviews but I can send you to my Arkansas Labs Facebook page to read reviews
You can also read my Arkansas Labs Google reviews. Please do so I want every puppy family to know we put everything into raising healthy happy puppies for them. I'll also add a link to my Arkansas labs website where there are pictures of my place.
One of the most important things to do when buying a puppy is to be informed. I hope this information helps.
Picking the right breeder
Make sure you find the right breeder. We often get asked why we don’t allow visits. This is not surprising given the number of “what to do when buying a dog” websites that advocate for visiting the breeder and meeting the puppy parents before purchasing a puppy or getting on a Waiting List. The problem with these sites is their priority is the buyer, not the health and safety of the puppies or the breeder. Below are the reasons we don’t allow visits. This means you can’t come visit the adult dogs or me, without also visiting our puppies and their Mom(s).
*Safety of the Puppies:
Puppy’s immune systems are very immature. Many unsuspecting visitors have brought disease (parvovirus, distemper, etc) with them when visiting puppies, the result of which could be the death of the entire litter. I personally know several breeders who have lost entire litters to parvovirus brought in by visitors.
*Stressed out Moms create stressed out puppies. A new mother is emotionally charged and in hyper-protective mode. When a stranger comes to visit, Mom(s) becomes stressed causing her body to create cortisol, which goes into the milk. The puppies consume this cortisol-rich milk and become stressed themselves.
*Panicked Moms can hurt puppies. When a stranger comes to visit a mother dog’s state of mind changes rapidly. She feels threatened and moves quickly to assess the threat. Many Moms have unintentionally stepped on or crushed a puppy in their urgency to get out of the whelping box to assess the threat. I had a momma step on 2 puppies, they had to get stitches at a few days old. One made it and one didn't. It's very heartbreaking.
*I don’t ‘own’ the puppies. Usually All the puppies are sold to families. I am simply the guardian. However, I have been entrusted with the care of these puppies for the first critical weeks of their lives. As guardian of other peoples’ dogs, I must do everything I can to protect them. If one of the puppies was yours, I’m certain you would expect me to do that for your puppy.
*Safety of my Dogs and Family:
People that email me are strangers. I don’t know anything about you other than the fact you emailed me with basic information (which may or may not be true) about yourself and your family. I am inviting you, a stranger, into my home. This creates a threat to the safety of my dogs and my family. I enjoy caring and playing with my own dogs, which is why I breed to begin with.
*We are not a petting zoo.
Some people think visiting puppies is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I will not compromise the health and safety of my puppies, my dogs, and my family so someone can snuggle with puppies. Only serious and committed buyers are worthy of that compromise. So, how can we help you have confidence we aren’t a puppy mill or a fake website asking for your $350 deposit? We are very happy to provide references of families who have our puppies as well as see our reviews on Google (Arkansas Labs) and on our Facebook Page Arkansas Labs. We thank you for your understanding that we will not compromise on the health and safety of our puppies and hope you see this as a positive quality of a reputable breeder.
I'm very active on social media and will provide weekly pictures and videos as the puppies grow, For those who have placed a deposit, you will be able to pick out your puppy at the time of pickup.
Kelli Clark
*Safety of the Puppies:
Puppy’s immune systems are very immature. Many unsuspecting visitors have brought disease (parvovirus, distemper, etc) with them when visiting puppies, the result of which could be the death of the entire litter. I personally know several breeders who have lost entire litters to parvovirus brought in by visitors.
*Stressed out Moms create stressed out puppies. A new mother is emotionally charged and in hyper-protective mode. When a stranger comes to visit, Mom(s) becomes stressed causing her body to create cortisol, which goes into the milk. The puppies consume this cortisol-rich milk and become stressed themselves.
*Panicked Moms can hurt puppies. When a stranger comes to visit a mother dog’s state of mind changes rapidly. She feels threatened and moves quickly to assess the threat. Many Moms have unintentionally stepped on or crushed a puppy in their urgency to get out of the whelping box to assess the threat. I had a momma step on 2 puppies, they had to get stitches at a few days old. One made it and one didn't. It's very heartbreaking.
*I don’t ‘own’ the puppies. Usually All the puppies are sold to families. I am simply the guardian. However, I have been entrusted with the care of these puppies for the first critical weeks of their lives. As guardian of other peoples’ dogs, I must do everything I can to protect them. If one of the puppies was yours, I’m certain you would expect me to do that for your puppy.
*Safety of my Dogs and Family:
People that email me are strangers. I don’t know anything about you other than the fact you emailed me with basic information (which may or may not be true) about yourself and your family. I am inviting you, a stranger, into my home. This creates a threat to the safety of my dogs and my family. I enjoy caring and playing with my own dogs, which is why I breed to begin with.
*We are not a petting zoo.
Some people think visiting puppies is a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I will not compromise the health and safety of my puppies, my dogs, and my family so someone can snuggle with puppies. Only serious and committed buyers are worthy of that compromise. So, how can we help you have confidence we aren’t a puppy mill or a fake website asking for your $350 deposit? We are very happy to provide references of families who have our puppies as well as see our reviews on Google (Arkansas Labs) and on our Facebook Page Arkansas Labs. We thank you for your understanding that we will not compromise on the health and safety of our puppies and hope you see this as a positive quality of a reputable breeder.
I'm very active on social media and will provide weekly pictures and videos as the puppies grow, For those who have placed a deposit, you will be able to pick out your puppy at the time of pickup.
Kelli Clark