First of all when looking for a healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy do not buy a dog on impulse. There are a lot of puppies displayed on websites and in pet stores. This is the WORST place to buy any kind of dog. You might find a cheaper dog but you will pay dearly in the long run if you end up with a dog that develops one of the diseases listed under Cavalier Health Issues. It only takes a few seconds to fall in love with a puppy so imagine how heartbroken you would be if that puppy developed severe debiltating heart disease at the young age of two because the breeder turned out to own a puppy mill or didn't take due precuations to prevent inherited diseases. Please understand that respectable breeders do not ever sell their dogs to a pet store. If you buy a puppy from a pet store you may unwittingly be supporting a puppy mill and dooming a poor bitch to a life in an enlosed pen whose sole purpose in the world is to produce puppies for their owner. Puppy mill dogs are used, abused and discarded when they are too old to reproduce.
The best place to buy your Cavalier puppy is from a reputable breeder. These breeders are found easily by going to the Cavalier Club websites. You can expect to pay between $1500 and $3000 for a pet Cavalier King Charles spaniel puppy. The best breeders also show their dogs in conformation classes. These breeders will be able to answer any question that you have about your puppy and will be very skilled at matching you with the right puppy. You can expect to answer a lot of personal questions and it may seem a little daunting but good breeders make sure their dogs go to safe and healthy homes where their dogs will be loved unconditionally. The fear of all good breeders is that one of their beloved puppies would end up as a breeder dog in a puppy mill. Because these dogs are so precious and dear you can expect the breeders to be somewhat protective of them.
When you find a breeder that you trust you may need to wait until a puppy is available. Often there is a waiting list and a deposit will be requested to hold a puppy even before the litter is born.
Do not be afraid to ask to see health clearance records for the parents of your puppy. They should be readily available and there should be no excuses for not producing them. There should be an OFA for Hips, an OFA for patellas, an OFA for cardiac health and a CERF eye exam. Generally, once all four exams are done and reported then a CHIC number will be issued. This is the Canine Health Information Center website and there is a searchable database for heath information. If the dog has a CHIC number you can go to the website and type in the dogs name, AKC number or CHIC number and see the related health information for the dog and related dogs such as siblings and offspring. This is a valuable and often overlooked tool that can be used for selecting breeding stock. The caveat for this database is that not all dog information is reported, some abnormal results are withheld and pet dogs don't usually have these exams done. Still, even with the limitations, it is a useful tool.
All breeders should provide you with continued support throughout the life of your dog. Most breeders will take the dog back, no questions asked if a situation arises that you cannot keep or care for the dog. We would rather take the dog back than have it end up at the pound.