Blacklash Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Hi, I'm Erica D.
Welcome to Blacklash Cavalier King Charles Spaniels! We breed Cavaliers for temperament, good health and for the ongoing improvement of the breed. Our foundation dogs at Blacklash were carefully selected to ensure healthy bloodlines. We follow international best practice health protocols and our breeding dogs are screened and cleared by Veterinary specialists for hereditary heart and eye diseases. All our dogs are raised in our family home to be both confident and well-adjusted, whether they are destined for a performance career or a pet home. We also compete with our dogs in the conformation ring at both all breeds and specialty shows in Tasmania and interstate.
Vet Approved Criteria
Last checked on 23 September 2020
Every breeder on RightPaw has agreed to our vet-approved RightPaw Code of Ethics, and passed an interview from one of our team.
- Breeding & Welfare
- Health Practices
- Home Environment
- Documentation
- Feeding
- Physical Condition
Our Breeding Practices
Behaviour and socialisation
We are proud ambassadors and partners of the Puppy Culture programme, and raise, train and socialise our puppies with their protocols. This includes early socialisation; teaching puppies to enjoy learning through games, exercises and problem solving; and basic training including sitting, loose-lead walking, recall, car travel, toilet training, crate training and teaching puppies to be calm and happy when left alone.
Health
The most important actions we can take for the health of our puppies start well before they are born! All of our breeding dogs hold clearances by Veterinary Specialists for hereditary heart and eye diseases, and hold certificates for DNA testing of Episodic Falling (EF) and Curly Coat/Dry Eye (CC/DE). Our dogs have their hearts tested and cleared annually by a Specialist Veterinary Cardiologist, and are also checked and cleared for…
Home environment
We raise our puppies and live with our adult dogs in our home and they are an important part of our family life. Our puppies are raised to be confident and well adjusted - regardless of a future role as a show or performance dog, or as a companion pet. It's important to us that we raise happy, healthy Cavaliers who live a long life - the kinds of Cavaliers that we like to live with.
Included with our puppies
Puppy Culture film (choice of DVD or access to streaming Video On Demand); Clicker; Puppy Culture Exercise booklet; Crate; Crate mat & blanket; Puppy passport; Socialisation checklist; Collar & lead; Kong; Soft toy; Treats; Premium food (frozen or dehydrated raw food, depending on travel arrangements); Snood; A cuddly toy from the weaning pen with smells of mum & littermates; Puppy's first ID collar; Folder of documents (pedigree, microchip…
Health Tests
Core Tests(1/1)
Blacklash Cavalier King Charles Spaniels conducts 1 out of 1 core health tests which RightPaw believe are most important to conduct for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Heart Certificate
Physical Test
A heart certificate means the breeder has had their breeding dogs examined to confirm they are not…

Additional Tests
Blacklash Cavalier King Charles Spaniels conducts 4 additional tests available for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Genetic Test
Congenital Dry Eye is a genetic cause of severe eye problems in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies. This disease is linked to Curly Coat Syndrome. Congenital Dry Eye is different from Acquired Dry Eye, which is a less severe eye disease that can develop in older dogs of many breeds. There is a DNA test available to identify if breeding Cavaliers are carrying Congenital Dry Eye or Curly Coat.
Genetic Test
This is a genetic condition affecting Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that causes severe skin, nail and eye issues, as well as making the usually long smooth coat tight and curly. Curly Coat is linked to Congenital Dry Eye disease. There is a DNA test available to identify if breeding Cavaliers are carrying Congenital Dry Eye or Curly Coat.
Genetic Test
This is a genetic neurological condition affecting Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. It causes sudden stiffening of the legs, often causing the dog to fall over and be unable to move. There is a DNA test available to indicate if a breeding dog is carrying this disease. The test is also recommended in Cavoodles.
Physical Test
An eye certificate means the breeder has had their breeding dogs examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist, to confirm they are not affected by any eye conditions which may be passed down genetically to their puppies. If relevant for the breed, it also includes running DNA tests to confirm the dog is not a genetic carrier of hereditary eye diseases, such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). It includes breeders who have participated in the Australian Canine Eye Scheme (ACES).
About the Breeder
A little about us
I'm Erica from Blacklash Cavaliers! I spent twenty years in the rescue world, before making the decision to come into the world of showing and breeding. I breed Cavaliers that I want to live with - healthy, happy, well-socialised and with good longevity - and I do everything I can to help prepare our puppies and new owners for their life together.
Why we got involved in breeding
Coming from a rescue background for the last twenty years, my first Cavalier was a rescue dog. Sadly, he didn't live a long life and had behavioural issues to contend with. We made a promise that we would do better for dogs that came after. Working at our local animal shelter, I saw many puppies coming in that weren't socialised and had health and behavioural issues. We really wanted another Cavalier so we decided to do some research and to get a puppy from a registered breeder, who was health testing. When we started looking for a puppy, finding a great breeder was important to me. I had my checklist of all the things I wanted in a breeder, but I couldn't find a breeder that ticked all the boxes. I joined the Cavalier club and started to go to shows. I met some breeders, learnt more about the breed and the breeding and showing community After a lot of research and planning I made my decision to start a breeding programme of my own. I wanted to make a positive difference to the breed and this continues to be the driving force behind everything that I do.
Our special touch
We are proud members of the global Puppy Culture community and all our litters have been raised with these protocols. This programme focuses on early puppy development and socialisation, with a particular emphasis on self-directed learning and enrichment.
Credentials
Council Number or BIN
7100005374
Organisation
Dogs Tasmania (ANKC)
Organisation number
7100005374
Prefix
BLACKLASH
Breeding since
2016
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of Tasmania
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of Victoria Inc