Adopting a Puppy! Debut (Henry’s Version)
3 months ago we adopted our King Charles Cavalier puppy and named him Henry. He has brought so much joy & endless entertainment to our lives and I’m so excited for him to have his time in the spotlight (although he would run from an actual spotlight/excessive attention LOL). He is goofy, ultra lovey and a little anxious. Here is Henry’s story <3
THE adoption
We adopted him from Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee, FL in May 2025 after browsing pups in our area. Since Wyatt & I first started dating many years ago, we’ve dreamed about getting a puppy of our own and all the ways they would change our life. I remember maybe a year into dating, we were missing our family pups at college and took a “what kind of dog should I get” questionnare on the internet. The results told us to get a Staffordshire Bull Terrier - so random looking back but I digress! Neither of us are very spontaneous, so we spent a lot of time determining what we were looking for in a pup - our criteria was short but eventually narrowed down our search quite a bit.
Our criteria:
Smaller sized (less than 25 pounds) - fits well in our current space, ease of transport/travel, manageable shedding
Calm/gentle nature, generally good with kids/non aggressive
Really cute, ~obviously~
I knew Cavaliers fit our criteria since I grew up with them, but after researching local breeders in the area, that route felt daunting financially and the waitlists were quite long. I’d heard from friends of friends that Big Dog Ranch Rescue was one of the top adoption spots in South Florida, and found him on their site one day. I think I first saw his profile on a Friday, and on Sunday we went to the ranch to meet him. My heart melted when I saw him.. we didn’t know much about him - he was raised in a puppy mill (not the best conditions, we assume) and had only been at the ranch about a week. The adoption process was quick; within an hour he was on the way home with us. They told us the 3/3/3 rule which we’ve really related to: after 3 days the dog starts to decompress/relax in their new environment; after 3 weeks the dog begins to learn their new routine; after 3 months the dog feels completely comfortable & at home.
How It’s Going
We’ve felt really comfortable with our new routine for a few weeks now & feel like Henry has definitely settled in. We did struggle a bit for the first few weeks as we got to know him and all of his quirks - like many puppy mill dogs, we assume there’s some trauma in his past - we’re not 100% sure what his living situation was like, but he displayed a lack of confidence, fear towards people/men/big dogs, and general anxiety/overstimulation at times. Luckily he was potty trained though so that was a bonus!
To develop more confidence, we took him to training at Big Dog Ranch and have loved it! We’ve done a few private sessions with a trainer and have noticed such an improvement in his behavior! A lot of our feelings were validated about why Henry behaves the way that he does, and it was so helpful learning specific tips to combat unwanted behaviors. We also love that they are super experienced and have a bunch of service dogs in training that are always there to help other pups socialize in a safe manner! That being said - I wouldn’t say Henry has been easy to train, but I do think his past taught him to sit back and observe, so he tends to catch on quickly to what to/what not to do.
Some training tips that have been life changing for us:
The leash is your best friend!! Our trainer recommended a slip leash and showed us the proper ways to encourage walking with us as well as safe ways to correct negative behaviors (in our case - his urge to either runaway from something he fears or bark at it). The leash is a way to (kindly) exert control over the pup and show them who is in charge. He walks so well on a leash now and responds well to correction!
Establish a “place” - a bed/cozy spot in a high traffic area of the home that they can retreat to. Teach them to go there & stay, challenging duration, distance, and with distractions. This will give them a space to feel safe in, as well as give you the opportunity to keep them contained in practical situations like answering the doorbell, having a person/dog come over, etc. Luckily he loves a cozy bed so this has been relatively simple for him. We’ve added a “place” in every room of the house LOL
Desensitize as much as you can! Get the pup comfortable with as many different sounds/distractions/people/dogs as possible! Essentially exposure therapy for the pup!
Crate training - we started this from day 1 with Henry and luckily he lovessss a cozy bed/alone time so he didn’t fight it much, but I would highly recommend. This makes nighttime so calm - we all sleep better in our designated areas, he’s safe, and he knows when he gets in the crate that it’s time to wind down.
Chew toys!!! His teeth are so little but can do some damage LOL. Henry loved to chew on rogue shoes, so we’ve found that distracting him with something he’s allowed to chew (like another toy) has helped a ton. We also keep our shoes in baskets by the doors or try to put them in the closet so he isn’t tempted.
Obedience training - skills liking sitting, tricks, and recall have been a little tougher to train. Once he is seated, he will stay forever LOL - but getting him to sit in the first place has been tricky. He is food motivated, but we’ve noticed he becomes a bit overstimulated/anxious when he doesn’t perform how we want, so we’re moving slowly towards teaching him more tricks.
OUR Routine
A typical day in the life, from Henry’s perspective:
Around 6:30am, crate is opened & belly rub requested
7am morning walkie around the block (15ish minutes), do my business
7:30-noon romp around the house, play with toys, sleep
12:30/1pm run around in the backyard, chase a ball, drink from the hose
1pm eat lunch (not usually hungry in the morning so I eat lunch & dinner instead)
1pm-4pm run around the house some more, chew chew chew my toys, sleep
Between 4:30/5:30 do some activity - go to the dog park, go for another walk, swim in the pool
6pm dinner!
7-9pm last little zoomies then chill on the couch
In the crate by 9:30pm
We tried a couple brands of food to see what worked best and settled on Spot & Tango! Henry loves their beef & barley mix.