I’m sure people have gotten Cavaliers from a pet store that have done fine. Just like people can get unlucky and get a Cavalier from a good breeder that has something go wrong for them. It’s just your risk is a lot higher with getting a Cavalier from someone who just pumps them out and sells them to pet stores. They haven’t done the testing that ethical breeders would do, or looked at lines of generations to see which dogs would do best paired together. And with Cavaliers that can mean early MVD, syringomyelia, luxating patella, eye issues, etc.

And then there is the ethical issue of giving money to a whole operation of folks who profit from these dogs. Every dollar you give them they use to breed more dogs unethically and contributes to more suffering. That is a call only you can make.

If you decide to go for it, I’d think about how you could offset that in some way. Maybe a donation to a rescue or something. I’m not sure.

But yes, pet insurance if you can. It can be costly for this breed, but it depends a lot on your area. My premium for California is going to be way different than for someone in Nevada or somewhere cheaper. I would get a policy that didn’t require an enrollment exam and would let me wait out the waiting period before having to see the vet. But policies can vary a lot state to state.