Red Barn Cavaliers

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We are a blended family of 2 adults and 5 children from ages 6-16, all of whom contribute to the raising of our puppies. We have been building our reputation as a trusted Cavalier breeder in central Illinois since 2018. We are located in McLean, IL, which is 20 minutes south of Bloomington-Normal and 50 minutes southeast of Peoria, but we have puppies growing up and living all over the country!

We take our responsibilities very seriously and strive to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all our dogs. We carefully select our "moms" and "dads" for having great genetics combined with fantastic personalities. That’s why the happiest days for us are when one of our puppies is adopted by a warm and loving family! We are so confident in our puppies' health that we offer a one-year health guarantee for every puppy adopted from us. We remain a committed resource to you for the lifetime of your dog. If the unfortunate circumstance of having to give up your dog ever occurred and you were unable to keep your dog, we will always take him back.

We are very committed to our dogs, and especially so to your puppy for his or her 8 weeks with us. That is what sets us apart from other breeders. We nurture their docile nature from the beginning to mold our puppies into exceptionally affectionate and loving dogs. We proactively teach your puppy manners, how to behave, how to interact with people appropriately, as well as daily positive reinforcement exercises. Our puppies are raised near the hustle and bustle of our home, so they are prepared to go home knowing how to be part of the family. They are handled frequently and socialized well with children and other pets.

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We have a particular focus in raising puppies who are going to become ESAs or psychiatric service dogs. We assign one person who will be that puppy's primary caretaker, so the puppy learns to bond with one person for everything they need, including comfort. We still socialize the puppy with other people, but when it comes to the puppy's needs, we make sure that the same person (usually Drew or myself) provides care, comfort, and meets their needs. To ensure proper socialization we have other people interact with the puppy for "extras," like playtime and snuggles. 

As soon as you have a name for your puppy, we begin calling your pup by his name so that he knows it when you pick him up. We encourage families to visit their puppy and/or FaceTime once a week not only so that you can get to know your puppy, but so that when you come to take him home, he knows you and your voice. We encourage families to send us a slept-in t-shirt that we can wrap your puppy in during Facetime, to help immerse them in their Facetime sessions with you. Pick up day is a beautifully emotional day when we see our puppies finally go home with their families. They recognize your scent, your voice, and your face, and they don't have to share you with any other puppies!

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We potty train our puppies and this has been advantageous for our families who live in apartments or big cities. We use pine to begin the house-training process, so when your puppy comes home to you, she only needs reinforcement. This form of potty training has proven to be very helpful in completing house training once home. It serves as a convenient steppingstone since the family only needs to sprinkle the pine outdoors to show the pup where to do business. It only takes a few 'atta boys' before your puppy quickly learns that everything they know about pine can be transferred to the grass. Additionally, your puppy also has an indoor toilet option you can use to prevent accidents in the house! It is crucial to note that we do not use 'kitty litter,' and that using it in place of pine will not work. We send every family home with a big bag of pine to use for either a pan or for sprinkling outdoors, or both. We are used to receiving a lot of questions about this unfamiliar method, so please feel free to ask away!

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