06/19/2026
Is "Riley" your next heart dog? This adorable boy came in today along with his foster brothers & sister for a nail trim. Please consider sharing & help find this sweet boy find his forever family! ❤🐾❤ Please read the post below for all information.
RILEY 🐶
HOOVER, ALABAMA 📍
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION ⭐️
⏰ Low alone hours/plenty of opportunity for activity
🌱 Safe & secured fenced yard
🐶 Canine playmate(s) of similar temperament
💜 Gentle children okay
🛑 If you do not check ALL of the above requirements, your application will not pass the screening process for consideration. We do not compromise on these requirements as we feel they are essential to a successful adoption with Riley.
🛑 Before applying to adopt, please be sure that the entire family is on board and committed, and that great consideration is given to the time, effort, and funds involved in properly and responsibly raising a puppy. Riley is available NOW, so please only apply if you are a great match and are able to travel to him at this time to finalize the adoption.
MEET RILEY 🐶
Riley is one of nine Cavaliers that we recently rescued off the auction block and out of the puppy mill industry, intercepting plans for him to become a breeding dog where he would have endured a lifetime of reproductive abuse, neglect, and suffering. Instead, he now has the opportunity to live his best puppy life and his future will be that of a beloved, cherished companion. Riley recently turned 6 months old (DOB 11/22/2025), is already off to a great start in his foster home, and is now ready to find his perfect furever family.
MEDICAL 🩺
Riley is now a healthy 6 month old boy. He is up to date to vaccinations, microchipped, and on monthly preventatives. His eyes, knees, hips, and heart were found to be clear and congenitally sound, and all of his labwork including his f***l test, heartworm and tick borne illness test, urinalysis, and bloodwork is now normal and negative. Riley has a significant overbite which will need to be monitored as his remaining adult teeth come in. Due to the bite misalignment, his lower canine teeth have the potential for contacting and injuring the roof of his mouth. If this is the case, those canine teeth should be extracted at the time of his neuter surgery, which per our adoption agreement is to be done between by 12 months of age (November 2026).
FOOD & POTTY HABITS 🥘
Riley is a growing boy and in his long, lanky "teenager" stage, weighing 17 pounds. He is eating a puppy formula kibble which he should continue on through 12 months of age. Riley loves his food and is eager and excited for his twice a day meals around 8am and 6pm, always licking his bowl clean. To ensure the other dogs in his foster home don't try to move in on his bowl, he is fed apart from them in the kitchen, but should also be fine eating alongside other food friendly canine siblings with proper supervision to ensure everyone stays in their own lane. Riley is also enjoying treats that are offered to him throughout the day for recognizing and rewarding him for being the superstar puppy that he is. Riley will go home with a bag of his puppy food and favorite treats.
Considering Riley has just started his potty training, he is already off to a fantastic start. While he has had a couple of accidents in his foster home - which is to be expected - they are rare, and he already generally understands that bathroom business happens outdoors. Puppies have tiny bladders and need to be taken out frequently to ensure continued potty training success - first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and every couple of hours throughout the day including right after meals and immediately after waking up from naps. He also quickly figured out the 'doggie door' in his foster home from watching and following his Cavalier foster siblings, showing off his trainability. The doggie door is only open and available to him when his foster family is home so that they follow him outside to supervise him in the yard after he takes himself out. Sometimes though, he seems to just enjoy going in and out of it and he will run out and run back in - silly boy! Otherwise, in addition to sticking closely to a schedule that allows for frequent trips outside for pottying, his family should watch for any cues or signals that he needs to go and quickly direct him outside. He potties best being let out and supervised in a well maintained safe and secured fenced yard, receiving immediate praise after good potty behavior, and then a small treat upon coming back inside. He loves being outside in the yard and is happy to be taken out. Riley has proven to be a clever boy who learns quickly and responds very well to praise and positive reinforcement. But please understand that while he is off to a great start with his potty training, he is just a puppy and there will be accidents. Continued training will be needed and required for some time.
Lastly, Riley does occasionally exhibit "submissive urination". When approached or greeted, he may roll onto his back in a submissive posture and sometimes release a small amount of urine. It is important to know that this behavior is not a house-training issue, but rather a response rooted in insecurity and under-socialization, stemming from his puppy mill background where positive human interactions were limited. We have already seen this behavior improve significantly as Riley has settled into his foster home, gained confidence, and experienced consistent kindness and positive interactions with people, and we expect that progress to continue over time. Because Riley is likely to feel uncertain when transitioning into a new environment, his adopters should expect to see this behavior initially as he adjusts. It is extremely important that he is never scolded, corrected, or reprimanded for this behavior, as doing so will only increase his fear and make the behavior more likely to occur. Instead, his family should respond with patience, reassurance, love, and gentle confidence-building as Riley learns that he is safe, loved, and never needs to submit out of fear.
PERSONALITY 💕
While Riley was initially terrified upon being rescued, he has bloomed beautifully over the past 6 weeks, realizing that he is now safe and loved and adapting so well to routines and home life. He has proven to be a resilient little boy who has worked hard and been brave to overcome fears and is well on his way to being a typical, confident, carefree puppy! It's been a joy to watch him come to life. His foster mom says, "he is now bursting with joyful, energetic puppy spirit - whether he is sprinting up and down the stairs and all around like a marathon runner, effortlessing leaping onto furniture, or engaging in hilarious wrestling matches with his Cavalier foster sister!" He has also discovered ALL the toys and is obsessed with them. He scatters them from one of the house to the other. You can easily track his path by the 'explosion of toys' left in his wake! And in true Cavalier fashion, he is also a very affectionate, sweet, loving boy and 'velcro' puppy who craves so much attention and affection, wanting endless hugs, cuddles, pets, and love from his people and returning it ten fold.
ROUTINE ⏰
Riley kicks off his day around 7:30am with a quick trip outside in the yard for pottying then back in for breakfast and back out for play. He then spends much of the day with his foster family and his Cavalier foster siblings while his foster mom works from home. He enjoys leisurely days splitting his time between activity, play, and exploration, and relaxation, cav naps, and cuddles. Riley is always wherever his people and furiends are and has low alone time. But during short periods of time when no humans are at home, he stays on the first level of the home with his Cavalier foster siblings which is puppy proofed and gives him plenty of space, comforts, and companionship. After spending his first 5 months living in confinement in a puppy mill, he is not happy being left alone in a crate, or other strict confinement, and thrives best with more freedom. Of course he is certainly happiest being with his people and having lots of opportunity for activity, engagement, and play, so therefore, we are seeking a family where someone will be with him much of the day and where he will have low alone time.
Dinner is served around 6pm, followed by outdoor pottying and play. Once the evening winds down, Riley transforms into the ultimate velcro pup, enjoying couch time with his foster mom where he is glued to her for closeness and cuddles. After last potty outside, it's time for bed and Riley has claimed his perfect spot in the big bed tucked in close to his foster mom where he sleeps soundly throughout the night knowing he is safe and sound close to his people. He has not had any overnight accidents. He would not do well being asked to sleep apart from his people and so we are seeking a family who will continue to invite him into the big bed to snuggle and sleep. Pet steps to the bed should be provided to him so he can safely get on and off the bed.
SOCIALIZATION 💜
Spending his first 5 months in a puppy mill, Riley was behind on his socialization but has been getting gentle, positive social experiences and exposures in his foster home and is learning that humans can be safe and good. While he is timid, cautious, and hesitant at first when interacting with people, when given ample time, he warms up quickly and will show his darling personality and want your attention and affection in no time. He can easily startle if reached for, so it's best to allow him time to approach you and initiate the interaction, and watching his Cavalier foster siblings 'go first' helps him to follow their lead. It is important to remember that everything is brand new to him and to go slowly with introductions and be intentional about making every exposure a positive interaction and association.
Because positive human interactions and experiences are crucial at this time for his socialization, he should have plenty of gentle opportunities to meet and interact with people. He has started leash walking practice so that he can start to get out and about more and expand his little world. He learns best by watching and following his Cavalier foster siblings and so we would encourage his family to continue safe leash walking practice in quiet, low traffic areas and with his canine siblings. He is an excited walker who loves to explore and sniff every single new smell the neighborhood has to offer. For bigger outings and adventures, a stroller can be used until he is more comfortable and confident being on a leash in more busy populated public settings. He also loves going for car rides, riding safely and comfortably in his boosted car seat, and loves being able to be with you and tag along whenever appropriate. We are seeking a family who will include him in their daily activities and will ask that his family provide a boosted car seat for him.
Riley shares his foster home with 2 other Cavaliers and gets along with them very well, especially his younger playful Cavalier foster sister - they are best friends, double trouble, and partners in crime. They are always together, wrestling, romping, running, and playing, and have the best time together. Meanwhile, he likes to cuddle up and nap with his senior Cavalier foster brother and has learned that he doesn't want to play and has come to respect his space and boundaries. Riley depends on furry furiends to show him the ropes and teach him how to be a 'dog'. He has learned everything from his Cavalier foster siblings and looks to them to know what to do, where to go, and how to behave. Having at least one other canine furiend for companionship and leadership is of the utmost importance to him. Therefore we are seeking a home with another young active, playful Cavalier, or other dog(s) of similar temperament. His ideal match would be a resident dog(s) who is friendly and welcoming, very tolerant of his typical puppy antics, will happily share their toys, belongings, and humans, engage in play and activity with him, and also welcome his sweet and close puppy snuggles. His puppy energy can be a ‘too much’ for some dogs, like senior dogs, and for that reason he would do best with another young pup who can really match his play, energy, and persistence, and who will romp, wrestle, and chase him! He would do well and be happy in a multi dog home and loves to be right in the middle of the pack. He has not had any experience with cats while in our care so we are unsure how he would do living with a feline friend.
IDEAL HOME & FAMILY 🏡
Most importantly, Riley needs a family who will shower him with so much love and attention and make him an included and important member of the family. He also needs a gentle and patient family as there will be accidents, antics, chewing, and mishaps, as well as an energetic family to keep up with him and meet his activity needs. Because puppies need a lot of stimulation, attention, training, activity, and supervision, we are seeking a family where someone will be with him most of the day. We feel Riley would be happy and do well in a fun, active adult only home or a home with gentle, well behaved children with dog experience who know how to love and engage with puppy appropriately and gently, and know to keep their things safely out of puppy reach as anything within his reach is up for grabs. A young, active, playful furry furiend in the home for both companionship and leadership is one of his greatest needs, and a full toy box should be available to him at all times to prevent him from chewing on things he shouldn't.
We are also seeking a home with a safe and secured fenced yard for potty purposes and so that he can continue to enjoy his outdoor freedom - he loves being out in the yard where he can expend much of his puppy energy and would love a family who also likes to spends a lot of time outdoors with him. He must be supervised outside at all times as puppies will be puppies and try to put everything in their mouths. Yards should be well maintained and puppy proofed, and fences that are not 'privacy' may need to be reinforced to prevent slipping through gaps. In addition to a safe outdoor area for pottying and play, we will also be looking for a very 'puppy proofed' home. Anything within reach of the pup is up for grabs and so ensuring both the inside and outside of the home can and will be well maintained for his safety is imperative. He does not understand dangers, so his new family must be diligent to keep him safe and equipment like gates and xpens may need to be utilized to do so. Riley is a fearless leaper and so pet steps to the sofa and bed should be provided to him and encouraged to use to safely get on and off furniture. He has no problem navigating flights of stairs and treats them like his personal racetrack, sprinting up and down with enthusiasm!
HOW TO APPLY 💻
Riley is a precious puppy who is loving and embracing his new life filled with toys, treats, freedom, friends, and love and will continue to blossom and thrive in his perfect furever home. He doesn't just want to live with you - he wants to be attached to you and do life with you and if you are up for the adventures, challenges, and joys of puppyhood, and feel you’re a great match, please fill out an adoption application found on our website, TheCavalierRescue.org, then email us at [email protected] to express your interest, letting us know why you feel you are a match. Riley is located in Hoover, Alabama and travel there is required. He is available for adoption now so please only apply if you are a great match and are able to travel to him to finalize the adoption at this time. His requested adoption donation is $650.
