Harrington
About Us

Harrington Cavaliers consists of Susan & Allyson Gonyo, a mother-daughter team of dog fanciers located 60 miles north of San Francisco, CA in the beautiful Wine Country of Sonoma County.  We keep a small number of dogs who all live in our home as a part of our family.

We first discovered the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in January of 2003 while attending the Golden Gate Kennel Club dog show in San Francisco, CA.  At the time, we were looking to add a new pet to our family.  We were searching for a dog who would not only excel as a family companion, but for one who would also be suitable for competition in breed and possibly obedience, as well.  We had always had Golden Retrievers, which we admired for their sweet and sporting nature and for their tremendous willingness to please.  However, as much as loved the breed, we felt that a smaller dog would better suit our lifestyle, since we already had a pair of young pet Goldens at home.  So, we set out in search of a breed similar in temperament, but much smaller in size.  After perusing the show and meeting several different breeds, we came across the Cavaliers who had just begun showing.   Each Cavalier was just as sweet and happy as the next one and their tails never stopped wagging!  Between their friendly, upbeat demeanor and those ever wagging tails, it didn't take us long to realize that this was the breed we'd been looking for. 

We began our search shortly thereafter, and in October of that same year, we brought home our first Cavalier in the form of a 9 week old tricolor boy we called Oliver.  Although Oliver did not turn out to be our first show dog, he was an exemplary companion with the most charming disposition and left us wanting more.  With the addition of our next Cavalier, a blenheim boy named Harry, we were introduced to dog shows...and we haven't looked back!   Since we began showing in early 2005, we have become active exhibitors and have finished four AKC Champions and two AKC Grand Champions to date.   In January of 2010, we had the thrill of finishing our first homebred Champion, GCH CH Harrington Pardon My French.  


Today, we are active members of several Breed & All Breed clubs, including the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club USA, Cavaliers of the West, and the Bay Area Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club. Susan currently holds office as Recording Secretary for the BACKCSC and as a Director for Cavaliers of the West. We also belong to the Mensona Kennel Club (All-Breed), where Susan serves as the Public Education Coordinator. All of our Cavaliers are dual registered with the AKC and the CKCSC-USA and are actively exhibited in both venues.

We breed very rarely and only plan a litter when we are the position to keep something ourselves.  Though we seldom have puppies available, we strive for a balance of health, temperament, and quality in all of our breedings.  We take great pride in our Cavaliers and their show ring successes, but admire them above all for their companionship and for the love that they give, as they are first and foremost our beloved pets.

We gladly welcome any inquiries you might have about our dogs or about the breed.  Thank you for visiting our website.


Susan & Allyson Gonyo
harringtoncavs@hotmail.com

© Harrington Cavaliers 2011