AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION

⏰ Low alone time/someone with her much of day🌱 Safe & secure fenced yard🐶 Canine playmate(s) of similar size & temperament💜 Older children okay (ages 12+)

🛑 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 Marla.🛑 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. Marla is available NOW, so please only apply if you are a great match and are able to travel to her at this time to finalize the adoption.
MEET MARLA 🐶 10 month old Marla (DOB 10/12/2025) is one of nine Cavaliers that we recently rescued off the auction block and out of the puppy mill industry, intercepting plans for her to become a breeding dog where she would have endured a lifetime of reproductive abuse, neglect, and suffering. Instead, she now has the opportunity to live her very best puppy life, and her future will be that of a beloved, cherished companion. She has thrived in her foster home, where she has been discovering all of the joys of life outside the puppy mill, and she is now ready to find the perfect family to continue showing her just how wonderful life can be.MEDICAL 🩺 Marla is now a healthy 9 month old little girl, weighing just over 10 pounds. She is now up to date on vaccinations, is microchipped, and on monthly preventatives. She was successfully treated for intestinal parasites and an eye infection in our care. Her eyes, knees, hips, and heart have have been found to be clear and congenitally sound, and all of her labwork is normal and negative. Per our adoption agreement, Marla will need to be spayed by 12 months of age (October 2026).FOOD & POTTY HABITS 🥘 Little Marla is currently eating ½ cup of her puppy food twice each day, with breakfast served around 6am and dinner around 6pm. Like her foster siblings, she enjoys a little pure pumpkin mixed into her meals. Marla can be a bit of a finicky eater at mealtime and benefits tremendously from dining right alongside her canine companions. Like many former puppy mill dogs, she has learned behaviors through "social facilitation" and so if another dog appears interested in her food, she then becomes more motivated to dive in. Because of this, she should not be fed separately from her resident canine companion and will thrive in a home with another confident, food-friendly dog who helps encourage her. While mealtime isn't always her biggest priority, treats certainly are! Marla absolutely loves Fromm Crunchy O's treats for potty successes, high-value beef liver treats, fresh fruit, and perhaps most of all...ice cubes. The sound of the refrigerator dispensing ice sends her racing into the kitchen in hopes you'll share a few with her. She has even convinced herself that the water dispenser should also produce ice, so don't be surprised if she patiently waits there with hopeful eyes.Marla is proving to be one smart little girl and is already doing an excellent job with her potty training. Given frequent opportunities to go outside, she is now reliable in her foster home and has developed a consistent routine. She goes out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and every 2-3 hours throughout the day, including immediately after meals. While she hasn't quite mastered signaling every time she needs to go, she is beginning to go near the back door and occasionally bark to let her family know she needs to go out.  If she suddenly abandons one of her beloved chew bones or hops off the couch unexpectedly, chances are she needs a potty break. Because she loves her toys and chews so much, she often takes them outside with her when she is let out. However, she can become distracted showing off her treasures and 'forgets' why she came out in the first place! You will need to simply take the toy from her and remind her to "go potty" to get her back on track. Because she loves treats, a special high value treat immediately following good potty behavior would be excellent reward and reinforcement for this clever girl. While Marla is now reliable in her foster home, please know that she is just a puppy and accidents are to be expected, especially initially while she learns and adjusts to a new environment and routine. PERSONALITY 💕While Marla was understandably timid and uncertain when she first arrived after spending the first several months of her life in a puppy mill, she has blossomed beautifully as she has learned that people can be kind, life can be fun, and toys truly are one of the greatest inventions ever! Every day her confidence grows a little more, and it has been incredibly rewarding to watch her discover the simple joys that most dogs have known all along. Her foster mom describes her as spunky, curious, and FUN! She tends to have just two speeds - full throttle or full snuggle mode. One minute she's racing around the backyard, leaping and bounding, chasing butterflies, squirrels, or a tennis ball with astonishing speed and athleticism, and the next she's curled into the tiniest little ball, completely content to nap beside her favorite people or piled on top of one of her canine friends.Marla has quickly become completely enamored with toys. She considers it her personal mission to empty every toy basket in the house, proudly scattering toys from room to room as evidence of a productive day. She adores tennis balls, chew bones, puzzle toys, and enrichment games that make her think for her treats. Nothing makes her happier than you throwing her tennis ball. And one of her sweetest habits is entertaining herself by rolling upside down with a toy clutched happily in her mouth, perfectly content in her own little world. She often carries her favorite chew bone wherever she goes and if you ask, "Where's your bone?" she'll proudly lead you straight to it. Treats are another one of Marla's great loves, and she is incredibly food motivated when it comes to training. She has already learned to 'sit' and eagerly responds to praise, making her a fun puppy to teach. She absolutely lights up when she's told she's a "good girl." Then there are the ice cubes. The sound of the refrigerator dispenser sends Marla flying into the kitchen in hopeful anticipation. She waits patiently beneath the freezer, convinced every beep means another frozen treasure is headed her way. Although she has discovered her playful side, Marla is equally devoted to affection and closeness. True to the Cavalier breed, she wants to know where her people are at all times and happily shadows her foster mom throughout the day. She also finds tremendous comfort in her canine companions and is never found alone -whether she's curled beside them in a dog bed, sharing blankets on the couch, or wedged between them at bedtime, Marla thrives on closeness and companionship and simply loves being part of a family.ROUTINE ⏰ Marla's day begins around 6am with a trip outside for pottying before coming inside for breakfast.  Once breakfast is finished, everyone heads back outside for another potty break before the day's duties officially begin. Marla spends much of the day with her foster family where she follows her foster mom from room to room while she works from home. Marla's become an excellent little office assistant, happily alternating between supervising neighborhood activity from the windows, chewing on her favorite bones, playing with toys, barking to announce the arrival of delivery drivers or passing neighbors, and eventually curling up with her Cavalier foster siblings for a cav nap in cozy dog beds nearby. During short periods of time when there are no humans at home, Marla stays together with her canine companions in a puppy-proofed area of the home where she has plenty of space, comforts, and companionship. Having the company of her furry friends helps her feel secure and comfortable while waiting for her people to return. She does well left for short periods of time but is of course happiest being with her people. After dinner around 6pm, the family enjoys a short evening stroll together through the neighborhood. Marla is still developing confidence on a leash and will need continued practice, but she genuinely enjoys being included in family outings. She is making steady progress as she discovers that walks can be another exciting adventure. Final potty trip outside is around 9:30pm and Marla knows that it means bedtime is near! She quickly learned that the pet steps lead to a magical cloud bed that takes her straight to la-la land. She loves the big bed and secures her perfect snuggle spot right in between her Cavalier foster sisters where she feels safe and snug and sleeps peacefully through the night. We are seeking a family who will continue to invite her into the big bed, and pet steps should be provided for her so she can safely get on and off the bed. SOCIALIZATION 💜Having spent the first months of her life in a puppy mill, Marla missed out on all the social experiences that all puppies should have. As a result, she is still learning that the world is a safe and wonderful place filled with kind people, exciting adventures, and new experiences. Therefore, she is naturally cautious when meeting new people. She appreciates calm voices, slow movements, and allowing her the opportunity to approach at her own pace rather than being reached for. She remains quite hand shy and will cmove away if someone reaches toward her too quickly. However, when people are patient and allow her to build trust on her own terms and time, she willingly accepts and welcomes gentle pets and begins showing her sweet, playful personality. She is also learning that not every loud or strange noise is a threat. She will 'protect' you from delivery drivers, the mail man, a creaking door, her reflection in mirrors, etc. She has learned her voice and she is not afraid to use it. Her foster family is working on curbing the barking but because everything is new, including how she communicates, her new family will need to be prepared for continued training. Her greatest teachers have been the Cavaliers in her foster home. They have shown her everything about how to be a dog. Marla constantly looks to her canine companions for reassurance and guidance, making another confident, friendly resident dog absolutely essential for her continued growth and confidence. She especially enjoys playing chase games with the younger dogs but is equally happy curling up beside her older foster sisters when it's time to rest. She doesn't always realize where her tiny body is and has a habit of climbing over, leaning on, or using the other dogs as pillows, so resident canine companions should be tolerant, gentle, and welcoming of her affectionate lack of personal space. We feel her ideal canine match would be another young, active Cavalier, or other dog of similar size and temperament, that would engage in play with her. We also know she would do well in a multi-Cavalier household where she can be a part of the pack. Marla has not been tested with cats while in our care, so we are unable to predict how she would do living with a feline companion.Marla has been introduced to leashed walking and is a work in progress. While she's still more comfortable hopping through the grass than confidently striding across sidewalks, she's making great progress and enjoys being included in outings. We would encourage her family to continue to provide for her safe leash walking opportunities so she can continue to practice this new skill which opens the door for socialization growth. She also loves car rides and rides safely and comfortably in her Snoozer boosted car seat, happily resting her chin along the edge while taking in the sights out the window. She would love to be able to tag along with you whenever appropriate, so we are seeking a family who will include her in their daily activities and outings. Because she is hand shy and flees when she is reached for, getting her in her harness involves allowing her to retreat to her 'safe spot' (a dog bed) where you will approach, harness, and carry her from there to join the pack.IDEAL HOME & FAMILY 🏡 Most importantly, Marla needs a family who understands that while she has made incredible progress since leaving the puppy mill, she is still learning how to navigate this big, new world around her. She needs and deserves a patient, compassionate family who will continue building her confidence through gentle guidance, positive experiences, and lots of encouragement. Every new adventure, every kind interaction, and every little success helps her become the happy, carefree Cavalier she was always meant to be. Because she is still a puppy, Marla also needs a family prepared for all the joys and challenges that come with puppyhood. She is intelligent, playful, curious, and energetic, and will need continued structure, supervision, enrichment, and training. She thrives off closeness and companionship and needs to be with her people much of the day and included in their everyday life. We are seeking a family where she will have low alone time and will have plenty of quality time with her people. We feel she would do well in an active adult only home or a home with older, gentle children (ages 12+) who have dog experience and understand how to respectfully interact with a shy puppy and will allow her the time and space to build trust. Because she is still hand shy and uncomfortable being reached for, children should be patient, calm, and capable of following her lead rather than expecting immediate interaction.One of Marla's greatest needs is canine companionship and leadership. She has learned virtually everything she knows about being a dog by watching and modeling her foster siblings. She looks to them for confidence, comfort, and reassurance every single day. For that reason, we are seeking a home with at least one friendly, confident resident dog of similar size, temperament, and energy level who will happily welcome her into the family. Her ideal canine sibling will appreciate both her playful puppy spirit and her affectionate tendency to snuggle so closely that personal space becomes obsolete.A safe and secure fenced yard is essential for agile and athletic Marla. She absolutely loves exploring outdoors, chasing butterflies and squirrels, and enjoying the outdoor freedom she never had before. She needs to be supervised outside at all times as she is a curious puppy who can quickly find herself in mischief and danger. Because she is a tiny girl, fencing needs to be puppy proofed and any gapping will need to be reinforced. In addition to a safe outdoor area for pottying and play, Marla will also need a safe puppy-proofed home including keeping things that she shouldn't chew out of her reach and ensuring she has access to appropriate chews and toys at all times. Providing a variety of durable chew toys, enrichment puzzles, tennis balls, and interactive activities will help keep both her busy mind and energetic little body happily occupied.Because she is a tiny pup, she will need to be protected from stairs and any railings that she may be able to squeeze through. She does not understand dangers, so her new family must be diligent to keep her safe and equipment like gates may need to be utilized to do so. Pet steps to safely climb on and off the sofa and bed should be provided to her, as well as a boosted car seat so she can continue to enjoy car rides safely and comfortably. HOW TO APPLY 💻 Marla is an absolutely precious puppy who is loving and embracing her new life filled with toys, treats, freedom, friends, fun, and love and she will continue to blossom and thrive in her perfect furever home. If you are up for the adventures, challenges, and joys of puppyhood, and feel you’re a great match, please complete an adoption application found on our website, TheCavalierRescue.org, then email us at CavalierRescueAL@gmail.com to express your interest and let us know why you feel your family would be the perfect fit for Marla. Marla is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and travel there is required. She is available for adoption now, so please only apply if you are able to travel to her at this time. Her requested adoption donation is $650.