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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

affectionate / gentle / graceful
Toy Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

12-13 inches

Weight

13-18 pounds

Life Expectancy

12-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    80% 80%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    80% 80%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s association with British history is seen in the breed name. The best of both worlds can be found in cavaliers, who combine the docile attentiveness of a toy breed with the vivacity and agility of a sporting spaniel. One of the noblemen of dogdom, the Cavalier is distinguished by his all-around beauty, regal grace, and even temperament. The Cavalier, a small spaniel that stands no taller than 13 inches, captivates you with his face thanks to his large, round eyes’ trademark charming, kind, melting look. Another is the four different variations of its silky, vividly colored coat, which are detailed in the History portion of this page.

Even though they are aristocrats, cavaliers are happy to come down from their high horse for a backyard game of tag or a chase after a squirrel. Children and other dogs get along well with them. Adaptable Cavaliers can be spirited athletes or shameless couch potatoes depending on their owner’s lifestyle. They get along equally well with homebodies and active owners.

 

What To Expect When Caring For a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The Cavaliers are prone to a number of health problems. These include a few eye diseases (such as cataracts and retinal issues), patella luxation, hip dysplasia, middle ear infections, mitral valve heart disease, and syringomyelia, a neurological disorder. All of these ailments may be detected in cavaliers, and the majority of them have a comfortable old age. Owners should speak with their dog's breeder about any potential health concerns. All possible breeding stock will undergo health testing by a responsible breeder.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation
   

Grooming

Little more than routine brushing and the odd bath are needed to maintain the Cavalier's stunning appearance. In addition to keeping the coat smooth and free of tangles, brushing gives the dog a relaxing full-body massage. Grooming sessions strengthen the link between dog and owner and give the chance to check the dog's entire body for any new or strange bumps or other problems. The nails should be cut at least once a month since excessive nails can hurt and cause structural issues, and the ears should be examined regularly for infection symptoms.    

Exercise

Despite being trained to be a devoted lap dog, the Cavalier is a sports dog descendant and does appreciate light exercise and outdoor pursuits. He enjoys taking walks with his owner and excels in a number of canine sports, but he's equally content to spend the entire day curled up on the couch. Because they still have to scent and hunting instincts, cavaliers shouldn't be left unattended. If they've discovered an intriguing trail to follow or a creature to pursue, they might not respond to their name when called. It is advised to have a fenced yard.          

Training

The Cavalier is a kind, friendly breed that is anxious to please its owner. They get along well with people they don't know and other animals, and they are excellent around kids. Cavaliers are excellent in a variety of canine sports, including obedience, rally, and agility. They are intelligent and train quickly. They also make excellent therapy dogs thanks to their loving temperament. As with many breeds, puppy training lessons and early socialization will help the young Cavalier learn manners and feel at ease around a variety of people and circumstances.            

Nutrition

The Cavalier should consume premium dog food that is suitable for his or her stage of life (puppy, adult, or senior). Watch your dog's caloric intake and weight since some Cavaliers are prone to obesity. Give your dog treats sparingly if you decide to do so. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Give table scraps infrequently, if at all, and steer clear of cooked bones and items with a lot of fat. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian.        

History

Since at least the Renaissance, toy Spaniels have been a privilege of the aristocracy in Europe. A black and tan kind of miniature spaniel that was subsequently named in the latter’s honor was notably beloved by two 17th-century British rulers, the tragic King Charles I and his son Charles II. Samuel Pepys, a well-known diarist of the Restoration era, said that Charles II appeared more interested in breeding Spaniels than in governing Britain.

Early in the 19th century, British nobles continued to have a strong preference for toy Spaniels. During this time, the Marlborough family, who produced a line of red-and-whites at Blenheim Palace, was one of their more affluent supporters. The breed was mixed with Asian toys later in the century, most likely Pugs and Japanese Chins, under the reign of Queen Victoria, and as a result, it developed what is currently known in America as the English Toy Spaniel (or, in the United Kingdom, King Charles Spaniel). Compared to toy spaniels from Charles’s era, this one featured a flatter face and a domed head. The typical toy spaniel of the Restoration was quickly rendered virtually extinct due to the dominance of this breed, but it was not forgotten.

The old-style toy spaniel immortalized in family pictures hanging in the formal halls of English manors was a topic of debate among enthusiasts in the 1920s. The prospect of prize money spurred breeders to recreate the ancient style. A wealthy American named Roswell Eldridge offered a financial reward to British breeders who could produce “Bleinheim Spaniels of the Old World type.” Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are the name given to these canines. The monarchist group that backed the Stuarts during the civil war that lost Charles I his life is referenced in the moniker Cavalier.

The breed stands out for its four distinctive color patterns: Blenheim (chestnut markings on a white background), Tricolor (black markings on a white background), Black and Tan (black with tan markings), and Ruby (a rich red). Each of these color patterns was, at various points in time, linked to a specific noble family.