Mary Allen
The loyal look, the fluffy floppy ears, and the friendly nature make the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel a great companion dog for everyone. Find out everything about the history, character, attitude, and care of the Cavalier in the profile. There are also a few exciting facts that you may not have known about.
History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an ancient breed and a direct descendant of the dogs of the British gentry. It served as a playmate for the king’s children and as a bedwarmer for noble ladies. The Cavalier can be seen in a number of famous oil paintings, such as the “Portrait of the Children of Charles I” from 1635, and the breed is also mentioned in writings from the Middle Ages. The breed was later named after this king and was called “King Charles Spaniel”.
Because their sole purpose was to look flamboyant and cute, they were bred to extremes. The snout got shorter, the eyes got bigger and the head got rounder. In the end, the original dog was hardly recognizable. Around 1900, the breeders even wanted to rename the breed “Toy Spaniel”. King Edward VII personally is said to have prevented this naming.
Some dog lovers decided to revive the old type after seeing old paintings of the spaniel. In the early 1920s, a wealthy American named Roswell Eldridge offered a large sum for a back breed based on the historic paintings. Breeder Mostyn Walker won the award with her dog Ann’s Son and the Club for the Promotion of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was founded.
The new breed was recognized by the Kennel Club in 1945 and was now distinctly different from the short-nosed King Charles Spaniel. The spaniel that was bred back was very popular and is still widespread around the world today, especially as a family and senior dog. This also explains why he was classified by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in the FCI group 9, the society and companion dogs.
Essence and Character
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a loving, happy, and extremely obedient dog. There is hardly another race that is so peaceful. They would love to be cuddled and petted by their master or mistress all day long. The small spaniels show no tendency to be nervous and aggressive behavior is alien to them. For this reason, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is easy to train even for beginners and is a great companion in everyday life.
Older people and children get along well with the dear dog and he gets along with other dogs and pets without any problems. He enjoys meeting strangers and greets them happily but not intrusively. He wants to make people happy and is a real cuddly toy. Even people who normally don’t like dogs will love the nice Cavalier.
Purchase of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
What do I need to pay attention to when purchasing?
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is relatively undemanding and does well in a small apartment as long as it gets out regularly. It is officially bred in four colors, Black and Tan (black with tan markings), Blenheim (pearl white with chestnut markings), Ruby (deep red), and Tricolor (black and white with tan markings).
Before you bring a puppy home, you should choose a reputable breeder who pays attention to the health of their dogs. For a purebred puppy with a health check, you can calculate up to 1500€. But there are always Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in the shelter who are looking for a new home and are grateful for love and affection.
Puppy development and education
Cavaliere is a pleasant and gentle dog and therefore needs loving training. You will not have a particularly difficult time training the puppy. The little one is very teachable and he enjoys dealing with his people. Like any other dog, he learns the basic commands through extensive praise and consistent prohibition. Despite his friendly nature, the Cavalier needs good socialization and should ideally attend puppy school with you.
How Do I Keep a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
Activities with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Most Cavalier King Charles Spaniels do not require a great deal of exercise and are content with regular walks. But they are also happy about small sporting tasks, such as retrieving sticks or agility adapted to their body size. If you don’t run too fast and for too long, the little dogs can also join in the jogging. Like a real spaniel, the Cavaliers are real water rats and like to jump into the lake in summer.
Health and care
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s long, silky coat requires regular grooming and should be combed several times a week. The paws and ears in particular must be treated carefully so that no tangles form. You should brush them daily in spring and autumn when they are shedding. You should also check and clean the large eyes regularly so that they do not become inflamed. You can clean the dog’s facial wrinkles with a special lotion if necessary.
In principle, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a robust dog that is not very susceptible to illness. Regrettably, due to back breeding with an extremely small breeding base, some representatives of the breed suffer from some hereditary diseases. The diseases mainly affect the heart and nerves and affect a large proportion of the population. Heart disease is more common as you get older, but you can reduce the risk with a healthy diet. Some Cavaliers suffer from spontaneous muscle spasms caused by neurological dysfunction. However, today’s breeders usually make sure that they only mate healthy four-legged friends in order to slowly eradicate hereditary diseases.