The Cute And Cuddly Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a breed that was developed in a competition between dog breeders in the early 1900s. A wealthy man, Rosewell Elderidge, wanted to recreate a breed that was similar to the small spaniels pictured in paintings of the royal court at the time of King Charles ll. What was, at that time, considered the King Charles Spaniel had been bred with the Pug to create a shorter nosed small sized spaniel. Mr. Elderidge wanted to recreate the original breed with the longer, more typical spaniel face.
The result is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel of today, which was actually developed in the United States. As a toy breed they are small, compact dogs that are true companion pets. While they do have a hunting instinct, they are much happier to sit on your lap and spend all day interacting with their owners. A highly intelligent breed, these dogs are easy to train and can learn to understand a very large vocabulary and set of commands.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has a fairly long life for a dog and can live to be up to 14 years of age. Because of their folded over ears, this breed has a tendency to have chronic ear infections that can lead to hearing loss. Routine ear cleaning combined with careful monitoring by your veterinarian can help to minimize this health issue in the breed.
Theses spaniels love to be outside and run, and are very playful pets. They will self-exercise indoors but still need structured exercise in the form of a daily walk and play time. They are generally very good with children and other dogs and they make good companion pets for dog friendly cats.
They look very much like a spaniel with a moderately long coat over the body, feathering on the tail, chest, ears and the legs. They have dark, round, slightly prominent eyes and short hair over the face and muzzle. The ears fold down and frame the face, hanging to well below the lower jaw. The body is solid and compact and the dog appears very balanced and athletic. There are several different colors including white and red, black and tan, a ruby red as well as a tricolor coat variety.
While the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a good watchdog, they are not aggressive towards people and tend to see everyone as a friend. They are excellent small dogs with children and enjoy playing and romping with the kids. These dogs are still hunters, despite their smaller size, and they can be prone to chasing birds and squirrels so it is highly recommended they be in a fenced yard or on a leash whenever they are in areas where there are vehicles or other possible safety issues for the dog.
Ask your veterinarian if this breed is the right one for you!