Tiny , noble , and extremely friendly , the Cavalier King Charles spaniel has become one of the most democratic breeds in the mankind due to his power to fit into almost any living situation .
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel isone of the most democratic breedsin the world — and one look at him reach it wanton to see why . These small firedog have silky , flowing fuzz ; endearing , friendly faces ; and a personality that make them eager to get along with literally everyone and everything .
Bred strictly as lapdog , the Cavalier King Charles is smaller than most other spaniels and comes with agenerally lower prey beat back , comparative to their other spaniel first cousin . Instead , they are incredibly affable dogs who take a fast liking to alien and family fellow member , live well with other positron emission tomography , and fit in well with households of children or seniors .
Bigandt.com / Shutterstock
Appearance
There ’s no way around it — these teensy little spaniels are adorable . With their small height — in good order about a base tall and 15 or so pounds — their declamatory eye , and exceedingly friendly temperament , it ’s much out of the question not to be catch by a Cavalier King Charles .
The Cavalier King Charles comes in three basic colors : white with chestnut tree markings ( the most mutual coloration , often referred to as " Blenheim " ) , contraband and tan , or solid deep red . A small number of Cavaliers come in a tricolour design as well : black and bloodless with tan marker on the eye , ear , and rear .
Regardless of vividness , their coat are medium - length , silky , and very cushy . The hair’s-breadth remain straight over their entire bodies , though some feathering may occur on their feet , venter , and tails as it grows out .
Amy Lane Photography / Getty
In recent years , an even smaller subset of the Cavalier King Charles has emerged , ordinarily referred to as the teacup Cavalier King Charles spaniel . These frankfurter are not acknowledge by the American Kennel Club or British Kennel Club , and they are generally reckon as a " interior designer " mutation of the received Cavalier King Charles . Additionally , due to the fact that the only ways of make a purebred teacup Cavalier are to breed frank with nanism genes or to breed bedding runt , teacup Cavaliers run to have many wellness status and immune disorder . In fact , theCavalier King Charles Spaniel Club(CKCSC ) recommends against purchase teacup Cavaliers at all .
Temperament
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is one of the sweet dog you ’re ever extend to fit .
" Best dog in the creation , " Michelle Beck , DVM , CCRT , CVA - Veterinarian , with theBacklund Animal Clinicin Omaha , Neb. , say . " They can be industrious and playful , but they ’re also great lapdog . I have never seen a Cavalier that get into the clinic that was anything but nice and compliant . "
They were literally born to seat in your circle , and these dogs are blessed with one of the most amiable personality in all of dogdom . They get along great with firedog of all size , can easily learn tolive comfortably with cats , loveplaying with children , and are just as comfortable lying on the couch with senior .
gradyreese / Getty
One of the things that defecate the Cavalier King Charles such agreat family dogis their ludicrous level of adaptability . spaniel at heart , they lie with to run and diddle and will do well withgames of fetchor chase , as well as inobedience , agility , and field competitions . However , for more sedentary owner , senior , or people with mobility emergence , the Cavalier is every bite as happy to bumble all that off and be the life of a couch potato . ( This does , however , put the onus on their owner to adjust the Cavalier ’s food intake to pit the kind of family bounder they want him to be . Cavaliers can and willput on too much weightif you let them , soadjusting the small calorie levelsfor dogs who are n’t going to be running around as much will help keep them healthy and happy . )
One potential drawback to a dog this powerfully disposed to being in your lap and at your heel : They do not do well when left alone for retentive stretches of clip . Having another doggy playmate can serve , but ultimately , these little spaniels are all aboutyou . If you ca n’t be around them the volume of the meter , you might find your Cavalier exhibit some breakup anxiety , which will most unremarkably certify itself asnervous barking .
Living Needs
You — that ’s all a Cavalier King Charles spaniel really need to be happy . They lovefollowing you around the house , they love sleeping next to you , they love sitting on the lounge by you , and they will espouse you into the bathroom . They are going to be around you every minute they can . Because of this nearly single - minded devotion to being around YOU , they can get along in just about any environs .
They dogreat in flat settingsand love a nice yard every bit as much . When you do permit them outdoors , afenced - in yardis a high priority . Leashes are necessaryat all times too , because if your Cav trance an interesting aroma or decides to chase a bird ( a favorite pastime ) , he absolutely will run after it with zero indisposition .
They can prepare some breathing job inparticularly red-hot weather , so they should n’t be leave alone outside too long unsupervised or without admission to dusty water and shade . cold climates are n’t always their favorite either , thanks to their unmarried pelage . Pay attention to their feet when they come in , as snow can well get mat up in the hair around their toe and give them frostbite trouble . Dressing them in alittle coat or doggy jacketis also a good idea for wintertime walk .
Tanja Walter / EyeEm / Getty
As far as home mise en scene go , these little buddies are ready for it all . They will happily wreak with children all Clarence Shepard Day Jr. long , though smaller kids should be supervised — the Cavalier King Charles is small enough to get accidentally hurt fairly easily .
They ’re also more than felicitous to serve as lapdog and rest quiet on the couch with older proprietor , killing the day as a close , quiet companion . In fact , the Cavalier King Charles does so well as a couch dog , he alsomakes an exceptional therapy animalfor aged nursing home , hospitals , and hospices , according to theCavalier King Charles Spaniel Club ( CKCSC ) . They are splendid choices forfirst - time pet owners , as they have almost zero expectation out of doors of wanting your love .
Care
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel ’s coatneeds regular brush , probably double or three times a week , as they arefairly regular shedders . But the sound news is that their hair stops growing fairly chop-chop , and the stock care for a Cavalier King Charles does n’t demand trimming ! Just brush them on a regular basis to keep their coats from matting and to tear out the loose hair’s-breadth , give them a bathas want , and they should be good to go .
Like all dog , Cavalier King Charles spanielsneed their nail trimmed , theirears cleaned , and theirteeth brushedto feel their best .
Thesesmart dogsalso needconsistent positive reinforcement trainingfrom a vernal eld to find out proficient manners . enter him in puppy kindergartenis a great idea !
Peter Walters / EyeEm / Getty
Health
There ’s always come to be a little bitter in the batter , good ? Here it come : The Cavalier King Charles spaniel has anumber of health business . Not all of them are severe or liveliness - minatory , but several of them are dead rampant throughout the breed . In short , if you have a Cavalier King Charles , he almost certainly has one or more of the following issue .
First up , there’smitral valve disease . This is a heart consideration that results in the weakening of valve and can precede to heart muttering . Those muttering can worsen as the hot dog ages , finally direct to spunk nonstarter . Mitral valve disease is polygenic ( it is touch by more than one gene ) , which means that every Cavalier , regardless of place of birth or bloodline , is susceptible . A resume conducted by the Kennel Club found that mitral valve disease was dominant in nearly 100 percent of the dog tested , and that it was the crusade of death fornearly 43 percentage of Cavaliers . Mitral valve disease is a degenerative condition , so as the dogs age , symptom can become more pronounced . Statistically , rough 50 percent of Cavaliers will show symptom by the geezerhood of five , and by age 10 virtually all Cavaliers will have a center murmur of some eccentric .
Next up , there’sSyringomyelia(SM ) . atomic number 62 is a condition sham the brain and spine , where a deformity in the lower back of the skull reduces the blank usable to the wit , compressing it and often force intellectual spinal fluid out into the spinal corduroy . Symptoms can tramp anywhere from mild discomfort to severe pain and partial palsy . Much like mitral valve disease , SM is stunningly common in Cavalier King Charles spaniels , withinternational research numbersshowing that over 90 percent of Cavaliers have the malformation that can lead to SM .
Larry Downing / Getty
" At Iowa State University , they do a aim MRI specifically for Cavalier to check into for SM , " Beck explain . " They find that while a Brobdingnagian part of dogshavethe condition , not all of them will show effect from that .
" It ’s really pillow slip by case , " she continues . " One wienerwurst might have important redirection that make serious symptom , while another might have the malformation but live a utterly normal life . "
MS can present at any age , but in most 85 percent of cases , symptoms show up between the ages of six months and four age . While SM can cause a Cavalier a gravid deal of pain in the most extreme cases , it can be corrected with surgery and the majority of pawl survive on to normal lifespans .
" sawbones can redirect that fluid through a tube inserted underneath the cutis of the neck and redirect it into the stomach , " Beck says . " Those dogs have a heavy health prognosis move forward . "
Cavalier King Charles spaniels are also fairly susceptible to a condition calledidiopathic asymptomatic thrombocytopenia , which is an abnormally low identification number of platelets in their blood that can bear on clotting . allot to survey , there is roughly a coin flip ’s fortune that your Cavalier will have thrombopenia . Luckily , there is utterly no adverse effect on your chevalier ’s mood or lifespan , but vets will need to be made aware of the existence of the term if the dog requires any kind of surgery or stitches for a wound .
But the good news is that a very large number of the Cavaliers who carry atomic number 62 or mitral valve disease still go on to be happy , good for you , symptom - free lives . While the conditions are all highly common in the strain , chevalier still have an ordinary lifetime of up to 15 years . So while all these health care are shape to be aware of , if you ’re buying from a reputable Cavalier King Charles spaniel stock breeder and have a vet you trust , do n’t let any of these condition scare you away from this delicious breed .
History
Toy spaniels were remarkably popular in the Old World , going back at least to the 16th 100 , accord to the CKCSC . It was at that prison term that King Charles I and his son King Charles II both occupy special fancy to a mordant - and - tan toy spaniel that was eventually call after them . Over the ensuing two century , the King Charles spaniel was hybridise with Asiatic toy breeds , most notablypugsandJapanese chin , leave in a more vaulted head and a flatter face . The stock became what is today known as the English plaything spaniel ( or , in the United Kingdom , the King Charles spaniel ) .
In the 1920s , Canis familiaris stock breeder began hold a revive interest in the " former style " Charles spaniel , and in 1926 an American breeder name Roswell Eldridge offered a cash dirty money of £ 25 to British breeder who could create toy spaniel " seen in King Charles II ’s reign " with bland heads , longer present , and more or less large size of it , according to the CKCSC . The prospect of prize money drove stock breeder to quicken the old style and these dogs were dubbed Cavalier King Charles spaniels . The first Cavalier Club was form in 1928 , and the dog steady realise in popularity .
As with many European breed , WWII decimated Cavalier King Charles Book of Numbers , with the Cavalier Club only register 60 dog between 1940 and 1945 . After the War , however , breeders set out to restitute the Cavalier ’s numbers . By the end of 1945 , the UKC had recognized the breed as disjoined from the King Charles spaniel . The dog began to make their room to the United States in 1956 , and the AKC recognized the breed in 1995 .
