Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: The Perfect Companion Dog

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The Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were known as great canine companions of the British Royal family and the elite class of England’s society in the 17th century.

These dogs are cross-breed, dominantly taken from the Toy Spaniels. Because of their classic features, they were occasionally seen on paintings from Van Dyke, Stubbs and Gainsborough.

The name itself, Cavalier King Charles, was thought up when King Charles II fell immensely in love with their kind and nature so much so that it was decreed by public law to allow these Spaniels to be brought to public places even at the courts of the Parliament system.

Known to be great and lovable companions, they usually end up resting on the laps of aristocrats in a carriage or on a lounging area in the extravagant interiors of their homes.

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During the 18th century, dog breeders tried interbreeding Spaniels to Pugs which resulted in this distinct feature of the flattened nose, small body structure, upturned faces, rounded heads and protruding eyes.

At the height of the interbreeding popularity and after the death of King Charles, a prominent figure by the name of Duke Marlborough took further steps in perfecting this breed by selecting original and quality Spaniels and cross-bred them into what is popularly known now as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

In the 1990s, these dogs were later entitled to registration in the American Kennel Club as a separate breed and had been given the name Cavalier noting that they are original Spaniels with long noses.

Traits and Behavior

Their breed is famous for being affectionate, happy, and friendly. They love to be taken on outdoors to perform playful activities. Friendly as they are, socializing with other dogs is not a problem.

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They adapt easily to their environment with people around them and in different surroundings, which allow them to quickly bond to newly found friends.

These types of dogs are excellent for all kinds of people like young children and seniors and making them ideal for household with other varieties of trained dogs. Most of these dogs like to be cuddled and patted on.

They prefer the warm touch of their owners as they were created to be. Cavalier dogs have an average intelligence when it comes to obedience, so much so that they get along well during training because they are well-behaved.

Pet Care and Diseases

You can groom them at least once a week using a comb or fine bristled brush as they don’t often shred much hair. However, they experience occurrences of tangled hair on the ears making it necessary to brush the area more often.

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Further, the inside part of the ears must be clean as they may be prone to viscous mucous plugs which may cause the tympanic membrane to bulge.

Its nails and hair on pads of their feet should occasionally be trimmed at least once a month.

Dog’s eyes must be occasionally checked for infection and dryness as they are common to elicit the autoimmune reaction that reduces the lacrimal ducts to produce enough tears and later can have an effect of dryness of the sclera.

They are usually healthy but as they age are prone to certain diseases like Mitral Valve disease, Syringomyelia (a disease that affects both brain and spine that later bring paralysis to the dog), Episodic falling (or epilepsy), Hip Dysplasia, Patellar Luxation and Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (dry eyes).

If planning to own this type of breed, be sure to get complete and accredited health clearances to ensure that they are in the best of health.

Appearance

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A sweet companion, these Cavalier dogs are small with a short and definite muzzle, covered with a silky coat of medium length of body fur, and dark brown eyes. Its average height is 30 – 33 cm, with a proportionate bodyweight of 4.5 – 8.2 kg.

Adult Cavaliers have a standard feathering on their ears, chest, legs, feet and tail. There are four recognized colors of the Cavaliers, Blenheim (red and white feature), Tricolor (chestnut markings on a pearl white background), black and tan, and ruby (solid red markings with no white spots).

A Blenheim color is considered to be a rare feature. It had its origins from the original Spaniels which were bred by Duke Marlborough.

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General Information

The Cavalier Spaniels have a life expectancy of 9 -14 years. Average litter size s 2-6 puppies. Other names include Cav, Cavalier, and Cavie.

Breed Club

Dog club websites dedicated to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels:

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club

The Cavalier Club

Pet Portraits

We have quite a few customers who own Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Here's an order we did for a pet iPhone case. How cute 😍

king charles spaniel pet iPhone case

 And here's a pet canvas portrait of Homer and Duke, 2 gorgeous King Charles Spaniels.pet canvas portraits of homer and duke cavalier king charles spaniels

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