Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Images
This Is What Makes The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel The Choice Of Kings
Did you know that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had a royal heritage? The dog breed was the favorite of King Charles II who was known as the Cavalier King and named the breed after him.
The Cavalier is classified as a toy breed. This despite the fact that at anything between 13 to 18 pounds it is at the upper end of its breed class.
My cousin has five Cavaliers. I’m not surprised since they look so huggable with their big brown eyes and affectionate nature. Don’t be taken in by their appearance though because the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has a strong prey drive. Given the chance like his larger spaniel cousins they will chase squirrels, seagulls, rabbits and anything else that pops up in front of him whilst out for a walk!
Apart from this foible the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel makes an excellent pet. And it’s as happy to lay on your lap as he is to accompany you on a hike.
Celebrity Owners Of The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Many celebrities own or have owned this gorgeous breed. Here are just seven of them:
Jennifer Aniston
More Interesting Facts About The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Key Facts About The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have four coat variants as follows. Prince Charles (black and white with tan points over the eyes, on the cheeks, inside the ears and beneath the tail); Blenheim (chestnut and white); King Charles (black with tan points over the eyes, on the cheeks, inside the ears and beneath the tail). Their fourth color is Ruby (solid red).
- They are moderate coat shedders. Their coat is silky smooth and is feathered on the tail, chest, feet and ears.
- Because Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a strong prey drive they have a tendency to chase cats and birds so may not be suitable for homes that already have cats or birds. However they are less likely to do this if socialised from the start.
The Cavalier King Charles’ Place In History
The Cavalier was derived from the toy spaniel. The toy spaniel had many fans from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The toy spaniel were originally from France and Mary, Queen of Scots brought them from there to Scotland.
Thus they became a firm favorite of royalty and often lounged on their laps and slept in their beds! You can see them portrayed with their royal owners in the paintings of Van Dyck and other celebrated artists.
Their royal name was bestowed on them by King Charles II (the Cavalier King). He was an avid fan of the breed. The King always had at least three of them in tow wherever he went.
King Charles insisted that his spaniels be allowed to enter any building, such was his adoration for his dogs.
After the King died the King Charles Spaniel as it was known at the time was not so popular. The Pug by contrast started to gain in popularity. This led to the King Charles Spaniel being bred with the Pug to produce a domed head and a short snout. This new breed was a different breed from that favored by King Charles.
This new breed with its snub nose and domed head basically replaced the old breed by the early 20th Century.
Roswell Eldridge, an American financier preferred the original spaniel in those depicted in King Charles II paintings. He offered £25 for the best examples. These were larger with longer more elegant muzzles.
A few breeders showed some interest in this project and a new breed was born that was much more akin to the King Charles II original. They called this dog the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel!
The first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel club was set up in 1928, ironically the year Roswell Eldridge died.
The Cavalier was used as a companion dog (known at the time as a comfort dog). Cavalier King Charles often shared their owners beds. This was to attract fleas so that the dog would be bitten instead of their owners. It was thought that this would prevent their owners from succumbing to the plague and other diseases.
The Loving Nature Of The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
You would expect the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to be warm and friendly with it’s reputation as a comfort dog and your expectation would be correct. They are playful, affectionate and placid. They also seem to love everyone they meet.
Temperaments can and do vary. Some Cavaliers can be very stubborn. The Cavalier King Charles responds best to positive reinforcement training. They learn very quickly especially if you give them treats and make all training fun.
Cavaliers love people so much they should never be left on their own. This means the ideal situation for them is with a retired couple, stay at home parent or homeworker.
The Cavalier loves kids provided they are older and treat them sensitively. Older children are more likely to throw a ball for them and teach them how to do tricks. Unfortunately the Cavalier King Charles is unsuitable for households with young children who could injure them by rough handling or even fall on top of them.
Cavaliers are ace at begging. With those big soulful eyes you could find their pleas difficult to resist. Resist you must to avoid obesity with its attendant health problems.
With their strong prey instinct Cavaliers need to be kept on a leash at all times. This is absolutely essential when walking them at the side of a road.
The Cavalier has a tendency to lick. Some people may not like this habit. I confess I do – after all they are only showing that they love you!
This Is What You Need To Know About The Cavalier’s Health
The Cavalier can suffer from certain genetic problems. These are the most common:
- Mitral valve disease (a heart condition)
- Syringomyelia (a neurological problem)
- Patellar luxation (a knee problem)
- Cataracts and Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca (eye problems)
- Primary Secretory Otitis Media (ear condition)
- Allergies and other skin problems
This doesn’t mean that all Cavaliers will suffer from these hereditary health problems. However it’s true that the Cavalier breed has more than its fair share of hereditary problems. This means that some die well before their usual age range of 10 to 12 years.
How To Groom The King Charles Cavalier Spaniel
The Cavalier like any other breed needs to be groomed regularly. Their coat should be brushed two or three times a week to remove dead hairs. If you don’t do this the hair it sheds will end up covering your furniture , floor and clothing.
You need to pay careful attention to the feathered hair on their ears, tail, belly and legs to avoid matting. For this task you will need to use a fine brush or comb.
Don’t forget to bath every two to four weeks depending on what dirty activities they have been involved in.
You also need to trim their nails and clean their ears and teeth regularly.
Where To Look For A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Best Way To Adopt A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
You can search for your companion Cavalier on sites such as Petfinder.com and Adopt-a-Pet.com. These sites offer selection criteria to help you choose your perfect match.
AnimalShelter.org is useful for finding rescue organisations in your area. The American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club‘s Rescue Network may enable you to find a dog in your area too.
Do you live in the UK? Then you may find your perfect Cavalier using one of the following rescue organisations:
Facebook is another place to look. Facebook has many Cavalier King Charles Spaniel groups and pages with lots of advice on choosing and caring for the breed.
Anyone can join these groups. You can ask the group members to advise you about where to find a suitable dog.
Here are some links to Facebook Groups you might find useful:
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – UK
- Cavaliers Needing Homes – UK
- Cavalier King charles spaniels Available/Wanted (only with Pedigrees)
- cavalier king charles spaniels uk
- THE HEALTHY CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL
- Saving Cavaliers UK (SCUK)
- A Passion for Cavaliers
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Memories
- PAWSOME CAVALIERS
The Best Way To Choose A Cavalier King Charles Breeder
There are good and bad breeders. How can you make sure you choose a good one? Finding a good Cavalier breeder is essential to avoid the considerable cost and potential heartache later should you choose a Cavalier with health problems.
8 Key Tips For Choosing A Good Cavalier King Charles Breeder
- Find breeders listed in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club – USA who abide by the CKCSC’s code of ethics. Or find breeders listed in the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club who abide by the ACKCSC’s ethical guidelines. They ban the sale of puppies through retail stores. And specify their responsibilities to the dogs they breed and the people who buy them. Find UK breeders listed in the Kennel Club Assured Breeders. The Kennel Club is the only organisation accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). The Kennel Club certifies dog breeders under their Assured Breeders scheme. This means The Kennel Club is recognised as an impartial and competent inspector by the government’s sole national accreditation body.
- Don’t buy from breeders who seem too eager to take your money and show little or no interest in your ability to provide a good, safe and loving forever home for the puppy. And never ever buy a puppy from a breeder who agrees to ship a puppy to you after you’ve paid. If you do so you will have no redress if things go wrong later!
- Look for other warning signs such as more than one litter being available at any one time, being offered any puppy and being able to buy online with a credit card or PayPal.
- Bear in mind the old adage “if it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is” and “buyer beware.” So to avoid being “taken for a ride” you need to check out everything about the puppy and the premises. Take a look at the facilities to see if the puppies are being nurtured in a clean home environment. And check to see if there are any sick animals. Research the breed and arm yourself with a list of pertinent questions to put to the breeder.
- Ask your local veterinarian if he can recommend a reputable breeder.
- Check the price. Typically a Cavalier will cost anything between $2,000 and $3,000. If the price is much less then ask yourself why? Always consider that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”.
- Ask to see both parents. And ask to see written evidence of their health clearances and conformation. This ensures your puppy has been bred from good breed examples.
- Ask if the puppies have been temperament tested , dewormed and socialized.
