Dog Breed Guide

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Profile

Size

Small

Country of origin

United Kingdom

Origin

20th century (ancestors from the 17th century)

Bred for

Companion

Height

30 - 33cm (12 - 13in)

Weight

5.4 - 8kg (12 - 18lb)

Life span

10 - 14 years

A small spaniel loved for its large round eyes, long drop ears and silky coat. It comes in four colors: Blenheim (chestnut patches on white), tricolor (white, black and tan), ruby (solid rich red) and black and tan.

Gentle and affectionate, the Cavalier is friendly to everyone and loves being with people above all else. It gets along with children and other pets and is said to have the ideal temperament for a family dog. On the other hand, it is no watchdog at all.

Like any spaniel, it loves walks and play. Its long ears get dirty easily, so clean them often. The breed is known to be prone to a heart valve disease (mitral valve disease), so regular heart checks are important.

Good to know

King Charles II of England, in the 17th century, was so fond of dogs that he was always followed by several little spaniels, and the "King Charles" in the breed's name honors him.

Later, crosses with the Pug and other breeds gave these little spaniels a shorter nose and a rounder face. In the 1920s Roswell Eldridge, an American fancier, was disappointed that the longer-nosed spaniels seen in old paintings had disappeared. He offered prize money at Crufts, the British dog show, to anyone who exhibited dogs resembling the old type.

This offer led fanciers to revive the old-style dog, and a breed named "Cavalier," after the king's loyal cavaliers, was born. Britain recognized it as a separate breed in 1945.