cavalier king charles spaniel dog

History of origin

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the dog that, perhaps more often than other breeds, can be seen on the canvases of Renaissance artists. And anyone who sees this cute dog with expressive eyes and long ears will most likely imagine her in the interior of the palace among kings and nobles dressed in silk and brocade. And he will not be mistaken, because these dogs have always been the privilege of the aristocracy, not only in their homeland in Great Britain, but also in other European countries.

The breed was based on Tibetan spaniels and Japanese chins, popular among the nobility of the early Middle Ages. They crossed (intentionally or accidentally – history is silent) with local hunting spaniels, resulting in small dogs that retained both the ability to track and raise game and the cute appearance of pets. The breed was named in honor of the English King Charles (Charles) II Stuart, under whom these dogs became especially popular, King Charles Spaniels. They became permanent residents not only of ladies’ boudoirs and the chambers of little princes and princesses, but were even admitted to Parliament, importantly sitting there on an equal footing with noble lords and peers.

The breed changed a lot under King William III of Orange. He did not really like fold-eared spotted spaniels and started a fashion for pugs, which he dearly adored. Being about the same size, the dogs quickly interbred with each other, which turned out to be a kind of compromise: the new version of the King Charles Spaniels retained its silky coat and long ears, but the muzzles were greatly shortened, and the eyes became large, round and bulging, as a result which made the dogs look more like Japanese Chins than spaniels.

And only in the XNUMXth century, cynologists set out to return the palace favorites to their original appearance, for which they even promised an award from the British Kennel Club. A few years later, the efforts of breeders were crowned with success, and now there are two varieties of the breed: the King Charles Spaniel with a flattened muzzle and the larger and longer-faced Cavalier King Charles Spaniel revived from oblivion, the favorite of the English nobility. These two breeds are often confused, although there are many differences between them.

Today this breed is as popular all over the world as it was many centuries ago, because thanks to their small size, cute appearance and good character, these little spaniels are just perfect for keeping in a city apartment.

Breed description

Although the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel belongs to the group of toy spaniels, it is not much inferior in height to its hunting counterparts, growing up to 38 cm at the withers. However, at the same time, they differ in a completely touching and shorter muzzle. They have rather large round eyes, a slightly upturned nose and high-set hanging ears. And puppies do resemble plush toys. Otherwise, they are very similar to other spaniels, their tails are also docked, leaving 1/3 of the length (however, recently this has become less and less common). The paws are quite powerful, covered with hair, there are membranes between the fingers.

The coat is silky, straight or wavy, especially long on the ears, chest and legs. The color is spotted (red-white, black-and-white, tri-color), black and tan, rich red (ruby).

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Character

Like all spaniels, Cavaliers are very sociable and active. Despite the glamorous appearance, this is not a couch dog at all, on the contrary, they are always delighted with the opportunity to run in nature, chase birds and cats, and even better play with the owner with a ball or frisbee. Moreover, they will be worn a lot, for a long time and selflessly. At home, these spaniels are also happy to take part in all the affairs of their family, follow people on their heels, absolutely unable to endure inactivity and loneliness. Sometimes they may even seem intrusive, so it is best to take these dogs to a large large family – then both the children and the pet will always have something to do. And even better, if the family has not only children, but also other pets – gentlemen will definitely make friends with them. Dogs of this breed do not suffer from pride at all and do not strive to be one and only, generously sharing the owner’s love with all household members.

By the way, they can also be good guards, warning about the appearance of uninvited guests with a ringing bark.

But only dogs really don’t like to stay at home, so you shouldn’t get a gentleman if you disappear for days at work. From loneliness, spaniels can entertain themselves by destroying the house.

Care and maintenance

The main condition for a happy life of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is communication and activity. He should always be near the owner and walk as much as possible, moreover, not walking sedately on a leash, but rushing around the park or yard. So this dog is hardly suitable for older people.

Because of the long hair on the paws, it is quite difficult for gentlemen to walk on slippery parquet or laminate, therefore, when bringing a small spaniel into the house, make sure that there are rugs wherever he runs, otherwise he may form an incorrect gait or even develop scoliosis.

Cavaliers remain playful into old age, so provide him with a variety of toys so you can avoid gnawed shoes (but this is not certain). It is better to remove from the puppy’s field of view all objects that can potentially be tried on the tooth.

In order for Cavaliers to always look attractive, their silky coat must be combed, and their ears must be cleaned at least once a week so that inflammation does not develop there.

Education and training

There is an opinion that decorative dogs do not need to be trained – they say, they learned the name and that’s okay. But it’s not. Even if you are not going to compete with your pet in demonstration competitions, he still needs training. This will not only form a certain framework of behavior for him, but also develop intelligence, and also establish contact between him and the owner, because they, one might say, are doing a common thing.

And for cheerful and sometimes overly active gentlemen, setting rules and boundaries is especially important. A puppy must learn from an early age that there are certain things that cannot be done. Therefore, start training with the command “fu” and “place”. Be sure to teach the dog to come to you at the first call – on a walk, the dog can get carried away with the game, run away and get lost.

Health and disease

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, unfortunately, are prone to a number of so-called breed diseases. This is prolapse or myxomatous degeneration of the valve and a disease of the cervical spine – Chiari syndrome (syringomyelia). If the second is not treated in time, that after five years the dog may earn a curvature of the neck. They also often have such a disease of the spine as episodic fall syndrome, when a just active and cheerful dog suddenly freezes in place and falls on its side, stretching out its paws. Joint diseases are also quite common.

In addition, the owners of these cute spaniels should pay attention to the cleanliness of their ears and eyes. And, of course, it is necessary to strictly monitor the diet of dogs so that they do not get obese.

Word to the breeder

Three representatives of the Moscow cattery, united by one goal and similar approaches and principles in breeding – breeder Veronika Naumenko from Bel Destino, breeder Svetlana Kudryavtseva from Allegro Sonata и breeder Julia Basinsky from “Serenade of the Forest” – share:

– The main purpose of a cavalier is to be a companion. The beauty of them is that they adapt to their owner, his temper, rhythm of life, age. They are equally good for families with children, and for people of age, for active people and for those who like to soak up. The main thing is that they are close. They are so loving that they are always glad to all family members and even strangers.

Cavaliers are a magical breed! If a gentleman has appeared in the house, there will almost always be another.

Popular questions and answers

We asked zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina to answer questions about the content of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: