Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier would like to be constantly by the side of his owner. He plays very happily with children, but gently. The Cavalier does need regular exercise for good health and happiness.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed facts

The true purpose of this breed has always been that of a companion dog.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the number one toy dog in England.

Information you should know before owning a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a happy dog that does well in either a city or country environment.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel interacts well with children.

Dogs of the small spaniel-type have existed for centuries and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has documented its place among them. They have been recorded in paintings and tapestries for centuries together with the aristocratic families who enjoyed their loyal companionship. Cavaliers were obviously a luxury item, for the average person could not afford to keep and feed a dog that did not work.

Today's Cavalier is directly modeled on its royal ancestors but this did not happen without the effort of an American fancier, Roswell Eldridge. Mr. Eldridge traveled to England in the early 1920's hoping to buy two spaniels. He was unsuccessful, finding a diversity of type and none of the "old type", particularly the head type he desired. Employing Yankee ingenuity and determination, Roswell offered prizes of twenty-five pounds to the best male and best female of the "old type" exhibited at Crufts each year. The motivator worked; interest was generated among breeders to revive the original spaniel.

In 1952, the first Cavaliers were sent to America and a national breed club was formed soon after, but because of the small numbers of Cavaliers they did not gain full breed recognition for 40 years. January 1, 1996 saw the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel enter American Kennel Club competition as the 140th recognized breed.

Is this a vulnerable breed? Yes, No	No
What size is this dog? Small, Medium, Large	Small
How much excercise is required? 30 mins a day, 1 hour a day, Over 2 hours a day	1 hour a day
How long is this dog's coat? Short, Medium, Long	Medium
How much grooming is required? Once a week, More than once a week, Every day	More than once a week
Does this dog shed? Does shed, Does not shed	Does shed
What area is this dog best suited to? Town, Country, Either	Either
What size house is required for this breed? Flat/Apartment, Small House, Large House	Flat
What size of garden is required? Small Garden, Large Garden, No Garden	Small garden

	General Appearance Active, graceful and well balanced, with gentle expression.
	Characteristics Sporting, affectionate, absolutely fearless.
	Temperament Gay, friendly, non-aggressive; no tendency to nervousness.
	Eyes Large, dark, round but not prominent; spaced well apart.
	Mouth Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
	Neck Moderate length, slightly arched.
	Forequarters Chest moderate, shoulders well laid back; straight legs moderately boned.
	Body Short-coupled with good spring of rib. Level back.
	Hindquarters Legs with moderate bone; well turned stifle – no tendency to cowhocks or sickle-hocks.
	Feet Compact, cushioned and well feathered.
	Tail Length of tail in balance with body, well set on, carried happily but never much above the level of the back. Docking optional. If docked, no more than one-third to be removed.
	Gait / Movement Active, graceful and well balanced, with gentle expression.
	Coat Long, silky, free from curl. Slight wave permissible. Plenty of feathering. Totally free from trimming.
	Colour Recognised colours are: Black and Tan: raven black with tan markings above the eyes, on cheeks, inside ears, on chest and legs and underside of tail. Tan should be bright. White marks undesirable. Ruby: whole coloured rich red. White markings undesirable. Blenheim: rich chestnut markings well broken up, on pearly white ground. Markings evenly divided on head, leaving room between ears for much valued lozenge mark or spot (a unique characteristic of the breed). Tricolour: black and white well spaced, broken up, with tan markings over eyes, cheeks, inside ears, inside legs, and on underside of tail. Any other colour or combination of colours highly undesirable.
	Size Weight: 5.4-8.2 kgs (12-18 lbs). A small, well balanced dog well within these weights desirable.