| The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small breed of dog with a substantial silky coat of moderate length, straight or with a mild wave, and long ears. The Cavalier’s head is nearly flat between the ears, he has a well-defined nose, and his large, round eyes give him his characteristic endearing look. His ears are long and drooping, with plenty of feathering. Unlike most other spaniels, the Cavalier has a full-length tail, well-feathered with long hair, which is typically carried aloft when walking. He moves with a somewhat elegant and royal gait. |
| Height: |
12-15½ inches |
| Weight: |
10-25 pounds |
| Color(s): |
Blenheim (most common; rich chestnut on pearly white background), Tricolor (black and white with tan markings on cheeks, inside ears, on eyebrows, inside legs, and on underside of tail), Black and Tan (black with tan markings), and Ruby (rich reddish-brown all over); parti-colors are the colors that include white: Blenheim and Tricolor. Whole-colors have no white: Black and Tan, and Ruby. |
| Coat: |
Long, silky, free from curl but possibly with a slight wave |
| Description: |
The Cavalier is one of the largest of toy breed. Though historically a lap dog, modern day fully-grown adults tend to fill a lap rather amply. He is nonetheless quite small for a spaniel, with fully-grown Cavaliers roughly comparable in size to adolescents of more conventional spaniel breeds. |
| Temperament: |
The breed is highly affectionate, and some have called the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel "the ultimate lap dog" or the "love sponge" of dogs. Most dogs of the breed are playful, extremely patient, and eager to please. As such, dogs of the breed are usually good with children, seniors, and other dogs. Cavaliers connect with their owners almost immediately, but are a little delayed with strangers. When they greet somebody they tend to lick them on the hand. The extremely social nature of the Cavalier means that they require almost constant companionship from humans or other dogs, and are not suited to spending long periods of time on their own. Some Cavaliers have been known to exhibit traits in common with cats, such as perching in high places, such as on the tops of couches or the highest pillow, cleaning their own paws, or displaying some birding qualities. |
| Training: |
The Cavalier is quite intelligent and easy to train. For example they seem to be able to learn (and remember) tricks (lay down, roll over, shake, etc.) within a day or two. They can be easily trained to do other things with a good treat. It is important for Cavaliers to have a hand-reared puppyhood to ensure security and friendliness. |
| Care & Grooming: |
A well-socialized Cavalier will not be shy about socializing with much larger dogs. This tendency can be dangerous, as many Cavaliers will presume all other dogs to be equally friendly, and may attempt to greet and play with aggressive dogs. Care should be taken when walking a Cavalier off-leash, as they can single-mindedly chase a butterfly, chipmunk, squirrel, rabbit, or bird onto a busy road, or into other dangerous situation, without regard for their own safety.
It is very important to keep the Cavalier’s coat well groomed. Daily brushing is recommended to ensure that his coat does not get matted and that foreign objects, such as grass and sticks, do not become entangled in the feathering. Fur on his feet and hind legs should be trimmed regularly. In hot climates, his ears should be thinned. He should not be bathed more than twice a week, as frequent bathing may cause skin irritation. |
| Shedding: |
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| Health: |
Cavaliers can suffer from a number of severe genetic defects. Two common, and severe, conditions are mitral valve disease and syringomyelia. Mitral valve disease affects the heart, and is the leading cause of death for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and the reason the breed’s expected life span is only between seven and ten years. Syringomyelia (SM) is a condition affecting the brain and spine, causing symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain and partial paralysis. Symptoms include sensitivity around the head, neck, or shoulders, often indicated by a dog whimpering or frequently scratching at the area of his neck or shoulder. Scratching is often unilateral, restricted to one side of the body. Scratching motions are frequently performed without actually making physical contact with the body. The scratching behavior appears involuntary and the dog frequently scratches while walking, without stopping, in a way that is very atypical of normal scratching. Scratching typical of SM is usually worse when the dog is wearing a collar, is being walked on leash, or is excited, and first thing in the morning or at night. However, not all dogs with SM show scratching behavior, and not all dogs that display scratching behavior have SM. A vet should be asked to rule out basic causes of scratching or discomfort. Other health issues that have been reported for Cavaliers are episodic falling (EF), hip dysplasia (HD), keratoconjunctivitis sicca and other eye disorders, luxating patella, primary secretory otitis media (PSOM), deafness, thrombocytopenia and macrothrombocytopenia. Responsible breeders choose pairings to try to reduce the incidence of all genetic defects in the breed. Due to the large size of the Cavalier's ears and eyes, they are prone to infections. |
| Lifespan: |
7-10 years |
| Litter Size: |
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