King Charles Spaniel

The King Charles Spaniel — the English Toy Spaniel in North America — is the older, flatter-faced toy spaniel from which the Cavalier was recreated.

History

It is the breed of the seventeenth-century English court, named for Charles II, whose attachment to his spaniels is a matter of record. Nineteenth-century breeding shortened the muzzle and domed the skull; the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was created in the 1920s to bring back the older longer-nosed type, which makes this breed the original rather than the variant.

Temperament

The breed is known for being quiet, affectionate and undemanding — more reserved and less boisterous than the Cavalier, content as a close companion and poor at being left alone.

Care and training

Exercise needs are modest. The silky coat and feathered ears need regular brushing, and the flat face means eyes and folds want daily attention. It is gentle to train and easily overwhelmed by noise.

Health

The shortened face brings genuine breathing and eye concerns, and the breed shares the Cavalier's inherited heart risk. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.