Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a British toy spaniel with a smooth, silky coat, recognised in four colours — Blenheim, tricolour, black-and-tan and ruby.

History

It descends from the small spaniels seen at the shoulders of kings in seventeenth-century portraits, and was recreated in the twentieth century to bring back that older, longer-nosed type. It was always a companion rather than a working spaniel.

Temperament

The breed is known for being gentle, affectionate and sociable — an eager, people-loving lapdog that gets on with children, strangers and other animals. It wants to be with its people and dislikes being left alone.

Care and training

Exercise needs are modest but it enjoys a walk, and the silky coat and feathered ears need regular brushing and cleaning. It is easy to train, being soft-natured and keen to please.

Health

The breed carries serious, well-documented inherited risks — mitral valve heart disease above all, along with syringomyelia, a painful condition where the skull crowds the brain. These are known patterns for the breed and very much a matter for the individual dog and its vet; the measured facts are in the panel.