Dog Breeds > Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles is one of the oldest toy breed in the history of dog breeds. This jolly little tail-wagging dog was used to own by the royal people in England. Today, you can enjoy their company and whether for breeding or for fashion’s sake.
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Fascinating Facts
Descended from the King Charles spaniel, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was named after King Charles II. In 1600’s, Pugs were used in order to achieve smaller version of the King Charles spaniel. The resulting breed got upturned faces, flatter noses and rounder skulls.
Physical Appearance
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel grows up to 12 – 13 inches and weighs about 10 – 18 pounds. This breed is well proportioned. The head is round with a slightly tapered muzzle and black nose. The ears are feathery and are always set high.
The tail is normally docked up to 2/3 of its original length but there are owners/trainers/handlers that let the tail as it is. The medium length silky smooth coat normally goes with tricolor combination. However, there are breeders that prefer Blenheim dogs; dogs with chestnut-red spot on the forehead.
Grooming
The medium length coat of the Cavalier King Charles spaniel needs regular brushing or combing to prevent it from tangling. The long growth of hair between the feet should also be trimmed. The ears and body should always be checked for burrs and ticks. Bathe if necessary.
Mood
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is an affectionate, eager and happy dog. You will always find them wagging their tails as if expressing their delight. This little feisty toy breed likes to spend time and play outdoors. This breed is also intelligent and would easily understand what you want them to do. They are not aggressive and would get well along with other dogs and animals inside the house.
This breed likes to be in the center of attention. They love people that’s why they make good companions. However, because of this behavior many Cavalier King Charles spaniels need extensive obedience training in order to control their overexcitement. Also, do not overindulge this breed because they might get a little bit dominant over their masters.
With Children
This breed loves children and they are affectionate, playful and lively companions. They could spend long hours playing and running around. However, tell your kids not to spoil this breed because the Cavalier King Charles spaniel can become dominant over them.
Training & Exercise
It is always important to give the Cavalier King Charles spaniel daily exercise to keep it healthy and to get them on peak condition. Although there are owners/trainers that let their Cavalier be engaged on play, it is still not enough to satisfy their instinct to walk. Other Cavaliers exhibits foul temper and dominance if they are under exercised.
When it comes to training, you can expect the Cavalier to obey your instructions however, they are easily distracted by other moving things. Food reward training method is very effective in this situation. Make sure that you have gentle and calm but firm tone when giving commands or instructions so that the Cavalier would remember that you are the leader and not them.
Health & Life Expectancy
The normal life expectancy of the Cavalier King Charles spaniel is about 9 – 14 years. There are some Cavaliers that live up to 15 years depending on how you take care of them. This breed could easily gain weight, so owners should be careful not to overfeed them. There are people who tend to overfeed this breed because of their overflowing delight for this dog. This breed is very prone to hereditary eye problems, syringomyelia, ear infections and back problems.
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