History

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small breed of dog, generally regarded as one of the largest toy dog breeds. The breed, which originated in the 20th century, is the descendant of the older King Charles Spaniel of the Restoration period.

Appearance

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has a long face with a flat skull and a small and tiny depression in the center. This majestic dog has a coat perfectly patterned in four different colors; Red and White, tricolor, ruby, black and tan and possesses big, round, dark brown eyes and long, silky hair on their ears, tails, bellies and legs. The average weight of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ranges between 13 and 18 pounds.

Color

Red and White (Blenheim), black and tan (King Charles) tricolor (Prince Charles) and solid, dark red (Ruby).

Personality

A combination of rare virtues, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a highly active, lovable, playful, and intelligent dog renowned for its majestic elegance and brave, sporty spirit. The dog with its gentle, affectionate and commanding nature is devoted to its owner and is extremely friendly with children, cats, and other dogs. Moderately active indoors, it is quite easy to train the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Health Concerns

The average life expectancy of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ranges from 9 to14 years. One of the most common and serious health problems encountered in this breed is Mitral Valve Disease (MVD) the degeneration of heart or congestive heart failure caused due to the thickening of the left or mitral valve of the heart, which could sometimes result in the death of the dog. Certain other health disorders which affect the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are cataracts and various other eye diseases, luxating patellas or slipping kneecaps.

Recognized By

CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR