The Caveiler King Charles Spaniel Breed have long been popular pets of the English royal families and are an affectionate dog that is a bit on the larger side weighing 10 to 18 pounds. This breed are well behaved and easy to train.
Appearance
The Caveiler King Charles Spaniel has four recognized colors: Blenheim (reddish brown and white), Black and Tan (black and reddish brown), Ruby (reddish brown), and Tricolor (reddish brown, black and white). This breed is long silky ears and tail with medium length fur. The King Charles Spaniel should be groomed often.
Temperment
The breed is highly affectionate, and some have called the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ‘the ultimate lap dog’. They do not like to be left alone for extended periods so this is not a good dog to have if you are away at work all day. They are well behaved, easy to train and get along with other pets and older children. They can be used somewhat for hunting and do well in agility. This breed does like to exercise outside and should be leashed when walking.
Health
Unfortunately, the Caveiler King Charles Spaniel suffers from a number of congenital defects, such as eye disease, dislocated knee caps, early deafness and mitral valve disease, a condition that can happen at an early age, and is present in many Cavalier King Charles Spaniels by the time they are 5. This breed can gain weight easily so be sure not to overfeed.
History
For centuries, Spaniels have been popular in the United Kingdom. Toy Spaniels have been popular as pets in the Royal family and the King Charles Spaniel was so named because the Blenheim was the children’s pet in the houshold of King Charles the First. In the beginning of the 1900’s, an American offered twenty-five pounds as a prize to any King Charles Spaniel ‘of the old-fashioned type’ with a longer nose, flat skull and a spot in the middle of the forehead, commonly called ‘the kiss of Buddha’. So, the breed was developed by selective breeding of short-snouted King Charles Spaniels (also known as English Toy Spaniels).