Breed of the Week - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

by Kuno Spies

Small Spaniel type dogs appear in many paintings from the fifteenth and sixteenth century depicting children and or court families. These little dogs were obviously a luxury item since the average person could not afford a dog that did not work.

The Cavalier or Toy Spaniel became a great favorite of Charles I of Britain and it is from this source that the name King Charles came into use. Charles II continued this interest and the dogs popularity increased until the fall of the house of Stuart. Because the Pug was the favorite breed of William and Mary it soon became a political liability to have a dog that was associated with King Charles.

Queen Victoria owned a Cavalier as a child, but due to her lifetime interest in developing and breeding dogs, and the advent of formalized dog shows this helped to change the breed radically from its original form. The dog that we know today as the English Toy Spaniel was the result of this activity and that breed became so popular that the original version of the Cavalier all but disappeared.

In 1926 after an unsuccessful search for a pair of spaniels of the type he had seen in paintings by Gainsborough and Copely, an American offered twenty five pounds each for the best dog and best bitch of the Old Type at the Cruft’s dog show for the next five years. This large sum of prize money generated interest in reviving the original spaniel form. In 1928 the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club was formed in England and the breed was recognized by the Kennel Club in 1944 with the first Challenge Certificates in the breed being awarded in 1946.

The Cavalier has always had a good following in the US and was shown for many years in the miscellaneous class. The American Kennel Club has recognized the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club and on January 1, 1996 the breed became eligible for full recognition, and was placed in the Toy Group.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an active , graceful well balanced toy spaniel, very gay and free in action, fearless and sporting in character but at the same time gentle and affectionate. The gay temperament, combined with the true elegance and royal appearance are of paramount importance to this breed. Natural appearance with no trimming, sculpting or artificial alteration is essential to breed type.

Cavaliers come in four colors, Blenheim – Rich Chestnut markings on a clear, pearly white ground. Tricolor – Jet black markings on a clear pearly white ground with rich tan markings over the eyes, on cheeks, inside ears and on underside of tail. Ruby – whole colored rich red. Black and Tan – Jet black with rich, bright tan markings over eyes, on cheeks, inside ears, on chest, legs and on underside of tail.

The official standard for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel states they should be 12 to 13 inches at the withers and weigh proportionate to height, between 13 and 18 pounds, body approaches squareness yet if measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock is slightly longer than high. A sweet, melting expression is an important breed characteristic, the eyes should be large, round, but not prominent and well set apart.

Cavaliers should be gay, friendly, and non-aggressive, or as I always say they love everyone. I personally have two Cavalier males; Cooper who is 8 and Simon who is 6, their most important activity is making sure they are very near someone. After having had bird dogs for thirty years I find the the Cavalier is much like a sporting dog, mine have great reach and drive and love to investigate the yard to see if they can find something having fur or feather.

For more information about the breed, visit The American Cavalier King Charles Club, Inc.

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