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History

A predecessor to the modern breed of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel may be one of the only dog breeds in history to be assigned a certain form of special powers among their "noble" owners in England. In the 16^th century, this "spaniel gentle" or "comforter" kept ladies' laps warm during carriage rides, but they were also believed to be able to keep fleas at bay; some also believed that they could prevent some kinds of stomach troubles. Spaniels were so beloved, in fact, that Charles II kept them as nearly constant companions; this is where the name comes from, such that the breed ultimately became the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

During King William II's and Queen Mary II's reign, that breed of spaniel, the long nosed variety, went out of style, and the Pug came into fashion. It's at this point that many suspect that the long nosed spaniel was interbred with the Pug and perhaps other flat nosed breeds, ultimately culminating in the modern Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. These dogs were prized as hunting dogs, with John Churchill, the First Duke of Marlborough, specifically keeping these spaniels as hunting dogs in the 18^th century. He liked them because they could keep up with his horses. These were the first of the true Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, ultimately known as the Blenheim, named after Churchill's Blenheim estate.

At the turn of the 20^th century, attempts to recreate the original Cavalier King Charles Spaniel were attempted with the now extinct Toy Trawler spaniels. These efforts were recorded by Judith Blunt-Lytton in her book Toy Dogs and Their Ancestors Including the History and Management of Toy Spaniels, Pekingese, Japanese and Pomeranians, in 1911. She was the 16^th Baroness Wentworth, and published the book as the "Hon. Mrs. Neville Lytton."

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel began to emerge from the original breed of King Charles spaniel in 1926 and is really a product of American breeders, though descended from King Charles II's spaniels. The first Cavalier club was formed in 1928, with the first standard created then; ultimately, the Kennel Club recognized the breed as "King Charles spaniel, cavalier type." However, World War Two caused the breed to have a setback, with most of the breeding dogs destroyed because of hardship. After the war, just six dogs became the breeding stock for today's Cavaliers. In 1945, the breed was officially recognized by the Kennel Club as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

In 1956, the first recorded Cavalier living in the U.S. was brought here from the United Kingdom, ultimately resulting in the Cavalier King Charles Club USA, founded by Elizabeth Spaulding. The American Kennel King Charles Spaniel Club was formed in 1994, with the Cavalier finally officially recognized in the United States in 1997.

Description

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of the larger toy breeds, with adults weighing between 10 to 18 pounds. Although quite large for a toy breed, it's small for a spaniel, with full grown adults only reaching the size of adolescents for other spaniel breeds. The coat is silky and moderately long, with an undocked tail for show purposes, and oftentimes, feathering on the feet, ears, legs and tail in adults. The English Toy Spaniel and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are often confused with each other in the United States. The breeds have similar histories and have only been considered truly separate from each other for about 100 years.

In terms of color, Cavaliers generally have chestnut markings on a white background, officially known as Blenheims after John Churchill's estate. Those with a chestnut spot in the middle of the forehead are said to have "Blenheim" spots.

In addition to the traditional chestnut and white, Cavalier Charles Spaniels can also have black bodies with tan highlights, while "ruby" Cavaliers have an entirely chestnut body, perhaps with some white in their coats. Those with white in their coats, however, are considered to have a fault under AKC rules. The fourth color is called tricolor; this color is a black and white coat with tan markings on the inside of the ears, on the cheeks, on the underside of the tail, inside the legs, and on the eyebrows. This is the Prince Charles version of the Cavalier breed.

Temperament

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an active, happy, very affectionate and eager to please dog. They are also calm and generally fearless, and although they are only an average intelligence, in that they don't make particularly good working dogs, they so want to please that they will try very hard to do what you want them to. They're easy to train but crave companionship and must have rules and limits.

As with other small dog breeds, they can develop what's called Small Dog Syndrome; because of their gentle, naturally sweet nature, they don't develop this as easily as some other breeds, but they can still be spoiled so that they assume a role as the leader of the pack and think that they are in charge. Therefore, gentle boundaries and continual companionship with you as the "dog in charge" are necessary to prevent this behavior. They are very, very obedient as long as they are properly trained and can even be trained in competitive obedience events.

Proper environment

This little pet is an excellent family dog and is good both with small children and other pets. They are naturally kind, gentle, and very patient as long as they are properly socialized. They do love to chase because of their hunting background, so care should be taken to keep your pet safe near high traffic areas, and so on. They do very well with apartment living and don't need to have a lot of room to run, although they need daily walks with owners as pack leaders in order to be content. Otherwise, they need a lot of play to help them use up their considerable energy; a good romp in the park or in a large backyard off-leash is a good activity to pursue on a regular basis.

Health

Unfortunately, this darling little dog is prone to several health problems, some of them serious. Because this particular breed of dog is descended from only six dogs, it is particularly prone to serious genetic problems.

Mitral valve disease

Perhaps the most notable is mitral valve disease, which some experts state all dogs will develop at some point in their lives. The disease begins with heart murmurs and eventually progresses to failure. It's polygenic, meaning that it affects multiple genes throughout the line, and is the leading cause of death in the breed. While one in 10 dogs of all breeds will eventually develop heart disease, the cavalier Charles spaniel has a rate of 42.8%, with mitral valve disease developing in approximately half of all dogs by the age of five. By the age of 10, most dogs have at least a heart murmur.

Syringomyelia

Another common health problem for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is something called syringomyelia. With this disease, the brain and spine are affected, and it caused by a malformation in the back of the skull that reduces the amount of brain space available. This blocks the easy flow of cerebral spinal fluid, which can cause a buildup of pressure. In turn, this creates fluid pockets, also called syrinxes. Although this is a rare condition in most breeds, it's very common in the cavalier King Charles spaniel, with approximately 90% of cavaliers having the malformation of the skull that can lead to syrinxes. Between 30 to 70% actually have syrinxes. This eventually leads to neurological difficulties, and they can begin to appear early, as young as six months, or up to about four years of age. One of the most common symptoms of syringomyelia is an odd scratching behavior whereby the dog doesn't actually make contact with the skin, usually around the head or neck area. Diagnosis of syringomyelia is done by a vet, who will first rule out other causes of the scratching like ear mites.

Other health problems

They're also prone to other disorders like hip dysplasia, thrombocytopenia, macrothrombocytopenia, and something called "episodic falling," which is thought to be a neurological disorder caused by a single recessive gene mutation. With episodic falling, dogs suddenly experience increased muscle tone such that the muscles can't relax. In most of, this occurs after excitement, extreme exercise, or other kind of exertion. Often misdiagnosed as epilepsy, the dog actually remains fully conscious throughout the episode.

Longevity

In spite of a propensity for serious health problems, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels can live long lives, up to 14 years of age. Careful care and regular visits to the veterinarian can help manage some of the most severe symptoms of diseases like mitral valve disease, as can careful choice of breeder when selecting a puppy.