Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy

A dog with a very royal-sounding name would be the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  This breed of small dog is very popular over in the United Kingdom, but it is also becoming more and more popular in the United States.  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies are also very adorable.  These dogs come in the colors Blenheim, black and tan, ruby and tricolour, which is black, white and tan.  This breed of dog makes a great pet since they are friendly and good with kids as well as other animals.

The name for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes from King Charles II.  The breed is a descendant of the King Charles Spaniel.  These dogs were interbred with Pugs toward the end of the 1600s.  This created a smaller dog with upturned faces, flat noses and rounder heads.  This led to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  At the Cruft's Dog Show in London during the 1920s, Roswell Eldridge, an American, offered money as a prize to anyone that showed a King Charles Spaniel with a long nose.  Although Eldridge died a month before the show and was unable to award the prize, American breeders carried on his idea of the type of dog he was looking for.  So, American breeders in the 1920s were the ones that created what we now know as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  The name Cavalier was given to the breed to differentiate it from the original King Charles Spaniels.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is considered to be a toy breed despite being larger than most other toy dogs.  They can grow to be small for spaniels, getting to be about the same size as an adult of other spaniel breeds.  The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will easily fit in a person's lap.  I don't have to describe what these spaniels look like because you can just look at the pictures and see for yourself.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is not to be confused with the English Toy Spaniel, though this happens a lot.  These two breeds share much of the same history and were not diverged until 100 years ago.  The biggest difference between the two is size.  The King Charles is slightly smaller with a weight of 9 to 12 pounds.  The English Toy weighs on average between 10 and 18 pounds.

In 2007, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was the sixth most popular dog in the United Kingdom, according to The Kennel Club.  There were 11,422 Cavaliers registered just that year.  The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies are also becoming more popular in America.  They went from being the 56th most popular dog in the US in 1998 to the 25th most popular in 2007 and 2008.  They are also very popular in Australia as well as other countries.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are great dogs to keep as family pets.  They are very playful and affectionate while being easy to train.  They get along well with children as well as with other dogs and animals.  The Cavaliers are not afraid of bigger dogs and will readily socialize with them.  The Cavaliers adapt quickly to the environment they are in and the people they are around.  They are good dogs to have in homes that have multiple dogs as pets because they quickly bond with the other dogs.  The Cavaliers are great with people of all ages from small children to older people.  They can be very playful dogs, but they also don't mind laying on the couch with their masters.

Those that want an active dog will be happy with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  They like to chase things, so they should not be let loose near streets since they will probably chase after cars.  Since the Cavaliers like to make friends with just about anyone they come across, they are not considered to be good guard dogs.  Spaniels have the instinct to hunt, so they may be a danger to small animals like birds.  However, they can be trained to get along with other small pets like hamsters.  Until they are trained, it is a good idea to keep spaniels separated from smaller animals and pets.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels make good dogs for people living in apartments.  While they don't need a big yard to run around in, a small one is good for their energetic temperament.  They don't do very well in hot weather, so don't keep one as a pet if you live in the desert.

Since Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are playful, they need plenty of exercise.  They should be taken for walks every day.  While playing will give them a good amount of exercise, they are dogs that need to be walked.  If they do not get frequent walks, then they could develop behavioral problems.  These dogs also do well with running around in open areas like fenced yards.  It gives them a chance to run around and play, meaning they are getting good exercise.  A healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can live as long as 14 years.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are known to have certain health problems.  They are vulnerable to hereditary eye disease, back problems, ear infections, dislocated kneecaps and trouble with hearing.  These breeds can also easily gain weight, so it important to not feed the dog too much food.  Early death can be caused by a genetic heart problem called mitral valve disease.  When people choose a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, they should check the medical history of the generations of dogs that came before it to see if there are any health problems that can possibly be of concern as they get older.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies are great dogs for those that want a good pet.  They are great for families and will be a warm addition to any home.  Take good care of your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and you will have a great pet for many years to come.