The Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel is a small spaniel
classed as a toy dog by The Kennel Club. It
is one of the most popular breeds in the
United Kingdom. Since 2000, it has grown in
popularity in the United States.
It is a
smaller breed of spaniel, and Cavalier
adults are often the same size as adolescent
dogs of other spaniel breeds. It has a silky
coat and commonly an undocked tail. The
breed standard recognizes four colours:
Blenheim, Tricolour (black/white/tan), Black
and Tan, and Ruby.
The breed is
generally friendly, affectionate and good
with both children and other animals. The
King Charles changed drastically in the late
17th century, when it was interbred with
flat-nosed breeds. Until the 1920s, the
Cavalier shared the same history as the
smaller King Charles Spaniel. Breeders
attempted to recreate what they considered
to be the original configuration of the
breed, a dog resembling Charles II's King
Charles Spaniel of the Restoration.
Various health
issues affect this particular breed, most
notably mitral valve disease, which leads to
heart failure. This appears in most
Cavaliers at some point in their lives and
is the most common cause of death. The breed
may also suffer from syringomyelia, in which
cavities are formed in the spinal cord,
possibly associated with malformation of the
skull that reduces the space available for
the brain.
Cavaliers are
also affected by ear problems, a common
health problem among spaniels of various
types, and they can suffer from such other
general maladies as hip dysplasia, which are
common across many types of dog breeds. Read
more about Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
breed here |