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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small breed of dog of Spaniel type,
usually considered one of the toy dog breeds. It is a small spaniel with
a substantial silky coat of moderate length, often with a mild wave, and
long ears. Four colours (Blenheim, Tricolour, Black and Tan, and Ruby)
are recognized. The breed originated in the 20th century but has its roots
in the older King Charles Spaniel of the Restoration.
Appearance
The Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel is perhaps the largest toy breed: though historically
a lap dog, modern day fully-grown Cavalier King Charles Spaniel adults
tend to fill a lap rather amply. It is nonetheless quite small for a spaniel,
with fully-grown Cavaliers roughly comparable in size to adolescents of
more conventional spaniel breeds. Breed standards call for a height between
30 and 33cm (12–13 inches) with a proportionate weight between 6 and 10kg
(10 and 18 lb). Unlike most other spaniels, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
has a full-length tail, well-feathered with long hair, which is usually
not docked, which is typically carried aloft when walking. The Cavalier's
head is nearly flat between the ears and has a well defined nose, its eyes
are large and round and this gives the dog its characteristic endearing
look. Its neck is strong and is slightly arched and its ears are long and
drooping and have plenty of feathering. The body of the Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel is small but well balanced, this dog moves with a somewhat elegant
and royal gait.
Coat
The breed
naturally grows a substantial silky coat of moderate length. Breed standards
call for it to be free from curl, with a slight wave permissible. In adulthood,
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels grow lengthy feathering on their ears, chest,
legs, feet and tail; breed standards demand this be kept long, with the
feathering on the feet cited as a particularly important feature of the
breed.
A Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel's coat may be beautiful, but, because it can be long,
it is very important to keep it well groomed. Daily brushing is recommended
to ensure that the coat does not get matted and that foreign objects, such
as grass and sticks, do not become entangled in the feathering.They do
shed mildly. It also should not be bathed more than twice a week otherwise
it may cause skin irritation.Fur on the feet and on the hind legs should
be trimmed regularly. In hot climates, the ears should be thinned.They
get ear-mites very often.
Color
The Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel breed has four recognized colors
* Red and White (Blenheim) (rich chestnut on pearly white background)
* Tricolour (Prince Charles) (black and white with tan markings on cheeks,
inside ears, on eyebrows, inside legs, and on underside of tail)
* Black and Tan (King Charles)(black with tan markings)
* Red (Ruby) (rich reddish-brown all over)
Parti-colours
are the colours that include white: Blenheim and Tricolour. Whole-colours
have no white: Black and Tan, and Ruby. The Blenheim is the most common
colour, and the most liked.
Temperament
The Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel breed is highly affectionate. Most dogs of the breed
are playful, extremely patient and eager to please. As such, dogs of the
breed are usually good with children and other dogs. A well-socialized
Cavalier will not be shy about socializing with much larger dogs. (However,
on occasion, this tendency can be dangerous, as many cavaliers will presume
all other dogs to be equally friendly, and may attempt to greet and play
with aggressive dogs.) Cavalier King Charles Spaniels will adapt
quickly to almost any environment, family, and location. Their ability
to bond with larger and smaller dogs make them ideal in houses with more
than one breed of dog as long as the other dog is trained. Cavaliers are
great with people of all ages, from children to seniors, making them a
very versatile dog. They rank 44th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence
of Dogs, being of average working/obedience intelligence.
Personality
The extremely
social nature of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel means that they require
almost constant companionship from humans or other dogs, and are not suited
to spending long periods of time on their own. (Even though they will be
very patient and obedient) This breed is one of the friendliest of the
toy group. It is important for Cavaliers to have a hand-reared puppyhood
to ensure security and friendliness. When they greet somebody they tend
to lick them on the hand. They connect with their owners almost immediately,
but are rarely a little delayed with strangers. They are very playful.
Some
Cavaliers have been known to exhibit traits in common with cats, such as
perching in high places (the tops of couches, the highest pillow, etc),
cleaning their own paws and can also show some birding qualities. Cavaliers
have been seen to catch small birds in mid-flight that are flying too close
to the ground. Such behaviour is a result of their earlier use as a hunting
dog, and as such, they can develop habits that predispose them to chase
small animals such as chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, birds etc.
Health
Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel are generally a healthy, hearty breed but they do
suffer from two possible genetic conditions, mitral valve disease (MVD)
and syringomyelia (SM), these can be severe. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Breeders who breed for health will screen their breeding dogs for heart
disease,but the incidence of other defects is so low that testing of every
dog is completely unnecessary. Heart Problems are the most common problem,
but even with the onset on MVD, with an appropriate regimen of diet and
exercise, these little dogs can easily live a full life, often into their
teens.
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