The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) is a British breed of toy dog of spaniel type. Four colours are recognised: Blenheim (chestnut and white), tricolour (black/white/tan), black and tan, and ruby; the coat is smooth and silky. The lifespan is usually between eight and twelve years.
The toy spaniels which were the predecessors of the Cavalier changed dramatically in the nineteenth century, when they were inter-bred 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 – a dog resembling Charles II's spaniel of the English Civil War period, when supporters of the king were known as Cavaliers.
History
During the early part of the 18th century, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, kept red and white King Charles type spaniels for hunting. The duke recorded that they were able to keep up with a trotting horse. His estate was named Blenheim in honour of his victory at the Battle of Blenheim. Because of this influence, the red and white variety of the King Charles Spaniel and thus the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel became known as the Blenheim.Moffat (2006), p. 19.
The exact relationship of the different toy spaniels was a matter of much debate among dog writers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the book "Toy Dogs and Their Ancestors Including the History And Management of Toy Spaniels, Pekingese, Japanese and Pomeranians" published under the name of the "Hon. Mrs. Neville Lytton" in 1911, Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth documented her attempts to investigate their lineage by crossing Blenheims with the now extinct Toy Trawler Spaniels which she considered the best living representative of the 17th-century type.
Divergence from King Charles Spaniel In 1926, the American Roswell Eldridge offered a dog show class prize of 25 pounds of sterling silver each as a prize for the best male and females of "Blenheim Spaniels of the old type, as shown in pictures of Charles II of England's time, long face, no stop, flat skull, not inclined to be domed, with spot in centre of skull." The breeders of the era were appalled, although several entered what they considered to be sub-par Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in the competition. Eldridge died before seeing his plan come to fruition, but several breeders believed in what he said and in 1928 the first Cavalier club was formed. The first standard was created, based on a dog named "Ann's Son" owned by Katherine Mostyn Walker,Moffat (2006), p. 22. and the Kennel Club recognised the variety as "King Charles Spaniels, Cavalier type".
The Second World War caused a drastic setback to the emerging breed, with the vast majority of breeding stock destroyed because of wartime hardship and food shortages. For instance, in the Ttiweh Cavalier Kennel, the population of 60 dogs dropped to three during the 1940s. On 5th December 1944, the Kennel Club first recognised the breed in its own right as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Leading breeders Amice Pitt, Katie Eldred and Madame Harper-Trois-Fontaines then examined the Kennel Club registration lists and identified up to 200 dogs of 'Cavalier type' among the King Charles Spaniels, 60 of which had been born during the War. However 53 of the latter were sired by just one dog, Plantation Banjo, so the gene pool was severely restricted.
The first recorded Cavalier living in the United States was brought from the United Kingdom in 1956 by Lyons and Sally Brown who, together with Elizabeth Spalding and other enthusiasts, founded the Cavalier King Charles Club USA that continues to the present day. In 1994, the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club was created by a group of breeders to apply for recognition by the American Kennel Club. It was recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1995, and the ACKCSC became the parent club for Cavaliers.Moffat (2006), p. 23. Since 2000, it has grown in popularity in the United States and ranks as the 13th most popular pure-breed in the United States.
Description
Historically the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was a lap dog and is small for a spaniel, with fully grown adults comparable in size to adolescents of other larger spaniel breeds. The tail is usually not docked, and the Cavalier should have a silky coat of moderate length. Standards state that it should be free from curl, although a slight wave is allowed. Feathering can grow on their ears, feet, legs and tail in adulthood. Standards require this be kept long, with the feathering on the feet a particularly important aspect of the breed's features.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the English Toy Spaniel can often be confused with each other. In the United Kingdom, the English Toy Spaniel is called the King Charles Spaniel, while in the United States, one of the colours of the Toy Spaniel is known as King Charles. The two breeds share similar history and only diverged from each other about 100 years ago. There are several major differences between the two breeds, with the primary difference being size. While the Cavalier weighs on average between , the King Charles is smaller at . In addition, their facial features, while similar, are different; the Cavalier's ears are set higher and its skull is flat, while the King Charles's skull is domed. Finally, the muzzle length of the Cavalier tends to be longer than that of its King Charles cousin.Coile (2008), p. 9.
Colour
The breed has four recognized colours. Cavaliers that have rich chestnut markings on a pearly white background are known as Blenheim in honor of Blenheim Palace, where John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough raised for assistance in hunting the predecessors to the Cavalier breed in this particular colour. In some Blenheim dogs there is a chestnut spot in the middle of the forehead: this is called the "Blenheim" spot.Lambert (2008), p. 14. The Blenheim spot is also known as the mark of the "Duchess Thumb Print", based on the legend that Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough while awaiting news of her husband's safe return from the Battle of Blenheim, pressed the head of an expecting dam with her thumb, resulting in five puppies bearing the lucky mark after news that the battle had been won.
Black and Tan are dogs with black bodies with tan highlights, particularly eyebrows, cheeks, legs and beneath the tail.Lambert (2008), p. 15. Black and Tan is referred to as "King Charles" in the King Charles Spaniel.
Ruby Cavaliers should be entirely chestnut,Jeff (2008), p. 16. although some can have some white in their coats that is considered a fault under American Kennel Club conformation show rules.
The fourth colour is known as Tricolour, which is black and white with tan markings on cheeks, inside ears, on eyebrows, inside legs, and on underside of tail. This colour is referred to as "Prince Charles" in the King Charles Spaniel.
Rare all-black and so-called 'chocolate' varieties can arise naturally within litters but are not part of the breed standard in any jurisdiction.
Popularity According to statistics released by The Kennel Club, Cavaliers were the 6th most popular dog in the United Kingdom in 2007 with 11,422 registrations in a single year. Their popularity is on the rise in America; in 1998 they were the 56th most popular breed but in both 2007 and 2008 they were the 25th most popular. They ranked higher in some individual US cities in the 2008 statistics: 8th in both Nashville and Minneapolis-St.Paul, 7th in Boston, Atlanta and Washington D.C., and 6th in both New York City and San Francisco. The breed's popularity has continued to grow, ranking in 14th place in 2022.
In 2009, the Cavalier was the 4th most popular breed in Australia with 3,196 registrations, behind only Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. In addition, there are also national breed clubs in Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden. Today, Cavaliers are becoming a popular choice in cross breeding and are bred with other dogs such as poodles, though it should be acknowledged that these breeds are not purebred dogs eligible for registration under the AKC.
Cavaliers were among the pets of Princess Margaret and U.S. President Ronald Reagan, known for his Blenheim Cavalier named Rex. Cavaliers, such as Dash, were also the dog of choice for Queen Victoria.
Temperament
The breed is playful, patient and eager to please. As such, most dogs of the breed are good with children and other dogs; even large dogs. They will adapt quickly to almost any environment, family, and location and suit city and country life. Their ability to bond with larger and smaller dogs makes them a good choice for households with more than one breed. Cavaliers rank 44th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, being of average intelligence in working or obedience. Cavaliers are said to be naturally curious and playful, but can also be calm companions or lap dogs for making them good companions or lap dogs for medical patients and the elderly.
Cavaliers are active and sporting. Cavaliers are successful in conformation shows, obedience and agility and are frequently used as therapy dogs due to their calm disposition.
They have an instinct to chase most things that move including vehicles on busy streets, and so most Cavaliers will never become "street-wise". As they tend to regard all strangers as friends, members of the breed will usually not make good guard dogs. Spaniels have a strong hunting instinct and may endanger birds and small animals. However, owners have reported that through training their Cavaliers live happily with a variety of small animals including hamsters and gerbils.
The Cavalier's coat requires weekly brushing, but no trimming. However, some owners prefer to trim their Cavalier's long feathers and slippers that can become very dirty when walking or playing outside.
Health
A 2022 UK study of veterinary data found a life expectancy of 10.45 years compared to 11.82 for crossbreeds. A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 11.8 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds. A 2018 Japanese study of pet cemetery data found a life expectancy of 13.1 years compared to 15.1 for crossbreeds and 13.7 overall. A 2024 Italian study found a life expectancy of 10 years for the breed compared to 10 years overall. A 2005 Swedish study of insurance records found 48% of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels died by the age of 10, higher than the overall rate at 35% of dogs dying by the age of 10.