History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed, external standard, character and health, care recommendations, training, interesting facts. Purchasing a puppy. When they want to have a lap dog, they often choose a toy breed. But not all small dogs are adapted for an imposing life on the couch or playing with children. Small does not at all mean docile, affectionate and friendly. To find such a friend, you need to search among the varieties specially bred for this purpose, taking into account their physical and behavioral characteristics.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are great for this. They are famous for their good attitude towards children, exceptional intelligence, complaisance and ability to live without creating problems even in tight spaces. Most of the time, they spent in the lap of the nobility. Members of the royal family put these dogs to bed with them.
These dogs get along happily almost anywhere. They need daily brushing. It is a pleasure to teach them. Animals are suitable even for inexperienced owners of different age categories. They are famous for their popularity.
History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
This breed appeared in 1600 when Charles I, King of England, crossed small flat-faced dogs. For this he used a pug that was imported from Scotland and a decorative spaniel already known in the UK. His son Charles II, literally lost his head because of these dogs. They say that almost a hundred of these pets ran around the palace, and the monarch, paying attention to them, neglected state affairs. These dogs are named after the king.
At the beginning of the 18th century, John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, kept red and white King Charles spaniels for hunting. In the notes of a noble nobleman, it is noted that they were able to keep pace with the trot of a horse. His estate was named Blenheim, after his victory at the Battle of Bleheim. Mixing his monochromatic pets resulted in a two-tone, red-and-white dog. Therefore, this color of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is called blenheim.
When the monarchy came to an end, the breed almost disappeared. Starting in 1920, the species began to recover, but new bloods of other varieties were included in its selection: Pekingese, Japanese and Pomeranian Chins. In 1923, the American enthusiast Roswell Eldridge wanted the Cavaliers back. He studied them in old paintings and began to revive the breed. Spaniel breeders, he promised a lot of money for just such a dog. Its standard was approved in 1928.
Description of the appearance of the breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are active, graceful, proportionally built, cheerful, affectionate and good-natured. Their movements are light and graceful. Males have a height at the withers from 30 cm to 33 cm. Weight from 4, 2 kg. up to 8, 2 kg. Within these limits, the dog remains small and harmoniously built.
- Head - the skull between the ears is flat, the cheeks are well filled in front of the eyes.
- Muzzle slightly tapering, but not narrow. The stop is weak. The jaws are strong, with a full set of teeth. The incisors are perpendicular to the jaw. The bite is a close undershot.
- Nose well developed, but not loose.
- Eyes Cavalier King Charles spaniels are set wide apart. Large, not prominent, dark brown. Their soft expression is one of the important characteristics of the breed.
- Ears located high. Long, drooping, covered with abundant hair.
- Neck medium long, slightly curved.
- Frame square format. The ribcage is medium in size. The loin is short. The ribs are prominent. The back is straight.
- Tail harmoniously planted. Its length should be in proportion to the length of the body. The dog carries its tail cheerfully, but it is not understood above the line of the back.
- Front limbs - have a medium backbone. The shoulders are sloping, parallel to the hindquarters when viewed from the front. The hind ones are of the middle bone. The angles of the articulations are well formed, endowed with good pushing movements.
- Paws compact, well-covered, well-developed pads.
- Coat - silky, slightly wavy, very delicate. Decorating hair should be present in abundance: on the ears, chest, legs and tail.
The color includes four colors:
- Prince Charles or tricolor (with large symmetrical spots of white and black, tan markings above the eyes, on the cheeks, the inner side of the ears on the chest and the lower part of the tail);
- King Charles or black and tan (the color of a black wing with bright red markings above the eyes, on the muzzle, paws, on the chest, inner sides of the ears and tail);
- monochromatic ruby and blenheim (on pearl white, reddish-brown spots, on the head they are arranged symmetrically, leaving a white rhombus between the ears).
Character traits of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Wonderful cheerful and loyal dog, it will suit anyone. It turned out that these cute creatures relieve stress and bouts of depression. Communicating with them lowers blood pressure and heart rate. This is why various organizations welcome pets to the workplace, not only during the annual “Take the Dog to Work” holiday, established in 1999.
Spaniels are cheerful, sociable creatures. Not aggressive, but never show fear. Great companions for almost any dog lover. They are famous for their wonderful attitude towards children and this love is mutual. Often they are loyal and reliable accomplices, but the offspring should be explained that they need to treat gentlemen gently, since they have a fragile skeleton. And the contact of pets with young children should be under control.
Affectionate and friendly with all dogs as well as cats and other small animals. With "murkas" they often sleep in an embrace. Cavaliers strive for physical contact and warmth. Perfectly disposed to all people. It is enough to be in the nursery, as wagging tails will surround you from all sides, as if you are old acquaintances with them. They are easy to educate and train. They get along well with the leash, they never pull, they go where the owner directs them.
Cavalier Charles with kind eyes, a real weakness for dog lovers. The owners never part with them. If you do not want your dog to sleep in your bed, you need to make it clear to him from day one. If you let her just once, you will never wean her again. Do not follow the lead in food, otherwise the pet will manipulate you. These are very clean dogs, which are very easy to teach not to get dirty in the house. They live happily in all places. But this does not mean that they do not need to be paid attention.
Spaniels do not abuse barking, they voice only when necessary. Despite their small size, they are vigilant and reliable sentries. They always feel the presence of a stranger and always run to greet him. They boldly point out a danger, such as the presence of pests in the garden. They easily adapt to climatic conditions and can live in the fresh air, but they prefer to be within the walls of the house with their adored owner.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed health
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels live on average from 9 to 16 years. In general, in the absence of hereditary diseases, they have fairly good health. Like most dogs with flat muzzles, they have breathing problems. Just like pugs or bulldogs can snore.
They are twenty times more likely than other breeds, prone to mitral valve collapse. This is one of the four valves in a dog's heart. When the heart is struck by this disease, it weakens and does not close tightly after each contraction. As a result, blood flows in the opposite direction from the ventricle to the atrium. This can cause rupture and even congestive heart failure. Therefore, before buying a puppy, you should make sure that his parents and next of kin did not have such problems.
They also have difficulties associated with labor. Often you have to resort to caesarean section. There are usually few puppies: two or three, rarely four.
Care Tips for your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Wool requires regular attention. It is not trimmed or cut. The exterior provides for the presence of longer hair on the ears, tail and the lower body of the dog. To maintain such a "coat" in great shape, you need to comb your pet every day, especially the ears. Hair on them easily falls off and gets tangled. Spaniels are often bathed. In order for your pet to have a long, shiny and soft fur coat, you need to choose individual cosmetics for bath procedures.
- Ears it is necessary not only to comb regularly, but also to clean. The procedure should be carried out once every five days, and then he will not be afraid of any inflammation. To prevent the dog from getting its long ears dirty while eating, you need to put on a special cap.
- Eyes it is better to wipe clean, because they are easily inflamed. Since they are slightly bulging, watch your pet so that it does not injure them.
- Teeth learn to cleanse from an early age. If this is not possible, then let's take cartilage and solid veins for prevention.
- Claws when regrowing, they are regularly cut.
- Feeding. Cavalier King Charles is capricious in food. If you change their food every time they refuse to eat, then there will be big problems with their nutrition. Be persistent. If the dog refuses to eat, then simply remove the bowl and give it to him too at the next meal. When she sees that nothing has changed, she stops cheating. Food can be prepared or natural. In any case, breeders of the breed recommend monitoring the presence of protein in their diet. Its high content can be harmful to its health.
- Walking should be twice or thrice a day. In hot weather, they need to be protected by walking the dogs in the shade. The breed does not require long walks, but they should not be neglected. Outdoor activity and games, will prevent excess weight of the dog and strengthen its cardiovascular system.
Training Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
These small, funny dogs love their owners so much that by all means they want to please. Therefore, educating them is not particularly difficult. They very quickly remember and store information for a long time. If they have learned something, they know exactly what they need to do. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels love to play together with the owners of sports, for example: agility, pitch and go or cynological freestyle (dancing with a dog).
Freestyle with dogs is the highest filigree of the art of training. The performance of technical exercises obliges the owner and his pet to have full contact and deepest understanding from a half-glance, achieved only by long and painstaking training. The results of the lessons exceed all expectations and give a lot of positive emotions to the person and his four-legged friend. Spectacularity and complexity, made this sport the most favorite among both dog owners and spectators.
Interesting facts about the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
According to legend, when King Charles I of England was executed, two of his dogs laid their heads on the chopping block with him. According to this legend, when the cavalier spaniels bury their muzzles in their paws, howling sadly, they recall this sad event. Such bouts of melancholy are characteristic of this breed, mainly characterized by a cheerful, reckless disposition.
There is a legend about chestnut and white spaniels, which were loved and kept by the Duke of Marlborough. In 1704 he took part in the Battle of Blenheim in Bavaria. His wife was waiting for him at the family estate and was tormented by sad thoughts about her husband. A pregnant dog was sitting on her lap, and the Duchess incessantly stroked her head out of anxiety. When the duke came home with a victory, a dog whelped in a couple of days. All of her puppies had a red speck on the top of their heads. Since then, this mark has been appreciated among breeders of the breed.
Purchase of a puppy, price of a dog
Today, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are widespread. Due to their merits, the number of their admirers is constantly growing. When a demand arises for a breed, a serious danger immediately arises. Because impromptu dog breeders, importers, traders immediately appear who are chasing only the number of puppies, forgetting about quality.
Needless to say, a puppy that comes from an unreliable source will never make a good dog. This means not only that he will not be an exhibition winner. He may have health or character problems. That is, there is no guarantee that in practice we will get the kind of dog that we expected when choosing this particular breed. The main thing when choosing such a pet is information.
Never accidentally acquire a puppy. Find out carefully: his origin, pedigree, who his parents are, what kind of care he was, what vaccinations were made. If the seller, whoever he is, cannot answer your questions, leave. Don't buy a puppy that is less than forty days old. At such a tender age, he still cannot live in society as it should be. This means that in the future he will have character problems and even his health may be in danger.
Speaking of pedigree, remember, we are not talking about a certificate from the exhibition that his parents are champions, but only about a document proving that the puppy belongs to his breed. An individual without a pedigree, a potential mestizo and no commercial value. Pedigree does not have to be paid separately. It must be included in the price of a purebred puppy. But much more important than cynological documents is the choice of a dog that will live next to us for many years. Think carefully before doing it. You should not be guided by superficial impressions, such as color or sympathy, which your puppy instills in you. To find a dog that really suits you, if you are not a specialist in the field, contact one of the recognized clubs for the breed you are interested in.
In this case, we can rely on the experience of the dog breeder by honestly and clearly explaining to him what kind of dog we want. It is not worth asking for the most beautiful puppy if we are looking for a companion for children or just a friend. In this case, he must be sociable and not self-willed. For an elderly person, you need to choose - calm, for a young and active - cheerful and lively, and so on. If we want to have a dog to match ourselves, we need to turn to a reliable person and clearly know what we want.
Buying a Cavalier King Charles from the nursery, he will be tattooed, with vaccinations and the necessary documents. You can almost always ask for valuable advice on caring for your puppy. If you received a dog as a gift, bought it in a store or from a private person, ask if it is swallowed, whether it has been vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, or paravirosis.
When this information cannot be found out, take your pet to the veterinarian. He will assess the state of his health, give advice on feeding and prescribe sanitary and hygienic measures. But this will not save us from unexpected surprises. Unpleasant diseases have a long incubation period. Outwardly, the kid may seem healthy, but already carry a virus in himself, which at any time can cause a serious illness.
The best guarantee is discretion in purchasing. In all other cases, if we are not talking about a mestizo, it is necessary to take simple preventive measures: not to let the puppy out of the house and not to allow communication with other brethren until the first cycle of vaccinations is carried out, and you are not sure that he healthy.
The approximate price can range from $ 600 to $ 1800.
For more information on the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed, see this video:
