Are you looking for a dog that will give you all the cuddles and affection? Choose me, the ever-famous Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I’m a small-breed dog that you will fall in love with in no time. Before you adopt me or one of my cute friends, here are 25 facts you should know about our breed.
1. Us Cavaliers tend to create extreme bonds with our owners. If you are not a homebody, we might not be the perfect dog breed for you. Trust us, separation anxiety is a real thing; don’t leave us alone for too long! We do best with companions that are retired or in households where someone is at home most of the time.
2. As a lapdog, we will give you all the love and affection you can handle. How about we curl up on the porch and watch the sunset? Or maybe we watch one of our favorite TV shows? Whatever we choose, it sounds like a paw-some evening to me!
3. Do you have kiddos? No worries! As a Cavalier, we love being part of families and playing with the kids. The more love we can give the better! However, small infants and toddlers need to be watched around us. If we’re given too much “love” or stumbled upon, we might become aggressive (and not in the good way like the chant says, “be aggressive, be-be aggressive”).
4. Me and my Cavalier friends come in four different colors, including tricolor, ruby, black-and-tan and Blenheim. Regardless of our color pattern, we’re all beautiful in our own way! Don’t you think so?
5. Are you wondering how we Cavalier King Charles Spaniels got our name? You can probably guess! Thanks to King Charles II’s love for toy spaniels, we ended up being named after him. I guess you could call us royalty *hair flip*. The regal beagle better watch out!
6. During King Charles II’s rule of the kingdom, he created a law that allowed King Charles Spaniels to go anywhere, including the Parliament building. To this day, this law is still in place. You can’t stop us Cavalier pups from going anywhere!
7. While us King Charles Spaniels look like we did back during King Charles II’s rule, we went through a transformation. During this time, breeders began to cross-breed us with pugs, giving us a shorter snout. It wasn’t until 1920 when a breeder started to reverse us back to our current looks.
8. Although we date back to the royals in the 17th century, the American Kennel Club (AKC) didn’t recognize our breed until 1995. Thank goodness they did, because we are some cute pups! What would the AKC do without us?
9. If you look up the definition of spaniels, you’ll find that we are technically gun dogs. However, we have never really been used for this purpose. Because of this, the AKC groups us within the toy group. We’re definitely okay with being lapdogs.
10. Would you believe me if I told you that me and my friends are becoming one of the most popular breeds in America?! We’re currently ranked 18th and continue to move up the ranks as the years go by. We truly are one of the best dog breeds you can ask for!
11. One of my cousins lived in the White House with the Reagan family! President Reagan gave his wife a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as a Christmas gift in 1985 (awww). This pooch lived a great life in the spotlight during Reagan’s presidency.
12. As a part of the toy group, us Cavaliers only weigh 18 pounds at most. We are very portable pups. Whether we’re chilling at home or on the go, our size makes it easy to take us anywhere. Remember, we don’t like being left alone and we love socializing!
13. While our temperaments can vary from pup to pup, we all can be trainable. It just takes a little extra effort compared to some other breeds. We can have some silly moments, but we are totally worth it in the end, I promise!
14. During training, we prefer positive reinforcement. If you yell or show anger toward us, it’s likely we’ll be afraid or stop trying to learn proper behaviors (please don’t use harsh words). To help, use treats as a reward and speak kindly to us. Just treat us how you also want to be treated, and we will be the best of friends.
15. When you take us Cavaliers on a walk, make sure you use a leash! Although we are part of the toy breed group, our natural spaniel instincts come back when we see birds or other small prey. We can’t control these instincts and often get injured (or worse) because of our careless nature.
16. Are you a cat lover? If you have cats in your home, it’s best to introduce us Cavaliers to kitties when we are young. Most times, we get along with cats when we’re raised together. We do like to get our exercise by chasing cats!
17. On average, me and my Cavalier friends live anywhere from 10 to 12 years. In some cases, we can live to 15 years. Keep in mind that we do have some genetic health conditions that can shorten our life spans. Be sure to take us to the vet for regular checkups to make sure our health is in top condition.
18. As a dog breed that can have a longer coat, we need regular brushes to keep our coats looking good and stray hairs from floating around the house. For the best results, brush us two to three times a week.
19. Do you think the term “puppy dog eyes” was created because of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels? Our eyes can be dangerous, so don’t fall for our antics. We love to beg if you don’t curb this trait while we are young.
20. Just like any dog, us Cavaliers are not perfect by any means. It takes time to train us to be the dog you want us to be, so be sure to start training when we are young. Ideally, you’ll get us into classes around 10 to 12 weeks old. The sooner, the better!
21. As a comforter dog, Cavaliers make great therapy dogs! The affection we give and empathy for humans is unmatched compared to many other breeds. We stay calm in situations and won’t let you feel ruff.
22. If you have other dogs in your home, us Cavaliers won’t shy away from them! Typically, we won’t show aggression to other animals, unless they’re birds or other small prey (they better watch their tail feathers).
23. Back during the plague, Cavaliers were allowed to sleep on their human’s bed, which was extremely uncommon. People did this because the fleas were attracted to us instead of them! Many times, this meant that we saved our humans from the plague or any other deadly diseases. So, I guess you can say we helped save the population!
24. King Charles II wasn’t the only monarch that loved Cavaliers! Queen Victoria had a tricolor Cavalier named Dash that she adored. In fact, after her coronation, she left the event to bathe her pup. Do you think Dash had her wrapped around his finger (err, paw)?
25. Who runs the world? Female Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, of course! The ladies typically show more dominance over males. If you choose to have two female Cavaliers in your home, be prepared for dominance issues! If you choose a male and female, you’ll be able to see that she takes charge.
