History of the Breed: The breed was primarily bred as a house pet for the royal families of Europe. King Charles II was seldom seen
without two or three spaniels at his heels. The King placed so much significance on these toy dogs that he wrote a decree that the King Charles
Spaniel should be accepted in any public place. This decree is still in existence today.
The breed was transformed over time to include a more domed skull, a shorter muzzle, an undershot jaw, and large round eyes.
A number of historic paintings document these changes to the breed and as a result, the dog bearing the name King Charles was transformed
into the English Toy Spaniel.
An American, Roswell Eldgridge traveled to England in an attempt to locate and breed the original looking Spaniels seen in historic paintings.
Unfortunately, Mr. Eldgridge was unable to initially find the breeding stock he desired. As a result, he offered a prize of 25 pounds at Crufts to
anyone that could present a dog and bitch that resembled the dogs from King Charles II's time with the unique long face, no stop, flat skull, and
with the spot in the center of the skull. In 1927, a dog named Ann's Son was the winner of the 25 pound prize and in 1928, a standard was drawn
up using Ann's Son as the model.
The new breeding eliminated the small eyes and snippy muzzle that was representative of the original breed and instead produced a softer gentler
look. Some breeders believe that the Cocker Spaniel, Papillon, and maybe even the Welsh Springer were used to produce the desired traits.
The first Cavaliers came to America in 1952.
General Appearance: A small spaniels breed with a flat head, a slightly tapered full muzzle and large brown round eyes set well apart, with
long high set feathered and silky spaniel ears. The body is short-coupled with well spring ribs and a moderately deep chest that extends to the elbows. The coat is silky with a
slight wave and of moderate length. The tail can be full length or docked.
Coat: Long and silky and very soft to the touch; free from curl however, a slight wave is acceptable.
Color: Blenheim, tricolor, ruby, and black-and-tan
Grooming needs: Medium
Temperament of Breed: A very gentle and loving breed that has been developed as a lap dog over time.
Friendly with children: Excellent with children
Friendly with other dogs: Yes
Suitability as a watchdog: Yes
Exercise Level: Low
Health Issues with the Breed: This breed can have heart related problems, breeding records should be checked carefully Major: Canine mitral valve disease, syringomyelia (SM), occipital hypoplasia, luxating patella, keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS)
Minor:
ACR -American Canine Registry
AKC -American Kennel Club
ANKC -Australian National Kennel Club
APRI -American Pet Registry Inc.
CKC -Continental Kennel Club
CKC -Canadian Kennel Club
FCI -Fédération Cynologique Internationale
KCGB -Kennel Club of Great Britain
NKC -National Kennel Club
NZKC -New Zealand Kennel Club
UKC -United Kennel Club
