I have owned Cavaliers for a few years and have found them to be a very loving and affectionate dog who think nothing of climbing on your lap for a cuddle no matter how big they are! So I have put together a bit about the breed that you might find useful.
The Cavalier is by most measures the largest toy breed, though definately a lap dog. It is nonetheless quite small for a spaniel, with fully grown Cavaliers roughly comparable in size to an adolescent of a more conventional spaniel breed. Unlike most other spaniels the Cavalier has a full-length tail feathered with long hair, which is carried aloft when walking. The height of a Cavalier is between 29 and 33cm (12-13 inches) with a weight between 5.5 and 8.5kg (13 and 19 lbs).
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, Cavaliers grow lengthy feathering on their ears, chest, legs, feet and tail. If you are showing breed standards demand this be kept long, with the feathering on the feet cited as a particularly important feature of the breed.
Colours
The breed has four recognized colours;
Blenheim (rich chestnut on pearly white background)
Tricolor (black and white with tan on cheeks, insid ears
resembling eyebrows, inside legs, and on underside tail)
Black & Tan (black with tan markings)
Ruby ( rich reddish-brown all over)
Parti colours are the colours that include white: Blenheim & Tricolor. Whole Colours have no white: Black & Tan and Ruby. The Blenheim is the most common colour. although the others are not rare.
If you are wanting to show a Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel extra points will be given for the rich chestnut dot placed between the eyes on the top of the forehead, which is called the lozenge mark. It is rare which makes it more desirable for show breeders.
Temperament
The breed is highly affectionate, and some have called the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel "the ultimate lap dog". Most dogs of the breed are playful, extremely patient and eager to please. As such they are usually good with children and other dogs. A well socialized Cavalier will not be shy about socializing with people and much larger dogs.
However, the extremely social nature of the Cavalier King Charles 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.
This is an affectionate, undemanding and easy to train family dog. Eager to please, it is wonderfully simple to train and can do well in obedience trials. It is a clean dog and will housebreak quickly
A Bit of History
In its heyday, this breed was known as a 'comforte dog' and doctors even wrote prescriptions with this little dog as the remedy. The original Cavalier King Charles was developed from the toy spaniels pictured in the work of 16th, 17th and 18th century painters such as Van Dyck, Titian, Stubbs and Gainsborough. These portraits show a small spaniel with a flat head, high set ears, almond shaped eyes and a pointed nose. They were very common as a ladies’ pet and were used to warm laps during cold carriage rides and while waiting about in chilly castles. Another job the dogs had was to attract fleas off their mistresses so that the owner would not get bitten and die of the plague. The royal name, 'King Charles Spaniel' was bestowed during the reign of King Charles II, who was so fond of his spaniels he could not be parted from them. He made a decree that King Charles Spaniels must be allowed in any public place, including the House of Parliament.
This decree is still in the law books today.
