Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a British toy spaniel created to revive the longer-muzzled companion spaniels seen in old royal portraits. It is separate from the flatter-faced King Charles Spaniel, called the English Toy Spaniel in some countries. Cavaliers are small, gentle-looking dogs with a silky coat, feathered ears, a softly rounded expression, and a tail that usually keeps moving when they greet people. The four traditional color patterns are Blenheim, tricolor, black and tan, and ruby, with Blenheim chestnut-and-white being especially associated with the breed.

Cavaliers fit many homes because they are portable and sociable, but they remain spaniels that enjoy walks, scenting, and chasing moving things. Their coat needs routine brushing, ear care, and attention to the feathering behind the legs. Health is the central buyer issue: mitral valve disease is widespread in the breed, and syringomyelia, eye problems, patellar luxation, and ear disease also occur. Responsible breeders use heart, eye, and patella screening and can discuss longevity in close relatives. Rescue groups also see Cavaliers surrendered when grooming, veterinary costs, or separation distress are underestimated.

Colors: Apricot, Bicolor, Black, Black and Tan, Black and White, Black Mask, Black White and Tan, Blue, Blue and Tan, Blue Merle, Blue Roan, Blue Tick, Brindle, Brown, Brown and Tan, Brown and White, Chestnut and White, Chocolate, Cream, Dapple, Domino, Fawn, Fawn and White, Gold, Gray, Harlequin, Irish Marked, Liver, Liver Mask, Mantle, Mask, Merle, Mottled, Parti-Color, Piebald, Red, Red and White, Red Merle, Red Roan, Red Tick, Reverse Brindle, Roan, Sable, Saddle, Silver, Speckled, Spotted, Tan, Ticked, Tricolor, Tuxedo, White, Yellow