The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
is a toy breed weighing between 12
and 18 pounds. They are suitable for families who are novice dog owners and experienced dog owners
alike. Cavaliers crave human attention and will follow their owners all over
the house. They are not a breed that can be left alone for long periods of
time. Cavaliers can develop separation anxiety if they do not get the human interaction
that they need. The addition of a second dog can sometimes help, and will
give the Cavalier a playmate when you cannot attend to the playful canine, but in
most cases only human companship will do.
Cavaliers have a strong sporting background. They love the outdoors and can
excel at sports such as agility. One bi-product of their sporting background
is their chase instinct. A Cavalier will chase anything that crosses its path,
a leaf, butterfly, bird, or squirrel. For this reason a Cavalier should never
be let off leash in an unsecured area. Cavaliers will be just as happy indoors,
if they are with humans. The Cavalier's gentle disposition makes it
an excellent candidate for dog-therapy work. Cavaliers are often intuitive
about people and seem to know just how to approach them.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes in four colors: Blenheim (white background
with rich chestnut markings); tricolor (white background with jet-black markings
and rich tan markings over the eyes and cheeks); black and tan (jet-black with rich
tan markings over eyes and cheeks); ruby (rich solid red).
Cavaliers are smart and easy to train. They respond very well to training
that involes food as a reward. Cavaliers are good with children and other
household pets, but must be supervised. Just like any dog, Cavaliers need
to be protected from children who do not yet know how to handle a dog.
Above all the Cavalier is a companion dog. They have been breed to be companions
for humans through the centuries. They are loyal, sweet, charming, outgoing,
and sometimes silly. They are great company and can become your best friend.
They love to cuddle with you on the couch or just hang out in the same room.
Cavaliers are the happiest when they are fulfilling their purpose in life.