50 Fun Facts About Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

How many colours does the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed standard recognise?

They are Blenheim, tricolour, black and tan, and ruby; all-black and 'chocolate' dogs occur but are outside every standard.

The red-and-white Cavalier colour is named after which stately home?

The 1st Duke of Marlborough kept red and white spaniels there for hunting and named the estate after his 1704 victory.

Which duke recorded that his red and white spaniels could keep up with a trotting horse?

John Churchill kept the King Charles-type dogs for hunting in the early 18th century.

The coloured mark in the middle of some Blenheim dogs' foreheads is nicknamed what?

Legend says Sarah Churchill pressed her thumb on a pregnant dam's head while awaiting news from Blenheim, and five lucky-marked pups followed.

The 1926 American prize called for Blenheims with a 'long face, no stop' and what kind of skull?

He also wanted a spot in the centre of the skull, the mark now called the Blenheim spot.

The Cavalier shared its history with which smaller breed until the 1920s?

In the US that breed is called the English Toy Spaniel; the two diverged only about a century ago.

The toy spaniels that preceded the Cavalier changed dramatically in the 19th century after crossing with what?

The result was the domed skull and short face of the modern King Charles Spaniel.

Judith Blunt-Lytton crossed Blenheims in 1911 with which now-extinct breed?

She considered it the best living representative of the 17th-century type.

In 1926, which American offered 25 pounds of sterling silver for the best 'old type' Blenheim spaniels?

Breeders of the day were appalled, but the prize kicked off the movement that became the Cavalier; he died before seeing it succeed.

The first Cavalier breed standard was based on which dog?

He belonged to Katherine Mostyn Walker; the Kennel Club at first recognised the variety only as 'King Charles Spaniels, Cavalier type'.

In what year was the first Cavalier club formed?

Two years after Eldridge's prize, a handful of believers organised despite the establishment's scorn.

During the 1940s the Ttiweh Cavalier Kennel's population fell from 60 dogs to how many?

Wartime hardship and food shortages destroyed most of the emerging breed's stock.

What happened after the Kennel Club recognised the Cavalier as its own breed in 1944?

Amice Pitt, Katie Eldred and Madame Harper-Trois-Fontaines found up to 200 such dogs among the King Charles Spaniels.

Which single stud dog sired 53 of the 60 wartime-born Cavaliers, severely narrowing the gene pool?

That founder effect is the likely reason mitral valve disease is so widespread in the breed today.

The first recorded Cavalier in the United States arrived in which year?

Lyons and Sally Brown brought it from Britain and helped found the Cavalier King Charles Club USA.

In which year did the American Kennel Club recognise the Cavalier?

The American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club had been created the year before specifically to apply for recognition.

On average, how much does a Cavalier weigh?

The King Charles Spaniel is smaller at 9–15 lb, with a domed skull and shorter muzzle.

Which physical feature most obviously distinguishes a Cavalier from a King Charles Spaniel?

The Cavalier also has higher-set ears and a longer muzzle than its domed-skulled cousin.

Which Cavalier colour is called 'Prince Charles' in the King Charles Spaniel?

Black and tan, meanwhile, is simply called 'King Charles' in that breed.

A Ruby Cavalier should be entirely what colour?

Any white in a Ruby's coat counts as a fault under AKC show rules.

Cavalier standards say the coat should be free from curl but permit what?

Feathering on the ears, feet, legs and tail must be kept long, and the tail is usually not docked.

Where does the Cavalier rank in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs?

That is average working and obedience intelligence; the breed's real talent is bonding with people and other dogs.

Why will most Cavaliers never become 'street-wise'?

They also regard all strangers as friends, which rules them out as guard dogs.

What is the most common cause of death in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?

A Kennel Club survey found 42.8% of Cavalier deaths were cardiac, ahead of cancer at 12.3% and old age at 12.2%.

By what age may over half of all Cavaliers be expected to have the breed's signature heart disease?

It is rare for a 10-year-old Cavalier not to have a heart murmur, and the disease can appear in dogs of one or two.

The MVD breeding protocol says parents should be heart-clear and at least how old?

Their own parents should be heart-clear to age 5, though a UK club chair admitted in 2009 that many breeders ignore the guidance.

Syringomyelia in Cavaliers is caused by which malformation at the back of the skull?

The skull is too small for the brain, which herniates toward the spinal cord and blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

What share of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have the skull malformation behind syringomyelia?

Between 30 and 70% have actual syrinxes, though most of those dogs show no symptoms.

Which odd behaviour is a classic sign of syringomyelia in Cavaliers?

The dog scratches at its neck or shoulder without making contact, often while walking, and worse when wearing a collar.

Episodic Falling in Cavaliers is now known to be what kind of disorder?

It is caused by a single recessive gene; about 1% of Cavaliers are affected and 19% are carriers.

How does Episodic Falling differ from epilepsy, with which it is often confused?

It is similar to Scotty Cramp in Scottish Terriers and is triggered by exercise or excitement.

As many as half of all Cavaliers may have which harmless congenital blood quirk?

Many also have oversized platelets, or macrothrombocytes, which function normally.

Primary Secretory Otitis Media, reported almost exclusively in Cavaliers, is better known as what?

A viscous mucus plug fills the middle ear; it may affect over half of Cavaliers and mimics syringomyelia symptoms.

A 1999 Canine Eye Registration Foundation study found what share of Cavaliers had eye problems?

Dry eye, an autoimmune attack on the tear gland, is common, along with cataracts and retinal dysplasia.

In 2022, a district court in which city banned the breeding of Cavaliers on welfare grounds?

The court ruled that no dog of the breed could be considered healthy, so breeding them violated Norway's Animal Welfare Act.

A 2005 Swedish insurance study found what share of Cavaliers had died by age 10?

The overall rate for dogs in the study was 35%.

A 2024 UK study gave the Cavalier what average life expectancy?

That is below the 12.7-year purebred average; a Japanese pet-cemetery study found 13.1 years.

Which US president owned a Blenheim Cavalier named Rex?

Margaret Thatcher and Queen Victoria were also Cavalier owners.

Which British monarch is described as having chosen Cavaliers as her dog of choice?

Her famous spaniel Dash was of the King Charles type of the day.

An urban legend says Charles II decreed King Charles Spaniels may enter any UK establishment, including where?

Parliament's website says it has thoroughly researched the claim and no such Act exists.

In 2009 the Cavalier was the fourth most popular breed in which country, with 3,196 registrations?

Only Labradors, German Shepherds and Staffordshire Bull Terriers ranked higher there.

Where did the Cavalier rank among AKC breeds in 2022?

It had been 56th in 1998 and 25th in 2007 and 2008, so the climb has been steady.

In 2007 the Cavalier was the UK's sixth most popular breed with how many Kennel Club registrations?

In the same period it ranked 6th in both New York City and San Francisco.

How often does a Cavalier's coat need brushing, according to breed guidance?

No trimming is required, though some owners tidy the long feathers and 'slippers' that get dirty outdoors.

Cavaliers with which kind of coat were more likely to be affected by Episodic Falling?

Onset is usually between four months and four years of age.

Where did the Cavalier rank out of 157 breeds in OFA hip dysplasia evaluations?

The worst-affected breeds were the Bulldog, Pug and Dogue de Bordeaux.

According to legend, who pressed a thumb into an expectant dam's head, creating the Blenheim spot?

She was awaiting news of her husband's return from the Battle of Blenheim, and five puppies bore the mark.

Which British prime minister is named among famous Cavalier owners, alongside Ronald Reagan?

Reagan's Blenheim was called Rex; Queen Victoria also favoured the breed.

In the United States, the Cavalier's smaller domed-skull cousin goes by what breed name?

In the US, 'King Charles' is instead the name of one of that breed's colours.

On average, how much does the smaller King Charles Spaniel weigh?

The two breeds diverged only about a century ago; the King Charles has a domed skull and shorter muzzle.