Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed Overview
- History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed. Where Cavalier King Charles Spaniels came from
- What the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Looks Like
- How Much is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy?
- Best Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Growth
- The Temperament of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Litter Size
- How Fast Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Can Run
- Good Names for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- How Intelligent are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?
- How Popular are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- Other Things to Know About Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed Overview
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small-sized dog.
The adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniel stands 12 to 13 inches at the shoulder.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel belongs to the Companion Dogs group.
Dogs in the Companion Dogs group, like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, were bred to be companions for humans. Their main goal in life is to be with people, and they will be very sad if left to themselves for long hours day after day.
The fact that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel belongs to the Companion Dogs group is one of the reasons why Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is generally described as:
- Adaptable
- Affectionate
- Fearless
- Gentle
- Graceful
- Patient
- Playful
- Sociable
History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed. Where Cavalier King Charles Spaniels came from
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, as we know it today, is thought to be a descendant of the Toy Spaniel and has its origins in the United Kingdom.
The breed`s ancient, deeper roots are known to be in the Far East, Malta, and Italy, but much of what we see today evolved as a result of its time as a companion to royalty.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was a favorite of kings Charles I and Charles II, as evidenced by paintings by famous artists such as Gainsborough and Van Dyck.
King Charles II was so taken with the breed that he ordered that Spaniels be permitted in all public places, including parliament.
There were no breed standards.
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What the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Looks Like
Their deeper ancestors are 1600s Spaniels who were cross-bred with Pugs for their preferred short-nosed faces.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a toy dog with smooth long wavy hair that comes in four color patterns: chestnut brown and white (Blenheim), black, white, and tan (Prince Charles), black and tan (King Charles), and chestnut brown and white (King Charles) (Ruby).
Their domed skulls, slightly larger stature, higher set ears, and longer muzzles distinguish them from the King Charles Spaniel.
They are descended from a line of hunters as Spaniels, but they are now companion dogs, sometimes even referred to as “comforter spaniels” due to their companionate nature.
They are friendly, affectionate, people-oriented, and get along well with children and other dogs of all sizes.
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How Much is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy?
The average price of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy is $2570. The price of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy ranges from $2000 to $3000.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. These factors include what health records the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy has, the lineage of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel based on the many factors that determine the price of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breeders
We have researched reputable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Olga Putintsev
Puppy Price: $2500
Kateryna Davydenko
Puppy Price: $Please call or text 501-$920-$8074
Allison Reuter
Puppy Price: $2,500.00
Christine Meager
Puppy Price: $2500
Nola Cavaliers
Puppy Price: $1850
Adopting or Rescuing the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Harry that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Cavalier King Charles Spaniels like Harry on pefinder.com.
Murphy is the name of another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Growth
New Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owners need to know about the growth of their Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Temperament of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The temperament of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Dog Directed Aggression | 9.3 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 66.5 percent |
| Excitability | 50.2 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 49.5 percent |
| Energy Level | 47.6 percent |
| Prey Drive | 39.8 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 33.2 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 31.5 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 30.6 percent |
| Stubbornness | 24.0 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 20.2 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 18.1 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 17.0 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 12.5 percent |
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 439 different Cavalier King Charles Spaniel birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels can have is 4 puppies. Also, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 15 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will have depends on factors such as the age of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will have and how the litter size of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 166 different Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, the average speed of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is 18.8 mph (30.3 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ran in a race is 26.39 mph (42.5 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is 6.78 mph (10.9 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ranked by popularity:
- Charlie
- Randy
- Harry
- Rupert
- Rory
- Chase
- Bordeaux
- Linus
- Wallet
- Brownie
How Intelligent are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?
| Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 44 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has an obedience intelligence rank of 44 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Papillon | 8 |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 10 |
| Belgian Tervuren | 14 |
| Belgian Malinois | 22 |
| Irish Water Spaniel | 24 |
| Vizsla | 25 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 26 |
| Welsh Springer Spaniel | 31 |
| Manchester Terrier | 32 |
| Samoyed | 33 |
| Bedlington Terrier | 40 |
| Curly-Coated Retriever | 41 |
| Finnish Spitz | 43 |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 52 |
| Bullmastiff | 69 |
| Basset Hound | 71 |
| Beagle | 72 |
| Borzoi | 75 |
| Basenji | 78 |
| Afghan Hound | 79 |
How Popular are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
The popularity of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel averaged over the years is Number 17 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels here.
How to Take Care of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
To take good care of your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, you need to make sure that you groom your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Also, you need to feed your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and how much food to feed the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel:
- Cavachon (84 percent match with Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Learn more about the Cavachon here.
- Cockalier (81 percent match with Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Learn more about the Cockalier here.
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (79 percent match with Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Learn more about the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier here.
Other Things to Know About Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that you need to know about the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed: