Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Pictures

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are the 19th most popular dog in USA (Photo: Adobe Stock)

By helloBARK!
Updated on 2 October 2019

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are one of the world’s most popular breeds.

The breed were thought to have first originated in Scotland in 1500s after their ancestors were brought from Europe.

However, British nobles and royalty have been accredited for developing the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

As their name suggests, King Charles and King Charles II had an affinity for these companion dogs.

Having arrived in the USA in the 1950s despite their extensive history in the UK, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel proved a big hit with Americans.

The American Kennel Club rank the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as the 18th most popular dog in the USA.

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What is Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a member of the American Kennel Club’s toy group. They were bred to be companion dogs that were happy to sit on laps.

They combine the companionship features of toy breeds with the athleticism of their sporting spaniel relatives.

Where do Cavalier King Charles Spaniel come from?

Boris the Cavalier (Photo: boris.king.charles / Instagram)

Having arrived in Scotland in the 16th century, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, was credited with developing the red and white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. In fact, they were nicknamed Blenheim CKCS in a nod to the Duke’s role in their history.

King Charles II had a special interest in these dogs as they became much-love companion and lap dogs of British royalty and nobility. In fact, the King was accused of showing more interest in the breed rather than matters of the state. It’s said that King Charles II allowed his spaniels to roam around Whitehall Palace even during state occasions.

The influx of toy breeds from Asia led to a slight alteration in the appearance of these dogs.

However, American Roswell Eldridge is accredited with returning the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to their roots. He offered a cash reward to breeders who could revive the CKCS’s old style. This kick-started the Cavalier movement in the UK.

It led to the first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club before the Kennel Club recognised the breed. Remarkably, the first CKCS didn’t arrive in the United States until 1956.

W. Lyon Brown was the first American to own a member of the breed in USA and she was one of the founding members of the Cavalier King Charles Club USA. The breed received recognition by the United Kennel Club in 1995.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Size

Pixel the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Photo: @cavalierpixel / Instagram)

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels can grown to a height of 12-13 inches. These noble dogs can weigh between 13 and 18 pounds.

Their personalities and size make Cavalier King Charles Spaniels great apartment dogs, provided they get sufficient daily excerise.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Colors

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels can come in four different colors.

As we mentioned above, there’s the Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They’ve a chestnut and white coat.

The tri color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has black markings on the back and white on the underbelly, with tan makings on the cheek, face, eyes, inside legs and underside of tail. They can also be called Prince Charles Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

The black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel have tan markings on their face set against a black background. They are sometimes called the King Charles variety of Cavaliers.

Ruby or rich mahogany Cavalier King Charles Spaniels should have ruby or red coats.

Tri Color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Pictures

Boris (@boris.king.charles):

Boris the Cavalier (Photo: boris.king.charles / Instagram)

Macie (@littlemaciethecavalier):

Macie the Tri Colo Cavalier (Photo: @littlemaciethecavalier / Instagram)

Black and Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Pictures

Cavaliers Denver and Oakley (Photo: @denverandoakley / Instagram)

Denver the Cavalier (Photo: @denverandoakley / Instagram)

Denver (@denverandoakley) told hellobark.com:

When I got Oakley, it was the first time I’ve ever had more than one dog. Now I would never go back. Denver was only 18 months at the time but had become very lazy, Oakley made him return to being a puppy again. The love they have for each other is just huge. They both can stick up for themselves when it comes to other dogs, but with each other, they let the other one get away with murder. Denver is also very protective of his little bro!

Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Pictures

Oakley the Cavalier (Photo: @denverandoakley / Instagram)

Oakley (@denverandoakley) told hellobark.com:

They get a huge amount of attention. Especially Oakley, as when we go out he takes one of his many teddies out with him and carries it the entire way. If anyone walks past them, they are very offended!

Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Pictures

Louie the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Photo: heylittlelouie / Instagram)

Louie (@heylittlelouie) told hellobark.com:

If you are going to purchase a CKCS from a breeder, I highly recommend you do your research on the breeder. Talk to them, meet them, and find out what type of health tests they perform on the dog, shots they will give the puppy, socialization, etc. If you aren’t going through a breeder, please ADOPT and do NOT shop.

Nessa (@nessathecavalier)