This charming bright toy spaniel has a happy disposition, but comes with a raft of health issues
Thinking of bringing home a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? Whether you’re picking out a puppy or picking up a rescued older dog, learn more about your furry friend with our ultimate breed guide.
Colours
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes in four colours: the Blenheim (white with reddish brown), Ruby (reddish brown all over), Black and Tan (as the name suggests), and Tricolour (black and white with adorable reddish brown eyebrows!).
Personality
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels make excellent family dogs. They are calm and placid, with a sweet nature and an ever-wagging tail. They adore people and are the ultimate lap dog.
Often used as therapy dogs because of their kind personality and gentleness with children and the elderly, the Cavalier has a heart of gold.
Often called ‘velcro dogs’, they adore people and want to be near you at all times. Unfortunately this means accompanying you to the bathroom and following you like a shadow everywhere you go, so if you like having personal space and don’t like a dog who is a space invader, this is not the dog for you.
The downside to any velcro dog is their propensity towards separation anxiety, and the Cavalier is no different. If you’re the type of person who is out at work often, and not often at home – this is not the dog for you.
However, if you’re often at home, and looking for a dog who adores cuddles and will happily sit on your lap – this could be the dog for you!
Exercise needs
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is ideal as a family pet, but will suit elderly or low energy people even more since they don’t require long walks.
A twenty minute walk around the block or a lap around the park should be enough for these laid back pooches. They are often happiest doing what you’re doing – so if you fancy being lazy on the sofa, they won’t be going crazy barking and begging you to go out for a walk.
That said, if you want to go on a ramble for an hour – they will happily join you. Cavaliers are people oriented, so they will take as much (or as little) exercise as you can give them.
But be warned – just because they won’t necessarily destroy your furniture if you don’t take them out, doesn’t mean you should neglect exercising them. Cavaliers are prone to obesity since owners often assume that they don’t need walking!
Trainability
On the whole, Cavaliers are biddable and easy to train. They love to please people and are food oriented, which makes training fairly simple. They are ideal for a first time dog owner, or for someone wishing to train a therapy dog, since they suit this type of work.
Cavaliers range in temperament – as does any dog breed – so if you’re looking for a dog who is eager to learn and quick to pick up new skills, you should test your pup before you decide to purchase.
A friend of mine had three Cavaliers – one just loved to be cuddled but couldn’t manage more than a simple ‘sit’, another was too anxious to learn anything and barked at anything that moved, and the last one had a beautiful gentle personality and superb learning abilities and could perform a wide range of tasks and tricks. It really does depend on the pup you get, the breeder, and what socialisation YOU do as an owner.
Health
This is not a healthy breed, and you might want to reconsider if you want a Cavalier because of the wide variety of genetic diseases they can get.
Sadly, the breed is prone to heart problems, which can mean your dog might need medication for most of its life – or pass over the rainbow bridge before you’re ready to say goodbye.
Cavaliers also suffer from devastating neurological problems, which can cause endless suffering and pain, as well as patella issues (knee problems, often requiring surgery to correct).
You should do extensive research on the health issues within the breed before considering bringing a Cavalier puppy home.
Healthy Cavaliers do exist – and many live full lives – but finding an ethical breeder who health tests their parent dogs is vital if you want to bring home a healthy puppy (and even then, there is no guarantee that they won’t develop problems later in life).
Grooming
It’s up to you whether you decide to groom your dog yourself, or take it to a grooming salon. But you will need to spend time grooming your little guy (or girl) – Cavaliers shed heavily. And as with all spaniels, they collect mud, grass seeds, and burrs in their long flowing fur. So expect to need to spend time brushing and bathing your dog.
Thankfully, due to their small size, grooming a Cavalier won’t be as intense as with a larger dog with a soft fluffy coat. So if you like a little bit of grooming as bonding time with your dog, then you might enjoy grooming your Cav.
Unfortunately, because of their long ears, they can be prone to ear infections, so make sure to inspect and clean them regularly to keep them healthy.
Cost
If you’re getting a puppy, expect to pay at least £2000 from an ethical breeder.
Due to their various health issues, expect to have pricer pet insurance too. There are many different insurers, like Many Pets and Petplan, who may quote for different levels of cover – so make sure to shop around.
Make sure you have funds available to pay for things like Pet Health Club to help cover vets fees, as consultations can be expensive. My local vet charges £90 a visit!
Owners say…
Are you an owner? We’re looking for owners to interview to update this article. If you’d like to be featured with a link to your dog’s Instagram or TikTok page – email us!
Where to find a breeder
If you spot a friendly dog walker out with their Cavaliers – ask them! They might know a reputable breeder nearby.
As a good alternative, visit dog shows and speak to those showing their dogs to get recommendations. Word of mouth is often a brilliant way to find an ethical breeder, especially when you find someone who is fanatical about their dog and can tell you everything about who bred it.
If you are determined to find a pooch online, try the listings on the Kennel Club website. Make sure to tick the ‘Health Tested’ option on the drop down box, as despite the vast amount of health issues with the breed, not all KC registered breeders health test the parents before mating (yikes!).
Another option is to look at the Champdogs website. Here you can look through the list of breeders to find one nearby, or one that you think might breed in a way that fits your lifestyle. For example, if you wanted a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to become a therapy dog, then you should browse the listings for breeders who PAT train their dogs. If you want your pup to become a show dog, then you should reach out to breeders who show their dogs.
Wherever you look for a puppy, make sure the breeder you choose fully health tests their dogs and bitches before breeding – this is essential for this breed. These gorgeous little dogs are rife with serious health issues, and often has been bred for beauty rather than health – so approach every breeder with caution and ask about the health of their dogs.
Where to find a rescue dog
Because the Cavalier is a pedigree dog, it is often purchased from reputable breeders by owners who are dedicated to the breed. So unfortunately, they don’t come up often at animal rescue centres across the UK.
Unfortunately, due to backyard breeding, you might be able to find a former puppy mill stud or bitch used for breeding on rescue sites. These poor dogs are often dumped once their ‘usefulness’ for breeding has expired.
One of the more well-known rescues for Cavaliers is Bliss Cavalier Rescue, who put up pictures of available dogs on their Facebook page. Their current adoption fee is £525, so rescuing a pup is not free by any means, and you must be able to prove that you can provide a suitable home.
There is also a possibility that you might be able to find an older Cavalier for sale locally through sites like Gumtree or Pets4Homes, but you’d need to be exceptionally careful that you weren’t accidentally funding a puppy mill or backyard breeder. This approach is to be used with extreme caution – so do your due diligence before you agree to purchase.
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