Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel a small breed. It is grouped into the Spaniel group of dog and it classed as a toy dog. It is easily confused with the English Toy Spaniel. It is a highly popular breed of dog. For a spaniel it is still fairly small. The dog gets its name because the breed was bred to try and conform to what is thought that the dogs of Charles II from the Restoration. During the 16th century spaniels were thought of as a noble breed and they were popular among nobility. This breed is one of the largest toy breeds out their. It was known as being a lap dog.
Appearance
This spaniel has a distinctive silky coat and a bushy tail. There are four common colours for this breed, black white ten, black tan, Ruby and Blenheim. This Spaniel breed tend to have a height of 30 to 33 cm and a weight of about 4.5 kg to 8 kg.
Temperament
This breed is affectionate and friendly as most toy dogs are. It is a very patient and wants to please its master and its master's family. They tend to be good with children and with other animals. They are more than happy to get to know other dogs which are bigger. They are adaptable and intelligent. These dogs are also very active and because of their inquisitive nature care needs to be taken when out and about as they have a tendency to chase down anything. Spaniels also have quite strong hunting instincts. They tend to regard strangers as not strangers, but friends, this means that they do not make good guard dogs,
Grooming and care
Due to the long floppy ears of the King Charles it is important to regularly check for infection. The coat should be regularly brushed and well tended, so that it does not matt. This dog needs regular exercise, and long walks in the park. It should be kept on a leash as this dog has a tendency to chase anything that takes its interest (almost anything moving qualifies in this description).
Health
This breed has specific problems including mitral valve disease, which can least to heart attacks. Unfortunately this tends to appear in most King Charles in their life and hence is the most common way for them to pass away. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel also may suffer from Syringomyelia (this is a problem with the skull which causes their to be less space for the brain to develop). This breed also has ear problems due to the floppy ears, and as expected they may also suffer from hip dysplasia. Mitral valve disease rate for this dog is 43%. The condition may emerge at an early age, and it is rare for a Cavalier to not have this appear by the age of 10. There are breeding guidelines to reduce the incidence of this, but it is unclear whether this is having an effect. Syringomyelia can cause various symptoms which go from sever pain and paralysis to mild discomfort. This issue affects the breed to a large degree with 90% having some sort of deformation, and 30-70% having syrinxes. Don't be put off though as most dogs do not show the symptoms associated with this problem. If you are looking to diagnose this in your own dog then look for sensitivity around the shoulder, head or neck. The dog will tend to whimper and scratch a lot. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel also may suffer from Episodic Falling this is where the dog has trouble relaxing its muscles after exercise. The symptoms go from occasional freeze falling to seizures which can last for hours.