Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
| Size at withers | 30–33 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight range | 5.4–8.2 kg |
| Life expectancy | 9–14 years |
| Size class | Toy (< 10 kg) |
| Normal resting vitals | Heart rate 90–140 bpm · Respiration 15–30/min · Temperature 38.3–39.2 °C |
| Coat | Medium, silky, feathered coat |
| Temperament | Sweet, affectionate, adaptable |
| Common health issues | Mitral valve disease (~50 % by 5 years — the defining condition of the breed); syringomyelia; hip dysplasia; ear infections |
| Exercise needs | Moderate — 30–45 min/day |
| Climate & housing suitability | Popular in urban settings; adaptable to apartment living. |
| Owner notes | Cardiac screening from age 1 is essential. Consider whether this breed's welfare status supports acquiring one at all — some breed societies now question ethical breeding. |
Origin and purpose
Toy (AKC). Origin: England.
Cardiac screening from age 1 is essential. Consider whether this breed's welfare status supports acquiring one at all — some breed societies now question ethical breeding.
What a breed was built to do explains most of what it will do in your home. A dog selected for hundreds of years to run, guard, herd, or hunt does not stop wanting to because it now lives in an apartment — the drive is the breed, and the owner's job is to give it somewhere to go.
Temperament and training
Stated temperament: Sweet, affectionate, adaptable
Reward-based training from the day the puppy arrives, with the socialisation window (roughly three to sixteen weeks) treated as the priority it is — what happens in those weeks shapes the adult dog more than anything you do later. Short, frequent, positive sessions. See Parts IV and IX.
Conditions this breed is predisposed to
Syringomyelia
Hip dysplasia
Mitral valve disease
Otitis externa (ear canal inflammation)
Health screening — what to test, and when
| Screen for | Test | When |
|---|---|---|
| Hip dysplasia | Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring) | Once at 12–24 months; earlier if lame |
| Mitral valve disease | Cardiac auscultation; echocardiography once a murmur is heard | Auscultation at every annual visit; annually from 5 years in small breeds |
| Otitis externa (ear canal inflammation) | Ear examination (otoscopy), and cytology of any discharge | At every annual visit; on any head-shaking, odour, or scratching |
| Syringomyelia | MRI of the head and neck | On persistent neck scratching or unexplained yelping; before breeding |
Every dog, every breed: an annual health examination (twice yearly from seven years), body-condition scoring at each visit, dental assessment, year-round parasite control, and the core vaccinations.
For breeders — test before you mate
- Hip dysplasia — Radiographic hip evaluation (hip scoring)
- Mitral valve disease — Cardiac auscultation; echocardiography once a murmur is heard
- Syringomyelia — MRI of the head and neck
Feeding
Small stomachs, fast metabolisms. Feed a diet formulated for small breeds, split across three or four meals a day as a puppy and two as an adult; toy puppies can become dangerously hypoglycaemic if a meal is missed. Portions are tiny, which means treats and table scraps overwhelm the daily allowance startlingly fast — a single biscuit can be a meaningful share of a 4 kg dog's intake. Dental disease is near-universal in small breeds, so ask your vet about diet texture and dental care from the start.
Exercise and enrichment
Stated requirement: Moderate — 30–45 min/day
Moderate daily exercise plus mental stimulation. Adaptable to apartment life provided the daily walk actually happens every day.
Coat and grooming
Medium, silky, feathered coat. Brush 3× weekly; check the long ears weekly.
Climate and living conditions
Stated suitability: Popular in urban settings; adaptable to apartment living.
Ageing and senior care
Life expectancy: 9–14 years. This dog is a senior from around 9–10 years, at which point wellness examinations should move to twice a year and senior blood and urine screening begins. Small dogs age slowly and often live into their mid-teens. Dental disease and heart-valve disease are the two things that most often shorten a small dog's life, and both are catchable early. Senior care →
Before you take one home
- Ask the breeder for the health-test results listed above — for BOTH parents, on paper, before you pay a deposit. A breeder who has done the tests will be proud to show you; one who deflects, or who tells you the tests are unnecessary in this line, is telling you what you need to know.
- This is a short-skulled breed. Choose the puppy with the most open nostrils and the longest muzzle you can find, and reject any that snores, snorts, or struggles for breath at rest — those are not endearing breed traits, they are signs of a dog that cannot breathe properly. Ask whether the parents have been BOAS-graded. In a hot climate this decision has consequences you will live with daily.
- Consider adoption. Shelters and rescues have dogs of every kind, including purebreds, and the local native or landrace dog is often healthier, better adapted to its climate, and more in need of a home than almost anything you can buy. See Part XII.
