Education and Links

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The history of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as stated on the website: The American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club. 

“Toy spaniels were a part of court life in Europe as early as the fifteenth century, sometimes referred to as “comforter spaniels” as they snuggled on their owner’s laps. They were immortalized in the art of Van Dyck, Titian, Stubbs, Landseer, and Gainsborough. But their association with the royal families of England has irrevocably linked their evolution to “that of sceptred isle.” 

“The first Cavaliers were sent to the USA in 1952 but did not achieve full recognition by the AKC as the 140th AKC breed in 1996. 

 Your pet will come to you litter box trained and well on their way to becoming house trained with persistence and a solid training program with you. Crate training is a wonderful way to help your puppy learn to do his/her business in a dedicated area outside. 

Crate training is not a cruel or emotionally damaging training method as some might feel. A puppy/dog’s crate can become their own personal den, safe-haven, and a place to go and decompress when overstimulated.  Your puppy’s crate should be large enough for them to stand in and stretch out, but not so big that they could go to one end to soil and then lay in another area.  Placing your puppy in a crate when not directly supervised by you is the best way to avoid the confusion sometimes caused when they have free rein of the environment without boundaries. Immediately upon taking them from the crate, take them to a designated area in your yard for them to eliminate. As soon as they do, flood them with praise and a small treat. Then, it’s playtime! As long as they are out of their crate, remember to take them out to do their business frequently. Remember, a puppy doesn’t have full bladder control until they are 11 weeks old. Once you are unable to directly supervise your puppy, put them back into their crate. As they get the idea and get older, they will be able to have more and more time out and will eventually be able to be trusted out of your sight for longer periods of time. If at any time they revert back and start to have accidents again, go back to the beginning and repeat the process! 

Never ever, spank, loudly scold, or put your puppy’s nose in excrement when accidents happen. This is confusing and teaches them nothing except to be afraid of you. A puppy wants nothing more than to please you and when accidents happen, it usually is because they haven’t fully learned the process or because they were unsupervised. 

A cavalier’s naturally silky, beautiful coat should require minimal grooming. Brushing 2-3 times per week to keep debris cleared and mats from forming should be sufficient. Bathing as needed with a mild shampoo, preferably at least monthly, should keep them soft and beautiful. A Cavaliers coat is their hallmark characteristic and grows naturally in the style of the breed without continuous clipping required to keep it as such. The bottoms of footpads can be trimmed to prevent debris from getting stuck between toes. Ears can be trimmed inside to allow for proper ventilation. Of course, toenails should be trimmed regularly to ensure optimal foot health. 

 Our puppies are bred by parents who have had all required OFA testing completed including eyes (for juvenile cataracts), hearts, hips and patellas. 

Regular checks up with your veterinarian should be completed to ensure optimal health and heart health. Because each breed has it’s own health concerns, and for Cavaliers it’s heart health, care should be given by feeding them a diet rich in the proper nutrients needed to ensure a long, healthy life. We use NuVet daily multivitamins in order to give our dogs the best possible nutritional balance in their diet. 

For a list of healthy diet recommendations, see the Facebook Page, The Healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thckcs/learning_contentand click on the “Guides” tab. 

Recommended Reading by the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club:

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed Guide, published by the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, 2002

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, by Bruce field (August 2001)

A New Owners Guide to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, by Meredith Johnson-Snyder (December 1999)

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – An Owners Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet, by Nora Moffat (April 2000)

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, by Ken Town (September 2000)

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, By Margaret Workman (December 1999)