The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is
a small spaniel classed as a toy dog by The Kennel Club and the American Kennel
Club. It originated in the United Kingdom and is one of the more popular breeds
in many countries. Since 2000, it has grown in popularity in the United States
and ranks as the 18th most popular pure-breed in the United States (2013
Registration Statistics). It has a silky, smooth coat and commonly a smooth
undocked tail. The breed standard recognizes four colours: Blenheim (chestnut
and white), Tricolour (black/white/tan), Black and Tan, and Ruby. The breed is
generally friendly, affectionate and good with both children and other animals;
however, they require a lot of human interaction. Since they are a family dog,
it is recommended to not leave them alone for long periods at a time. The
expected average lifespan of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is under ten
years.
The
Cavalier King Charles changed inordinately in the late 17th century, when it
was interbred with flat-nosed breeds. Until the 1920s, the Cavalier shared the
same history as the smaller King Charles Spaniel. Breeders attempted to
recreate what they considered to be the original configuration of the breed, a
dog resembling Charles II's King Charles Spaniel of the Restoration. Various
health issues affect this particular breed.
Description
Historically
the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was a lap dog and is small for a spaniel,
with fully grown adults comparable in size to adolescents of other larger
spaniel breeds. Breed standards state that height of a Cavalier should be
between 12 to 13 inches (30 to 33 cm) with a proportionate weight between 13 to
18 pounds (5.9 to 8.2 kg). The tail is usually not docked, and the Cavalier
should have a silky coat of moderate length. Standards state that it should be
free from curl, although a slight wave is allowed. Feathering can grow on their
ears, feet, legs and tail in adulthood. Standards require this be kept long,
with the feathering on the feet a particularly important aspect of the breed's
features.
The
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the English Toy Spaniel can be often confused
with each other. In the United Kingdom, the English Toy Spaniel is called the
King Charles Spaniel while in the United States, one of the colours of the Toy
Spaniel is known as King Charles. The two breeds share similar history and only
diverged from each other about 100 years ago. There are several major differences
between the two breeds, with the primary difference being the size. While the
Cavalier weighs on average between 13 to 18 pounds (5.9 to 8.2 kg), the King
Charles is smaller at 9 to 15 pounds (4.1 to 6.8 kg). In addition their facial
features while similar, are different; the Cavalier's ears are set higher and
its skull is flat while the King Charles's is domed. Finally the muzzle length
of the Cavalier tends to be longer than that of its King Charles cousin.
Colour
The
breed has four recognized colours. Cavaliers which have rich chestnut markings
on a pearly white background are known as Blenheim in honour of Blenheim
Palace, where John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, raised the predecessors
to the Cavalier breed in this particular colour. In some dogs there is a
chestnut spot in the middle of the forehead: this is called the "Blenheim"
spot. The Blenheim spot is also known as the mark of the "Duchess Thumb
Print", based on the legend that Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
while awaiting news of her husband's safe return from the Battle of Blenheim,
pressed the head of an expecting dam with her thumb, resulting in five puppies
bearing the lucky mark after news that the battle had been won. Black and Tan
are dogs with black bodies with tan highlights, particularly eyebrows, cheeks,
legs and beneath the tail. Black and Tan is referred to as "King Charles"
in the King Charles Spaniel. Ruby Cavaliers should be entirely chestnut all over,
although some can have some white in their coats which is considered a fault
under American Kennel Club conformation show rules. The fourth colour is known as
Tricolour, which is black and white with tan markings on cheeks, inside ears,
on eyebrows, inside legs, and on underside of tail. This colour is referred to
as "Prince Charles" in the King Charles Spaniel.
Popularity
According
to statistics released by The Kennel Club, Cavaliers were the sixth most
popular dog in the United Kingdom in 2007 with 11,422 registrations in a single
year. Labrador Retrievers were the most popular with 45,079 registrations in
that year. Their popularity is on the rise in America; in 1998 they were the
56th most popular breed but in both 2007 and 2008 they were the 25th most
popular. They ranked higher in some individual US cities in the 2008
statistics, being eighth in both Nashville and Minneapolis-St.Paul, seventh in
Boston, Atlanta and Washington D.C., and sixth in both New York City and San
Francisco. The breed's popularity has continued to grow, ranking in 18th place
in 2013. In 2009, the Cavalier was the fourth most popular breed in Australia
with 3,196 registrations behind only Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs
and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. In addition, there are also national breed
clubs in Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Sweden.
Temperament
The
breed is highly affectionate, playful, extremely patient and eager to please.
As such, dogs of the breed are good with children and other dogs. Cavaliers are
not shy about socialising with much larger dogs. They will adapt quickly to
almost any environment, family, and location and suit city and country life.
Their ability to bond with larger and smaller dogs makes them ideal in houses
with more than one breed of dog as long as the other dog is trained. Cavaliers
rank 44th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, being of average
intelligence in working or obedience. Cavaliers are naturally curious and
playful, but also enjoy simply cuddling up on a cushion or lap, making them
excellent companion or lap dogs for medical patients and the elderly.
Cavaliers
are active and sporting. Cavaliers are successful in conformation shows,
obedience and agility and they also make wonderful therapy dogs due to their
sweet, gentle natures. The breed is adaptable in their need for exercise, happy
with either sleeping on the couch or taking long walks.
They
have an instinct to chase most things that move including vehicles on busy
streets, and so most Cavaliers will never become "street-wise". As
they tend to regard all strangers as friends, members of the breed will usually
not make good guard dogs. Spaniels have a strong hunting instinct and may
endanger birds and small animals. However, owners have reported that through
training their Cavaliers live happily with a variety of small animals including
hamsters and gerbils.
The
Cavalier's coat requires weekly brushing, but no trimming. However, some owners
prefer to trim their Cavalier's long feathers and slippers which can become
very dirty when walking or playing outside.
Health
Cavaliers
can notably suffer from mitral valve disease, which leads to heart failure.
This appears in many Cavaliers at some point in their lives and is the most
common cause of death. Some serious genetic health problems, including
early-onset mitral valve disease (MVD), the potentially severely painful
syringomyelia (SM), hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, and certain vision and
hearing disorders are health problems for this breed. As today's Cavaliers all
descend from only six dogs, any inheritable disease present in at least one of
the original founding dogs can be passed on to a significant proportion of
future generations. This is known as the founder effect and is the likely cause
of the prevalence of MVD in the breed. The health problems shared with this
breed include mitral valve disease, luxating patella, and hereditary eye issues
such as cataracts and retinal dysplasia. Cavaliers are also affected by ear
problems, a common health problem among spaniels of various types, and they can
suffer from such other general maladies as hip dysplasia, which are common
across many types of dog breeds.
Mitral valve disease
Nearly
all Cavaliers eventually suffer from disease of the mitral valve, with heart
murmurs which may progressively worsen, leading to heart failure. This
condition is polygenic (affected by multiple genes), and therefore all lines of
Cavaliers worldwide are susceptible. It is the leading cause of death in the
breed. A survey by The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom showed that 42.8% of
Cavalier deaths are cardiac related. The next most common causes are cancer (12.3%)
and old age (12.2%). The condition can begin to emerge at an early age and
statistically may be expected to be present in more than half of all Cavalier
King Charles Spaniels by age 5. It is rare for a 10-year-old Cavalier not to
have a heart murmur. While heart disease is common in dogs generally – one in
10 of all dogs will eventually have heart problems – mitral valve disease is
generally (as in humans) a disease of old age. The "hinge" on the
heart's mitral valve loosens and can gradually deteriorate, along with the
valve's flaps, causing a heart murmur (as blood seeps through the valve between
heartbeats) then congestive heart failure. The Cavalier is particularly
susceptible to early-onset heart disease, which may be evident in dogs as young
as one or two years of age.
Veterinary
geneticists and cardiologists have developed breeding guidelines to eliminate
early-onset mitral valve disease in the breed, but it is unclear if a
statistically significant number of breeders follow these guidelines. The
chairperson of the UK CKCS Club said in 2009: "There are many members who
are still not prepared to health check their breeding stock, and of those who
do, it would appear that many would not hesitate to breed from affected
animals." The MVD breeding protocol recommends that parents should be at
least 2.5 years old and heart clear, and their parents (i.e., the puppy's
grandparents) should be heart clear until age 5.
Syringomyelia
Syringomyelia
(SM) is a condition affecting the brain and spine, causing symptoms ranging
from mild discomfort to severe pain and partial paralysis. It is caused by a
malformation, commonly known as Chiari Malformation, in the lower back of the
skull which reduces the space available to the brain, compressing it and often
forcing it out (herniating it) through the opening into the spinal cord. This
blocks the flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) around the brain and spine and
increases the fluid's pressure, creating turbulence which in turn is believed
to create fluid pockets, or syrinxes (hence the term syringomyelia), in the
spinal cord. Syringomyelia is rare in most breeds but has become widespread in
the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, with international research samples in the
past few years consistently showing over 90% of Cavaliers have the
malformation, and that between 30–70% have syrinxes. However, most dogs with
syrinxes are not symptomatic. Although symptoms of syringomyelia can present at
any age, they typically appear between six months and four years of age in 85%
of symptomatic dogs, according to Clare Rusbridge, a research scientist.
Symptoms include sensitivity around the head, neck, or shoulders, often
indicated by a dog whimpering or frequently scratching at the area of his neck
or shoulder. Scratching is often unilateral – restricted to one side of the
body. Scratching motions are frequently performed without actually making
physical contact with the body ("air scratching"). The scratching
behavior appears involuntary and the dog frequently scratches while walking –
without stopping – in a way that is very atypical of normal scratching
("bunny hopping"). Scratching typical of SM is usually worse when the
dog is wearing a collar, is being walked on leash, or is excited, and first
thing in the morning or at night.
Not
all dogs with SM show scratching behavior. Not all dogs who show scratching
behavior appear to suffer pain, though several leading researchers, including
Dr Clare Rusbridge in the UK and Drs Curtis Dewey and Dominic Marino in the US,
believe scratching in SM cavaliers is a sign of pain and discomfort and of
existing neurological damage to the dorsal horn region of the spine. If onset
is at an early age, a first sign may be scratching and/or rapidly appearing
scoliosis. If the problem is severe, there is likely to be poor proprioception
(awareness of body position), especially with regard to the forelimbs.
Clumsiness and falling results from this problem. Progression is variable
though the majority of dogs showing symptoms by age four tend to see progression
of the condition.
A
veterinarian will rule out basic causes of scratching or discomfort such as ear
mites, fleas, and allergies, and then, primary secretory otitis media (PSOM –
glue ear), as well as spinal or limb injuries, before assuming that a Cavalier
has SM. PSOM can present similar symptoms but is much easier and cheaper to
treat. Episodic Falling Syndrome can also present similar symptoms. An MRI scan
is normally done to confirm diagnosis of SM (and also will reveal PSOM). If a
veterinarian suspects SM he or she will recommend an MRI scan. Neurologists
give scanned dogs a signed certificate noting its grade.
Episodic Falling (EF)
"A
puppy with red fur faces the camera while looking off to the left. There is a
streak of white down the middle of its head between its eyes, and it has a
white chest. It wears a black collar with a metal tag.
Episodic
Falling causes "exercise-induced paroxysmal hypertonicity" meaning
that there is increased muscle tone in the dog and the muscles cannot relax.
Previously thought to be a muscular disorder, it is now known to be
neurological. EF is caused by a single recessive gene, and a genetic test is
available.Except for severe cases, episodes will be in response to exercise,
excitement or similar exertions. Although EF is often misdiagnosed as epilepsy,
which typically results in loss of consciousness, the dog remains conscious
throughout the episode. Severity of symptoms can range from mild, occasional
falling to freezing to seizure-like episodes lasting hours. Episodes can become
more or less severe as the dog gets older and there is no standard pattern to
the attacks. The onset of symptoms usually occurs when a dog is between 4
months and 4 years of age. It is similar to Scotty Cramp, a genetic disorder in
Scottish Terriers. About 1% of Cavaliers are affected by the condition, with
19% being carriers. Dogs with whole coloured coats were more likely to be
affected than dogs with parti-coloured coats.
Thrombocytopenia and
macrothrombocytopenia
As
many as half of all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels may have a congenital blood
disorder called idiopathic asymptomatic thrombocytopenia, an abnormally low
number of platelets in the blood, according to recent studies in Denmark and
the United States. Platelets, or thrombocytes, are disk-shaped blood elements
which aid in blood clotting. Excessively low numbers are the most common cause
of bleeding disorders in dogs. The platelets in the blood of many Cavalier King
Charles Spaniels are a combination of those of normal size for dogs and others
that are abnormally oversized, or macrothrombocytes. Macrothrombocytosis also
is a congenital abnormality found in at least a third of CKCSs. These large
platelets function normally, and the typical Cavalier does not appear to
experience any health problems due to either the size or fewer numbers of its
platelets.
Hip and knee disorders
Hip
dysplasia is a common genetic disease that affects Cavalier King Charles
Spaniels. It is not present at birth but develops with age. Hip dysplasia is
diagnosed by X-rays, but it is not usually evident in X-rays of Cavaliers until
they mature. Even in adult spaniels with severe hip dysplasia, X-rays may not always
indicate the disease. In a series of evaluations by the Orthopedic Foundation
for Animals, the Cavalier was ranked 78th worst out of 157 breeds. The worst
affected breeds were the Bulldog, Pug and Dogue de Bordeaux.
Cavaliers
can be subject to a genetic defect of the femur and knee called luxating
patella. This condition is most often observed when a puppy is 4 to 6 months
old. In the most serious cases, surgery may be indicated. The grading system
for the patella runs from 1 (a tight knee), to 4 (a knee so loose that its cap
is easily displaced). If a cavalier has a grade 1–2, physical rehabilitation
therapy and exercise may reduce the grading and potentially avoid surgery. The
grades 3–4 are most severe where surgery will most likely be needed to correct
the problem to avoid the development of arthritis and lameness in the limb.
Eye problems
A
disorder commonly found in Cavaliers is keratoconjunctivitis sicca,
colloquially known as "dry eye". The usual cause of this condition is
an autoimmune reaction against the dog's lacrimal gland (tear gland), reducing
the production of tears. According to the Canine Inherited Disorders Database,
the condition requires continual treatment and if untreated may result in partial
or total blindness. This disorder can decrease or heal over time.
A
1999 study of Cavaliers conducted by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation
showed that an average of 30% of all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels evaluated
had eye problems. They include hereditary cataracts, corneal dystrophy,
distichiasis, entropion, microphthalmia, progressive retinal atrophy, and
retinal dysplasia.
Ear disorders
Primary
Secretory Otitis Media (PSOM), also known as glue ear, consists of a highly
viscous mucus plug which fills the dog's middle ear and may cause the tympanic
membrane to bulge. PSOM has been reported almost exclusively in Cavaliers, and
it may affect over half of them. Because the pain and other sensations in the
head and neck areas, resulting from PSOM, are similar to some symptoms caused
by syringomyelia (SM), some examining veterinarians have mis-diagnosed SM in
Cavaliers which actually have PSOM and not SM.
Cavalier
King Charles Spaniels may be predisposed to a form of congenital deafness,
which is present at birth, due to a lack of formation or early degeneration of
receptors in the inner ear, although this is relatively rare. In addition, more
recent studies have found Cavaliers that develop a progressive hearing loss,
which usually begins during puppyhood and progresses until the dog is
completely deaf, usually between the ages of three and five years. The
progressive nature of this form of deafness in Cavaliers is believed to be
caused by degeneration of the hearing nerve rather than the lack of formation
or early degeneration of the inner ear receptors.
Urban myth
An
urban legend claims that Charles II issued a special decree granting King
Charles Spaniels permission to enter any establishment in the UK,overriding
"no dog except guide dogs" rules. A variant of this myth relates
specifically to the Houses of Parliament. This myth is sometimes instead
applied to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
The
UK Parliament website states: "Contrary to popular rumour, there is no Act
of Parliament referring to King Charles spaniels being allowed anywhere in the
Palace of Westminster. We are often asked this question and have thoroughly
researched it."Similarly, there is no proof of any such law covering the
wider UK. A spokesman for the Kennel Club said: "This law has been quoted
from time to time. It is alleged in books that King Charles made this decree
but our research hasn't tracked it down."
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