Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for sale under $500

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies for Sale: Sweeet, Beautiful, and Steady Lapdogs

Among the sweetest Toy companion breeds, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for sale has an intriguing history and signature look. Its limpid eyes and silky ears have charmed many pet owners as it ranks in the top 20 most popular dogs. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is friendly and great with children and other pets.

Overview of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies for Sale

You can refer to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as a CKCS, Cavalier, Cav, or Cavie.

Background

Spaniels are an old group of dogs. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was developed from the King Charles Spaniel, or Charlie, which was prevalent in the 1600s through the 1800s. The King Charles Spaniel, in turn, derived from the now-extinct Toy Spaniel common from the 1400s through the 1700s. Charlies were always suited to be lapdogs, providing warmth during carriage rides. Despite the Cocker Spaniel’s success in the field, King Charles Spaniels proved too small to be effective hunting dogs. Fanciers also modified the breed to have a flatter face and dome-shaped skull which affected its stamina. Enthusiasts of the original form of the King Charles Spaniel worked to bring back flatter skulls and longer snouts in 1926. This dog became the modern Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. It finally gained acceptance into the AKC in 1995.

Appearance

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are 12 to 13 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh 13 to 18 pounds. The dog’s size is not as important as an overall impression of balance. Several other features are part of the official breed standard.

• Head – crown slightly rounded; ears make the head appear flatter than it is, but it still noticeably lacks the dome shape of the King Charles
• Eyes: large and round without being bulging; dark rims
• Ears: wide-spaced, high-set
• Stop: moderate
• Muzzle: fairly deep, tapered, about 1.5 inches long
• Neck: long, slightly arched
• Body: a compact body that is slightly longer than the dog’s shoulder height
• Shoulders: sloping, well laidback (45 degrees from the ground)
• Forelegs: withers to elbow the same length as the distance from the elbow to the ground
• Hindquarters – hocks let down (short or close to the ground), pelvis broad
• Topline: level, no abdominal tuck-up
• Chest: moderately deep, reaches elbows
• Tail: set and carried at a medium level (carriage is not too far above the back); a third may be docked, or the tail can be full

Coat

Cavaliers have soft, silky fur. Despite the medium length of a Cavalier’s hair, it is not curly. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have long feathers on their ears, legs (back surface), chest, and tails as well as tufts between their toes.

Colors

Only four different color patterns are standard in a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for sale:

• Black & tan – a black Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with rich tan points above each eye, inside the ears, on the cheeks, and under the tail
• Tricolor – a tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is black & tan with widely distributed white markings that break up the black
• Ruby – solid red
• Blenheim – irregular chestnut patches against a white background

All Cavaliers should be rich in color. You can register a black Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as either a black & tan or a black & white, although the latter is a tricolor. Black and tan, or tan-pointed, is considered a solid color. Like a ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, black & tans should not have any white markings. A tricolor Cavalier has a white blaze that evenly splits the color on its head. Neither a Blenheim nor a tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniel should have excessive roaning (intermixing of white and red or black hairs). Blenheim dogs often have a thumbprint-sized red mark on the top of the head in the center of the dog’s blaze. It is called a Blenheim spot or lozenge, but dogs are not required to have it.

Personality

A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for sale has a melting and gentle expression which fits its sweet, docile, and loving personality. However, a CKCS should not be shy. On the contrary, the breed is friendly and bold. Cavies are also intelligent and sociable with children and other pets, including cats. You should exercise extra care with rowdy kids or dogs over 50 pounds because the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s size makes it somewhat vulnerable to injuries. The CKCS can be a fantastic watchdog but is not an effective guard animal. It is compatible with such activities as agility and obedience competitions.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies for Sale Near Me

By the time your prospective Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy for sale is ready to come home at eight to sixteen weeks old, you can tell a lot about its personality and appearance. Your target should be a puppy that is neither a bully nor cowering in the corner away from its littermates. The advantage of being able to visit puppies is you can judge whether they seem underweight, unkempt, or sick. Look for evidence of discharge from the eyes or nose or diarrhea. Ask the breeder to see the parents. Inquire about any examinations of the breeding dogs’ eyes, hips, knees, and hearts. Recommended genetic tests are as follows:

• OFA hips, elbows, and knees
• Cardiac evaluation (mitral valve assessment) – requires delayed breeding until the dog is two years of age or older
• Syringomyelia – SD breeding protocol calls for not breeding affected dogs and breeding carriers through careful selection
• Eyes – PRA assessment

Be aware that many sellers test their dogs but breed those with positive hereditary defects anyway. The health of the Cavalier has suffered accordingly.

Mini Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for Sale

A mini Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for sale is a dog well below the breed standard in size and goes by a few names.

• Miniature Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Teacup Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Teacup Cav
• Teacup Cavie

Teacup Cavies are about five to ten inches tall and weigh four to nine pounds.

If you are set on a Teacup Cav, be aware that some are not purebred Cavaliers. Common mixes used to create Teacup Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are Chihuahuas, Jack Russell Terriers, and Toy Poodles. When puppies are young, it can be difficult to tell that they have mixed heritages.

Lifespan

Cavaliers typically live 9 to 14 years with an average expectancy of just over 10 years.

Care

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are easy to maintain unless they have cardiac or spinal abnormalities.

Feeding

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for sale should be offered food four to six times daily. Breeders commonly send a sample of food with their puppies so you can maintain a consistent diet and make a gradual change. Puppies often require 40 to 90 calories per pound each day. Younger dogs that eat kibble may need you to add water to their food until their jaws strengthen. Adults can eat two or three meals a day and require about 28 to 32 calories per pound every 24 hours. You must score your dog’s body condition regularly as the CKCS is prone to obesity. This breed does not have an abdominal tuck-up (rise of the abdomen from the sternum to the hips), but you should see a narrowing of the waist when you look down on your dog. Also, you should be able to feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of muscle and fat. Like all dogs, Cavaliers need a meat-based diet with low to moderate fat. Certain carbohydrates like greens and berries are generally beneficial.

Exercise

Although Cavaliers only had moderate success hunting, they were bred as sporting dogs. They are athletic trotting dogs and require 30 to 50 minutes of exercise each day. You will be most effective if you split your dog’s activities into two or more sessions. It is a great idea to intermix training with running and playing. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have medium energy levels and will not pester you continually for walks. They are content to cuddle with you, so you must take the initiative to ensure they get sufficient mental and physical exercise.

Grooming

You should adopt a regular grooming regimen for your CKCS.

• Brush
• Bathe – every six to eight weeks
• Check ears – every two or three days for redness or an abnormal discharge
• Swab ears – visible debris
• Wipe face – every one or two days

Ideally, you should brush your dog daily. The feathers are especially prone to tangling. If performed every day, brushing your Cavalier should only take about 10 minutes. Many experts recommend misting your dog with water. If you do so, you must exercise exceptional care so as not to break any hair. As with other spaniels, you have the option of clipping your dog short. In the show ring, judges only allow minimal trimming, particularly of the feet, of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Training

Puppies need socialization as well as basic obedience training at a young age. Unsocialized Cavs can become fearful and timid, undesirable traits in any spaniel. The CKCS is of above-average working intelligence and is exceedingly eager to please. These traits make it one of the easier dogs to train. A major challenge is the breed’s sensitive nature which can lead to timidity if methods are too firm or forceful.