toy Group
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an affectionate, happy, and gentle breed that wants to befriend everyone and everything. Categorized under the Toy Group, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is in fact one of the largest small dogs, with an average weight of 13–18 pounds.
Due to their medium-length hair, your Cavalier will shed. Regular grooming will help to control the shedding around the house.
Being part of the Spaniel family, your dog is likely to try and chase and/or flush birds and rabbits if not kept on a leash, or within a fenced yard.
A fully grown Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has an average height of 12–13 inches, and will weigh somewhere between 13–18 pounds.
The average life expectancy of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is around 12–15 years.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Average Statistics
Average size and life expectancy of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Height
12–13 inches
Weight
13–18 pounds
Life Expectancy
12–15 years
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: A Very Popular Dog Breed
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has been a popular breed for many years, and has been ranked within the top 5 small dog breeds since 2013.
In 2020 this breed was the 5th most popular small dog breed, as defined by the AKC (American Kennel Club). Only the French Bulldog, Miniature Poodle, Dachshund, and Yorkshire Terrier ranked higher.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Characteristics
Just like humans, dogs have unique personalities. But did you know that there are common personality and character trends unique to each breed?
This means that it’s worth taking the time to understand the differences in personality, character, and needs of each breed before choosing the right dog for your family, for you, and your lifestyle.
Below is a table we created to show the personality and character traits commonly associated with Cavalier King Charles Spaniel‘s in an easy-to-read table. Each row contains a character trait, a score ranging from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), and a description.
| Trait | Score | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Affectionate | 5 | How affectionate a breed is with family members or close friends. Some breeds are reserved around strangers, while others treat everyone as a close friend. |
| Playful | 3 | How eager a breed is to play, even as an adult. Some breeds will want to play tug-of-war or fetch until they are old, while others will be content to lounge on the couch with you. |
| Energy | 3 | A breed’s need for exercise and mental stimulation. High-energy breeds are always ready for their next challenge. They’ll spend the day running, jumping, and playing. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes who enjoy a good nap. |
| Trainability | 4 | How easy it will be to train and how eager your dog will be to learn. Some breeds only want to please their owners, while others prefer to do their own thing, whenever they want! |
| Grooming Requirements | 2 | How often a breed’s coat needs to be brushed, trimmed, or otherwise maintained. When looking at the grooming effort required, consider your time, patience, and budget. Nail trimming is required on all breeds. |
| Shedding | 2 | How much fur and hair the breed will leave behind. High-shedding breeds require more frequent brushing, are more likely to cause allergies, and require more frequent vacuuming and lint-rolling. |
| Drooling | 2 | A breed’s drool-proneness. If you’re a neat freak, dogs that slobber on your arm or wet your clothes may not be the best choice. |
| Watchdog | 3 | How often the breed will bark or howl. Some breeds will bark at every passer-by or cat in the window. Some barkless breeds can still communicate using other sounds. |
| Good with Children | 5 | The breed’s tolerance to children’s behavior and overall family-friendly nature. Always supervise dogs around young children or children of any age unfamiliar with dogs. |
| Good with Dogs | 5 | How sociable a breed is with other dogs. Interactions and introductions with other dogs should always be supervised, but some breeds are naturally more likely to get along, both in public and at home. |
| Good with Strangers | 4 | How friendly a breed is towards strangers. Some breeds are reserved or cautious around strangers, whether at home or in public. In contrast, others will be excited to meet a new human! |
Keeping your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel happy & healthy
Did you know that each dog breed has different needs to keep them both physically and mentally healthy?
That means things like exercise requirements, grooming needs, mental stimulation, frequent training, and bonding time will need to be taken into consideration before you decide whether a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is right for you.
So let’s start with listing out the needs of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and describe the minimum expectations that will be required to keep your dog happy and healthy, helping you to decide if they’re the right breed for you.
Exercise Requirements for Cavalier King Charles Spaniel‘s
While a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel doesn’t require extensive exercise, it will need moderate levels of activity each day to stay happy and healthy.
We suggest aiming for daily exercise between 30 and 60 minutes, which can be spread across several daily walks or playtime in the backyard.
Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniel‘s a playful breed?
While Cavalier King Charles Spaniel‘s do like to play sometimes and only for short periods, they have a tendency to lose interest quite quickly. They much prefer to spend time resting and cuddling up on the couch with you.
Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniel‘s easy to train?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel‘s are known to be quite a challenge when it comes to training, but with some persistence, consistency, and patience, you can be sure to reap the benefits from taking the time to train him.
Just remember that as with any element of training, but especially potty training your dog, positive reinforcement and consistency from you is one of the most important aspects of training.
Random Facts about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
For a bit of fun, here are some facts about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels:
- A house with a small to medium size garden would be ideal for this breed, but as The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel doesn’t need too much exercise, your pup will only really need a 1-hour walk per day.
- With a medium coat length, you will need to groom your dog more than once per week in order to keep the amount of shedding down to a minimum.
- This breed generally has the ability to gain weight fast, so obesity can become a problem if you are not disciplined with the treats. Positive reinforcement will go a long way when training, as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is keen to please.
- As with many Toy breeds, your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel may prove tricky with toilet training, so you need to ensure you stick to a consistent and regular routine to avoid any accidents indoors.
- They are a very dependent breed, so you should avoid leaving them alone for extended periods of time.
Medical Conditions
Some breeds are prone to medical conditions, so severe, others mild. But either way, it’s important for you to be aware of such issues as a responsible dog owner, so you know what potential symptoms to look out for, and what steps to take if you spot any in your dog.
FAQs about Cavalier King Charles Spaniel‘s
People also regularly ask the following questions about Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
What is the average height of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
The height of a fully grown Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will be somewhere around 12 to 13 inches. Don’t worry if your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is slightly over or under those figures, as this is just a breed average.
What is the average weight for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
Ideally, your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel should weigh somewhere between 13 and 18 pounds. This is an average for the breed overall, so if your pup comes in slightly over, or slightly under this weight, don’t worry too much.
How to tell if my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is overweight?
In surveys conducted by Pet Obesity Prevention since 2012, more than 55% of dogs are now classified as overweight or obese. This number has been steadily increasing from 52.5% in 2012, with the most recent numbers in 2018 being 55.8%.
That’s an increase of 3.3% in just six years, showing that dog obesity is a problem that is only getting worse over time.
We’ve created an easy-to-use dog calorie calculator to give a pretty good idea of how many calories your dog needs to maintain energy requirements (or MER).
Keep your dog happy and healthy, and be sure to regularly check the weight of your dog to ensure a long and healthy life.
What is the life expectancy of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
The average life expectancy for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is 12 to 15 years, although don’t be surprised if your dog lives longer!
It’s not uncommon to fall outside of this age range, mainly due to health and medical conditions. So keep your dog happy and healthy, ensure your dog’s weight is kept within the ideal range, with plenty of exercise and playtime to keep his mind and body healthy, helping to extend his life!
References, and Further Information
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel full breed standard, AKC (American Kennel Club)
- Pet Obesity Prevention