- Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel
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There has been much
speculation about the origin of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
as we know it today. It is possible that the Cavalier developed
from a red and white spaniel indigenous to Malta or Italy which
was crossed with a spaniel type from the far East in the 13th
century. Another popular theory is that all spaniels originated
in Spain, and that the black truffle dog was also part of the
Cavalier gene pool. It is a fact, however, that the toy spaniel
was refined as a breed in England, and there is no doubt that
there were inclusions of sporting spaniel types in the
bloodlines, too.
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- Whatever its origin, it
is plain that the Cavalier is a descendant of the
"Spaniel Gentle" companion dogs seen in so many
pictures of Lords and Ladies from the 16th through l9th
centuries. It was in the reign of King Charles II that
the toy spaniel came to prominence in England. The King
was so fond of his little dogs that, according Samuel
Pepys' diary, he neglected the business of the kingdom to
play with them. A member of the court, complaining about
the general doggy disorder in the King's apartments,
declared with disgust that the King even "suffered
them to pup" in his own bedroom. The toy spaniel of
King Charles' day went out of fashion in the reign of
William and Mary, who brought with them from Holland
their favorite Pugs. Perhaps there was some interbreeding
between Spaniels and Pugs, but in any case there resulted
a spaniel with a domed head and short undershot
muzzle.
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- This short-muzzled dog
was named the King Charles Spaniel, and became the type
shown at early British shows and at Crufts. In North
America today this breed is known as the English Toy
Spaniel. Breeders would
occasionally
find a long-muzzled puppy in a litter, and these would be
either put down or sold as pets.The reappearance of the
original type of toy spaniel must be credited to Mr.
Roswell Eldridge, an American who came to England in the
early 1920s to purchase a dog of the old
"nosey" type, but could not find one. He
offered prizes at Crufts from 1926 to 1931 for
"Blenheim Spaniels of the Old Type, as shown in the
pictures of Charles II's time, long face, no stop, flat
skull not inclined to be domed, with spot in centre of
skull." Interest in the Old Type toy spaniel was
fostered particularly by Mrs. Hewitt Pitt who, with a
small group of dedicated breeders, founded the Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel Club in 1928 at Crufts Dog Show. It
was in 1946 that the Kennel Club finally granted separate
registration from the King Charles Spaniel. Prior to
that, early Cavalier breeders added "Cavalier
Type" to their registration forms to denoted the
longer muzzle. The live model on the table when the Breed
Standard was drawn up was Ann's Son, owned by Miss Mostyn
Walker. Mrs. Katie Eldred, a breeder who has lived in
British Columbia for many years, was living in England at
the time and was present at this historic event. In 1948,
Daywell Roger, owned by Mrs. Pitt's daughter, Jane
Bowdler, became the first English Champion.
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- The breed in England
has gone from strength to strength, and is today very
popular with the general public. It is a common sight in
town or country to see a little Cavalier trotting happily
beside its owner.
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