Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in a Nutshell
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is among the happiest and most 
​​easy-going of all dog breeds and we couldn't agree more.

​​The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an
affectionate, playful, intelligent dog breed that
is only too willing to repay an owner’s care
and attention with complete devotion.

Although considered a lap dog because of his
size, the Cavalier is an absolutely fearless,
sporting little dog. This dog breed is friendly
and non-aggressive and makes an excellent
and adaptable companion for many
different homes and lifestyles.
 ​
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will generally
adapt to whatever lifestyle is offered.

​The Cavalier can be equally at home with a large, boisterous family with children as he can with
a single person, whatever that person’s age.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can be happy
living with energetic owners who are likely to take
their dog out on long, exciting walks, but can also
live a comfortable and happy life following
a more sedentary existence.
This dog breed is often described as "a people dog,” one
​that appreciates, enjoys and needs human company.
The Cavalier generally gets along well with other dogs and household pets, rarely showing any particular jealousy or possessiveness over dog food or toys.

Like many other dog breeds, Cavaliers seem
to enjoy the company of other dogs. Many owners
like to keep a couple of Cavaliers as pet dogs, as
they make for happy companionship and
are so easy to look after. Owning and caring
for two Cavaliers requires little more
work than just one.
Although no dog owner should regularly leave
dogs alone for long periods, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will usually appreciate the company of another dog if his owner does have to be away from
home for a few hours from time to time.

This is not a dog breed that should be left outside
all day in a kennel. In fact we feel a Cavalier
should not be in a kennel outside at all. These
are inside dogs ..... period!

The Cavalier is a companion that prefers to be involved in human activity, however large or small the family.
Cavaliers are happy to be followers. Except when hunting, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is not 
really an independent dog breed, but instead is 
one which prefers to rely on a pack leader 
and, of course, the pack leader is you.

Though there are exceptions to every rule, the
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is not a "yappy”
​dog breed. Like most dogs, the Cavalier
will bark if there is a stranger about.

Despite this, the Cavalier is not suitable as
a guarding dog breed for its very nature is too
soft to deter any intruder and he’s a little
small to pose any real threat.
Cavaliers are not Street-wise and are unaware of Dangers around them

Although there are certainly Cavaliers that are obedience trained, many owners claim their dogs
have absolutely no road sense, so it is always
wise to walk your dog on a lead in any
public place.

Cavaliers like to chase things.

This is great if you want a dog who will retrieve
tennis balls or flying discs, but it also means that Cavaliers will run right in front of a car in pursuit of
a bird or squirrel, and many have done so.

Even the best-trained Cavalier never should be
let off-leash in an unsecured area. Once they are
focused on that object in motion, only the promise
of something better — like a steak — will 
draw them to your side.
Excerpt from Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, part of the Comprehensive Owner’s Guide series,
with permission from its publisher, Kennel Club Books, a division of BowTie Inc.