Living with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Have you considered living with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?. Devoted and loyal they are a best friend who will always be at your side.

I have owned Eddie, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for around six years. He is the first dog we have had as a family. My husband has owned dogs in the past but growing up the only pets I ever had were goldfish and a tortoise. You just do not get the same companionship from these pets.

Living with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a pleasure, you gain a life long friend. It is also a big responsibility. You have to ensure they get the right sort of food, enough exercise and that they are well trained. You also need to take care of their health making sure they get the right vaccinations and flea and worm treatments.

Recently Royal Canin got in touch with me to tell me about a new section on their website, called The Royal Family. It is an on-line hub which will guide you though out all the stages of your dog’s life. From choosing which breed is right for you to keeping your dog happy and healthy though it’s life, the hub will provide this information.  You can find out all about the temperament of specific breeds, dietary needs, training requirements and more. Royal Canin create nutritious dog food that is designed for specific breeds that takes into account the age, activity, breed, size and lifestyle of your dog. All you need to do is to create a profile on the site and you can find out a wealth of information.

Living with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a different breed from a King Charles Spaniel, the difference can be easily seen in the nose which is much more pointed in a Cavalier. The breed is associated with the court of King Charles where a similar spaniel was popular with the ladies. There is a legend that King Charles II issued a Royal edict that no King Charles Spaniel can be denied entry to any public place and they alone have the right to run loose in London’s Royal Parks. I suspect that you would not be allowed to try this. History aside a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an intelligent and loving dog, playful and easy to please. They are also good with children making them an ideal family dog.

Temperament

A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a happy dog, with an almost constantly wagging tail. Eddie is always eager to please and loves people. If anyone comes to the house he is happy to greet them and as a result is a useless guard dog. He is easy to train, quick to understand what you want and naturally well behaved. He does need to be set limits or he can become a bit of a diva. He recently learnt where I keep his dog treats and will look up at them and woof imperiously demanding a treat. I have been teaching him that he only gets a treat when he does what he is told to. He loves people and does not like to be alone. We try to make sure he is not left alone all day and when we do have to leave him we take him for a good walk ahead of time so he is ready to relax and sleep. Eddie is very curious and playful but also loves to curl up on a cushion or your lap and relax.

Exercise

Eddie gets two walks a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. He has a natural instinct to chase things so I keep him on the lead when he is near a road in case he spots something and chases it. He has absolutely no road sense at all. When we walk in the country park he often chases after birds and rabbits, but has yet to catch something. He hates birds coming into the garden and will chase them away with lots of barking.

Eddie loves to play. He has a number of favourite toys which he likes to play tug of war and fetch with. This can keep him occupied for ages. He has a great sense of smell and loves to sniff out hidden treats.

Health

We are very careful to keep Eddie’s vaccinations and flea and worm treatments up to date. We have a plan at the vet that deals with this and we get reminders of when they are due. Eddie also has pet insurance which came in very useful when he had a sore back not so long ago.

There are a few things we do on a regular basis to ensure he is kept in good health. We groom him weekly, his fur is quite long and can get tangled. His ears tend to pick up grass seed and sticky burrs so we check these along with his feet after a walk to make sure they are clear. We also have to keep an eye on his claws as his dew claws can get rather long.

Eddie does not like getting a bath so we keep these to a minimum, only giving them to him when he gets too smelly. He is prone to getting really cold and shivery after a bath so we make sure to wrap him up well and put him somewhere warm until he is dry.

Feeding

Eddie can be very fussy about food. He will eat one day and then eat nothing the next day apart from an odd treat. Some Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are prone to being overweight but Eddie is in no danger of this. I am always on the look out for food to tempt Eddie with and Royal Canin sent me some of their food which is specially tailored to the needs of a King Charles Spaniel. The kibbles are designed to encourage Eddie to pick up the food and chew it. The food contains nutrients to help encourage good heart function, especially important in a King Charles spaniel as they are prone to heart defects. The food also contains nutrients to help support healthy skin and coat.

I put some of the food into Eddie’s new personalised bowl for him to try. He looked round a bit suspiciously but the temptation proved too much and he was soon tucking in. Once he tried that small amount I gave him a bigger portion and this was also wolfed down.

Eddie has been enjoying this food all week and hopefully he will stop being so picky about his food.

Do you own a dog? Does it have particular traits that are special to it’s breed?

This post has been made possible thanks to Royal Canin, but all thoughts are my own