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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed Guide

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Find Your Perfect Dog Breed 🐕

At a Glance
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Trait Detail Trait Detail
SizeSmall (13–18 lbs) Height12–13 inches
Lifespan9–14 years CoatMedium-length, silky
ColorsBlenheim, tricolor, ruby, black & tan TemperamentAffectionate, gentle, graceful
Energy⚡ Low to moderate Shedding🧹 Moderate
Good w/ Kids⭐ Excellent Good w/ Dogs⭐ Excellent
Barking🔇 Low Trainability🎓 Easy

The Sweetest Dog You’ll Ever Meet
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Cavaliers are not complicated. They don’t need a job. They don’t need hours of exercise. They need a lap, a gentle hand, and to be near their person. This is a breed defined by sweetness — not intelligence or athleticism or protectiveness, just pure, uncomplicated affection. And that’s exactly why people love them.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Cavaliers adapt to any lifestyle. Active owner? They’ll hike. Couch potato? They’ll nap. Apartment? Fine. House? Also fine. They’re the chameleons of the dog world — as long as you’re there, they’re happy.

But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one. Cavaliers have a heart problem so common it’s practically a breed feature: mitral valve disease. Nearly all Cavaliers develop it eventually. By age 5, roughly 50% have a heart murmur. By age 10, nearly 100%. Half the breed dies from heart failure.

Health: The Heart Is the Problem
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Mitral valve disease (MVD) is degenerative, progressive, and ultimately fatal. Medications can extend quality of life but there’s no cure. A Cavalier with MVD may live years with medication, or may decline rapidly. The financial and emotional cost is significant.

Other concerns: syringomyelia (a neurological condition causing severe head/neck pain — affects 25–70%), hip dysplasia, eye issues.

Buy from a breeder who cardiac-screens both parents annually and can show you the results. If they can’t, walk away. This is the single most important thing you can do.

Care
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30–45 minutes of daily exercise. Grooming: brush 2–3x/week, professional grooming every 6–8 weeks. Ears need weekly cleaning. Cavaliers are easy to train — eager to please, food-motivated, sensitive. Positive reinforcement only.

Bottom Line
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Pro: The gentlest, sweetest small breed available. Adaptable to any lifestyle. Great with kids, dogs, cats, strangers. Easy to train. Con: The heart will break your heart. MVD is almost inevitable. Prepare for significant vet costs and a shorter-than-expected time together.

Cost: $1,500–$3,500. Higher prices generally correlate with more health testing — pay for it.

Similar Breeds
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  • Cocker Spaniel — larger, more energetic, similar sweetness
  • Bichon Frise — hypoallergenic, equally sweet, lower heart risk
  • Havanese — equally adaptable, healthier, less shedding