What is the difference between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a King Charles Spaniel? The two are frequently muddled. Indeed, many don’t realise they are two separate breeds. Margaret Carter sets the record straight
The simple way to tell the difference is the face: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (shown below on the left) have a muzzle and the King Charles Spaniels (shown here right and known as the English Toy Spaniel in America) have a very flat face.
Small long nosed spaniels had been bred for many centuries but, when very short nosed dogs became popular in Victorian times, breeders systematically bred out the long nose in favour of a flatter faced dog. In 1926 an American Gentleman called Mr Roswell Eldridge, horrified to find that the only variety of toy spaniels being bred in the UK were those with flat noses, offered a cash prize of £25.00 at Crufts to the best “old type toy spaniel”.
A handful of breeders took up the challenge to breed small dogs that looked like the nosey little spaniels shown in so many old paintings. In 1928 a club for these little dogs was founded and a standard for the breed was drawn up using a top winning dog called Ann’s Son and pictures of Toy Spaniels painted in the 16th-, 17th- and 18th-centuries. It was felt important that the association with the name King Charles Spaniel should be kept, so the name “Cavalier King Charles Spaniel” was chosen for the new breed.
The new club was so successful that in 1945 the Kennel Club agreed to the separate registration of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Since that time Cavaliers have become by far the more popular breed.
Cavaliers Are Special 