King Charles Dog Breed Info
Our family has had the joy of having a Cavalier King Charles as a member of our family for 10 years. We’re happy to share King Charles dog breed info with others that may be considering bringing a dog into their home. While we feel the Cavs have many great qualities, some of their characteristics may not line up well with everyones lifestyle.
To be honest, we knew NOTHING about Cavs when the breeder brought our dog Max from the room out back to the arms of our daughters. These photos of him as a puppy may help you understand how we fell in love and started Googling on our phones to learn more about the breed.
So that day at the breeder, we took a leap of faith based on what information was available online (it was 2010). Certain key pieces of information helped us make our decision. As Max has grown, we’ve learned a few surprising things (see below) but nothing that would have changed our decision and we absolutely love our Cavalier King Charles !
The table below summarizes key characteristics of the King Charles Cavalier breed.
king charles dog breed info
| Cavalier King Charles | ||||
| Size | Medium Larger than a Shih Tzu but smaller than a Golden Retriever Typically 13-18 lbs (see our "surprises" described below ... our Max is 27 lbs ! and he's not fat) |
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| Activity Levels | Medium Cavs need exercise and love to get outside and walk and run They will also "crash" on the floor or their dog bed and sleep for hours They do not need as much activity as Labradors or Retrievers |
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| Temperament | Tremendous ! (we are of course biased since we love our Cav) Very Gentle, could be described as "sweet" and "charming", affectionate, mostly quiet (not an excessive barking type of dog) Also loves going for a walk and playing outside |
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| Type of Hair | Has hair (not fur) and the hair does grow and shed Requires grooming about once per 10-14 weeks |
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| Need for Exercise | Needs to get some exercise, ideally daily A couple short walks would be ok, they also enjoy longer walks if you have the time Does not require significant exercise like some other large sport/hunting dog breeds |
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| Life Expectancy | 9-14 years | |||
| Typical Weight | 13-18 lbs | |||
| Coloring | There are 4 types of colorings for Cavs Blenheim - are most common and are mostly white with light brown/tan highlight areas Tri-color, which our dog Max is, is mostly white with black areas and distinct chestnut highlights Ruby - the dog is mostly solid chestnut/light brown Black and Tan - this is the most uncommon. Dog is mostly black with tan highlight areas |
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| Sleep Habits | Cavs sleep all night and about 50-75% of the day If you keep them busy with walks or trips around town, they are active. Otherwise, they will be content to sleep |
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| Guard Dog | NO - a Cavalier is not big enough to pose a threat to an intruder or stranger. However, they are extremely protective and will bark loudly | |||
| History | Have history connecting them back to the 1700s and King Charles II who was reportedly infatuated with them... leading to the King Charles part of their name | |||
| Health Concerns | Heart Mitral Valve issues later in life Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) |
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| Friendly with other Pets | Yes - Cavs are generally very good natured and will interact well with other dogs and cats | |||
surprises we learned about cavalier king charles dogs
- They have a hunting/bird dog disposition - our dog Max will bark and think he can "get" birds that are flying 10 feet away or 200 feet away
- Nickname of the "Velcro Dog" - they are extremely friendly and love to be with people...so much so that they earned a nickname of the velcro dog because they like to "stick" with you as you move around doing your daily activities
- Size - they are TYPICALLY 13-18 lbs. However 🙂 our Cavalier Max is about 27 lbs ... and he is not fat. He is just larger than most Cavs
our king charles cavalier max
