CAVALIER KING CHARLES (SPANIEL)

SMALL TOY SPANIELS HAVE BEEN KNOWN IN EUROPE AND GREAT BRITAIN SINCE THE 16TH CENTURY. SEVERAL APPEAR IN PAINTINGS OF OLD MASTERS, AND THEY WERE GREAT FAVOURITES AT THE COURT OF CHARLES II (1660 - 1685). PACKS OF THE LITTLE DOGS ARE SAID TO HAVE BEEN KEPT BY MEMBERS OF THE NOBILITY AS SPORTING DOGS. AS LAP DOGS THEY WERE POPULAR WITH THE LADIES, AND IT IS ALSO CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE OF GREAT COMFORT TO THOSE AFFLICTED WITH FEBRILE DISEASES.

AFTER WILLIAM OF ORANGE ASCENDED THE THRONE, THE PUG TOOK OVER AS COURT PET AND IT IS ASSUMED, BUT NOT RECORDED, THAT THIS BREED WAS CROSSED WITH THE TOY SPANIELS. BREED TYPE WAS THEREBY CHANGED TO THE SNUB-NOSED, DOMED BREED KNOWN TODAY AS THE KING CHARLES SPANIEL.

THUS IN 1926, WHEN AN AMERICAN BY THE NAME OF ROSWELL ELDRIDGE VISITED BRITAIN IN SEARCH OF DOGS RESEMBLING THE ORIGINAL TOY SPANIELS, HE WAS DISMAYED TO FIND THAT THE BREED CARRYING THE MONARCH'S NAME BORE LITTLE RESEMBLANCE TO THE DOGS IN THE EARLY PORTRAITS. TO RECTIFY THIS ELDRIDGE OFFERED MONEY PRIZES TO BE AWARDED AT CRUFTS' DOG SHOW (LONDON) FOR THE DOG AND THE BITCH THAT CAME CLOSEST TO "THE DOGS AS SHOWN IN THE PICTURES OF KING CHARLES II'S TIME."

BREEDERS ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE. IN 1928 A CLUB WAS ORGANIZED IN ENGLAND AND THE NAME FOR THE RECREATED BREED, CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL, CHOSEN. A BREED STANDARD WAS DRAWN UP WHICH REMAINS BASICALLY UNCHANGED. THE BREEDERS' OBJECTIVE WAS TO DEVELOP A COMPLETELY NATURAL DOG WHICH NEEDED NO TRIMMING. WITHIN A FEW YEARS THEY HAD SUCH A SPANIEL AND BY 1945 THE CAVALIER WAS STANDARDIZED AND BREEDING TRUE TO TYPE. IN THAT YEAR IT WAS GRANTED SEPARATE BREED STATUS BY THE KENNEL CLUB (ENGLAND) AND SUBSEQUENTLY ADDED TO THE CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB'S ROSTER OF RECOGNIZED BREEDS.