King Charles Spaniel

The King Charles spaniel is perhaps the most famous lap dog of Europe. It is a breed of small dog of spaniel kind. It is a compact square shaped toy dog with a short nose and a dome shaped head. Its ears are long, set low, and close to the head. There is heavy feathering on these long ears. The body has a silky wavy fur coat which gives the dog a very lovable look. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is similar looking dog but slightly larger in size and belongs to a different breed. The King Charles spaniel is also known as the English Toy Spaniel.

The small size of the King Charles spaniel makes it a very convenient pet. In the olden days these lap dogs were usually kept by high society people who had plenty of leisure time on hand. As lap dogs were docile and did not have much working function, they made a good companion. One can say it was the fashion accessory of the rich and the famous, a kind of status symbol which not only provided them with style but also warmth. High society women as far back as 8th century in China and later in Iran were also known to have kept lap dogs for their amusements.

The King Charles Spaniel was named after King Charles the second who reigned over England. It is said that he liked the spaniels so much that it was almost to the point of addiction. The royal houses usually gifted one another the King Charles Spaniel as mark of good will. It was the dog of nobility. It is said that when the world trade really started blossoming foreign dogs made inroads into Europe. They too were embraced by the people as pets and this led to breeding with the lap dogs. The pugs which originated in China also found a place in Europe. In the shorter muzzle of the King Charles Spaniel the pug’s ancestry is visible.

The spaniels come in four colors: ruby-which is red in color, King Charles- which is black and tan. Blenheim-it is brown and white in color and Prince Charles- it is a tricolor spaniel. It is said the Blenheim color was named in the honor of Blenheim palace. Earlier these colors were considered as separate breeds but somewhere after 1850 it is said they are jointly recognized as one breed.

The spaniels do suffer some health problems during their lifetime. Some of the common diseases are retinal problems (cataract), heart defects, kneecap slipping and problems with their toe nails. Most of the spaniels die from heart problems. In North America to differentiate the King Charles spaniel ‘’Charlie’’ from the Cavalier King Charles, it got recognized as English toy spaniel.

It is said the spaniels were brought into British isle during creaser’s invasion and the word spaniel may have originated in Spain. Some of the modern breeds of lap dogs are the Australian Silky Terrier, the Japanese Terrier and many others.