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SmallToy Group

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was reconstructed in the 1920s from surviving descendants of 17th-century English toy spaniels depicted in Van Dyck portraits.

Calculate Cavalier King Charles Spaniel age
Lifespan11.8 yrrange 11–12
SizeSmallToy Group
Weight13–18 lb5.9–8.2 kg
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12

Gallery (3)

About

About the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was reconstructed in the 1920s from surviving descendants of 17th-century English toy spaniels depicted in Van Dyck portraits. AKC recognition came only in 1995; the breed is the most-represented Toy breed in UK VetCompass records at n=20,661.

Aging

How Cavalier King Charles Spaniels age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 11.8 years (n=20,661). Myxomatous mitral valve disease affects near-100% of Cavaliers by age 10 and is the defining cause of death; syringomyelia from Chiari-like malformation affects roughly half the breed.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 11.8 yr · range 11–12Senior careSenior at 8 · geriatric at 12Common health issues9 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
13–18 lb(5.9–8.2 kg)
Height
12–13 in(30.5–33 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
BlenheimBlack & TanBlack & WhiteRuby
Temperament

Temperament

How Cavalier King Charles Spaniels tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

affectionategentlegracefulsociable
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~8 yr

    Degenerative Myelopathy

    Description and veterinary guidance for Degenerative Myelopathy land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.