Skip to content
Cavalier King Charles spaniel resting on a sofa

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small, silky-coated spaniel in the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) Toy group, kept first and foremost as a companion.

{"hide_search_input":false,"hide_near_input":false,"input_size":"","bar_flex_wrap":"","bar_flex_wrap_md":"","bar_flex_wrap_lg":"","input_border":"","input_border_opacity":"","input_rounded_size":"","btn_bg":"","btn_rounded_size":"","btn_rounded_size_md":"","btn_rounded_size_lg":"","bg":"","mt":"","mr":"","mb":"3","ml":"","pt":"","pr":"","pb":"","pl":"","border":"","rounded":"","rounded_size":"","rounded_size_md":"","rounded_size_lg":"","shadow":"","css_class":""}
New Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Author Image

Miss Cavalier Ltd

Miss Cavalier Ltd is a limited company registered at Companies House (company number 17052615), incorporated on 24 February 2026. The
Nation: England

About the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small, silky-coated spaniel in the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) Toy group, kept first and foremost as a companion. The RKC sums it up as a sporting, affectionate and fearless toy spaniel, and the standard asks for an active, graceful and well-balanced dog with a gentle expression.

Origin and purpose. Small toy spaniels were court pets in Tudor times and a constant companion of King Charles II. Over time, fashion moved towards a shorter muzzle and a domed skull. An American, Roswell Eldridge, later offered prizes at Crufts for dogs of the older, longer-faced type seen in early paintings. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club was founded at Crufts in 1928, and the Kennel Club granted the Cavalier separate registration in 1945.

Size. The breed standard gives a weight of 12 to 18 lb (roughly 5.5 to 8 kg) and prefers a smaller dog as long as it is well balanced. The muzzle measures about 3.8 cm (1.5 in) from stop to nose tip. The RKC classes the Cavalier as a small breed with a lifespan of over 12 years.

Coat and grooming. The coat is long and silky with plenty of feathering; a slight wave is allowed but not curl, and the standard wants it left untrimmed. The RKC suggests grooming more than once a week and notes that the breed sheds. Four colours are recognised: Blenheim (chestnut markings on pearly white), tricolour, ruby and black and tan.

Exercise and home. The RKC suggests up to an hour of exercise a day and lists the breed as suitable for a flat, with a small to medium garden, in town or country. The breed club warns that many Cavaliers get fat because their expression persuades owners to overfeed them.

Temperament. The standard asks for a cheerful, friendly dog that is neither aggressive nor nervous. The breed club describes Cavaliers as affectionate dogs that enjoy a good walk and then relax indoors.

Is it the right breed for you? The breed club calls owning a Cavalier a big commitment, and buyers need to understand the breed's heart and spinal health risks and choose a breeder who screens for them. Browse Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders, compare other Toy group breeders, see our section on family pet dogs and read the buyer safety guide before you contact anyone.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel health tests

The RKC highlights three inherited health concerns in the Cavalier. Mitral valve disease (MVD) is a degeneration of one of the heart valves, often first picked up as a murmur; the RKC notes that it starts earlier in the Cavalier, although many affected dogs still live to a good age. Syringomyelia (SM) causes fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord. Some dogs show no signs or only mild ones, such as scratching at the air near the neck when excited or on a lead, while in others it progresses and causes pain and neurological problems. It is diagnosed by MRI scan. Congenital or juvenile cataract and multifocal retinal dysplasia are now much less common because reputable breeders test before breeding.

Under the RKC heart scheme for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, an approved cardiologist listens for a murmur and then checks the valve by echocardiography. Dogs must be at least 18 months old, the RKC strongly recommends assessments at two, four and six years, and a green, amber or red rating guides breeding decisions. The BVA/KC Chiari malformation and syringomyelia scheme grades MRI scans, and a joint BVA and RKC syringomyelia project is gathering scans with the aim of developing estimated breeding values. Results for registered dogs appear on the Health Test Results Finder.

  • RKC Good Practice: DNA test for curly coat/dry eye (CC/DE)
  • RKC Good Practice: DNA test for episodic falling (EF)
  • RKC Good Practice: heart screening for mitral valve disease under the RKC heart scheme for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
  • RKC Best Practice: eye testing under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
  • BVA/KC CM/SM Screening Scheme (MRI): not on the RKC's Good or Best Practice list for the breed, but run jointly by the BVA and RKC and encouraged for breeding dogs by the Cavalier Club
  • Breed Watch: Category 2, with visible eye irritation or discomfort, protruding eyes and incorrect hind construction or poor rear movement flagged for judges

Choosing a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeder

Expect a careful Cavalier breeder to talk about hearts and syringomyelia without being prompted. Ask to see heart certificates for both parents, with the age at which each was last tested, together with their DNA results for curly coat/dry eye and episodic falling and a current eye certificate. Some breeders also have their breeding dogs MRI scanned under the CM/SM scheme. Club members who list litters on the Cavalier Club's puppy register fill in a form giving details of the health certificates held for the parents.

A good breeder will also have checked the mating on the RKC inbreeding coefficient calculator, let you see the puppy with its mother where it was raised, and give you written care and feeding notes. In England, anyone who breeds three or more litters in 12 months and sells any of the puppies needs a council licence and must show the licence number in adverts. Lucy's Law bans third-party puppy sales in England, and every puppy must be microchipped and registered by eight weeks old.

  • May I see both parents' heart certificates, and how old was each dog when last tested?
  • Have the parents been MRI scanned for Chiari malformation and syringomyelia, and what were their grades?
  • What are the parents' DNA results for curly coat/dry eye and episodic falling?
  • Have both parents been eye tested under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme?
  • Can I see the puppy with its mother, and will it be microchipped and registered before it leaves?

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel questions

How big does a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel get?

The RKC breed standard gives a weight of 12 to 18 lb (roughly 5.5 to 8 kg) and prefers a smaller dog provided it is well balanced. The RKC classes the Cavalier as a small breed with a lifespan of over 12 years.

What health tests should a Cavalier's parents have?

The RKC lists DNA tests for curly coat/dry eye and episodic falling, and heart screening under its heart scheme for Cavaliers, as Good Practice, with eye testing under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme as Best Practice. The Cavalier Club also encourages MRI screening for Chiari malformation and syringomyelia before breeding.

What is syringomyelia in Cavaliers?

Syringomyelia is a condition in which fluid-filled cavities form in the spinal cord. The RKC says some dogs show no or only mild signs, such as scratching at the air near the neck, while in others it progresses and causes pain and neurological problems. It is diagnosed by MRI scan, so ask a breeder whether the parents have been graded under the BVA/KC CM/SM scheme.

Can two Blenheim Cavaliers have ruby or tricolour puppies?

No. The RKC explains that two Blenheim parents can only produce Blenheim puppies, and litters from two Blenheims are only accepted for registration if the puppies are Blenheim.

More for Cavalier King Charles Spaniel owners and breeders

Official sources