King Of The Dawgs (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)

Member Name: Recon

Product:	Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Date:	06/03/08 (1179 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Entertaining, Lovely appearance, Tolerant, Family pets, Kind, Caring, Loving, Quite playful

Disadvantages: Expensive, Running costs

I have had a King Charles Cavalier for 10 years now, which is identical to his age. To this day, he is happy and healthy although he does seem to sleep a lot more! Before we carry on, I must say that my dog isn't normal! I think he is half human and half dog, because he is extremely clever and plays some really amazing mind games! He is a fabulous pet and has brought so much entertainment and fun to the family. Being rather a small dog, he doesn't require excess exercise like other dogs and he is easy to feed, although ours doesn't eat like any other dog! He looks beautiful, even for his age with a lovely shiny coat and fascinating features. I couldn't have bought a better dog...

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Background
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The King Charles Cavalier originated from England and has been around since the 20th century. For short, people like to call them Cavaliers. They are considered under the 'toy dog' category due to their small size. They have rather silky coats and you can find them in a few varieties of colours. They are great family dogs as they are outgoing, affectionate and active. They tend to tame very quickly and adapt themselves to their home very quickly. They also seem to get along well with other pets, as I have many other pets myself. The only reason he tends not to go near them now is because he used to get too near them, consequently getting bitten by my tortoise (yes, I know it sounds unbelievable) and scared off by one of my lizards hissing. They get along very well with children and are joyful pets to have.

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Appearance
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As I say, there are a few varieties you can find them in; there are in fact four. These are the Blenheim, Tricolour, Black & Tan and Ruby colours. My dog is the Tricolour, which I think I like the most. I also love the Blenheim ones as they are very cute and the colours go well. I am not so fond of the ruby colour and the Black & Tan one isn't too bad. They all have a similar look despite their colours.

They are small breeds to start off with, and won't grow more than about 40cm tall. Depending on their age and size, they will weigh around 5-8kg. My dog is a bit on the chubby side at 9kg, but the vets say he is very healthy. Their head is in proportion to their body and is rounded with a round snout rather than a long one like other dogs. They have soft fluffy ears hanging down either side of their head that are very attractive and sometimes curly like my dogs! They have large round eyes, which are just adorable but a real killer when your dog is acting cute in order to get some food! They are coloured deep brown giving a radiant look. Their eyes have to be the highlight of their appearance as they stand out and are ever so cute! My dogs' body has curls down the sides, which I have yet to see on any other Cavalier making him unique! He has a good size tail that almost reaches down to the ground and is always wagging in the air when he's happy.

My dog has a somewhat funny look, but it's beautiful! He has two identical symmetrical eyebrows that look so cute! They are brown dots on his forehead above his gleaming eyes. He has a small rubber nose that is very cute too! He does actually have a few whiskers on his head on a white fur with brown freckles...maybe he's Irish (sorry for the stereotype)! He is black all over with a brown bum (not because he craps all over it), and a white belly. His legs are rather short but in good proportion to his body. They have little black spots down them on the white background. He has compact, padded feet but they seem to be a bit of a problem sometimes! Little stones seem to easily get in between his padded toes, which I always have to stick my fingers in between and pick out! He has had a few problems with his feet over the past, and it is the most venerable part of their body to problems such as these. My dog has a really lovely haircut when he is groomed. They shave him like a sheep but leave his ears lovely and fluffy, letting them stand out. The back of his legs still have the extra fluff on them, as it is the cavalier look. His tummy is also left with silky soft hair at a good length, which is lovely to cuddle!

All in all, I think my dog looks extremely cute and rather attractive. He has a very cute look to him with his large glowing eyes, symmetrical brown-dot eyebrows and cute little freckles. His body is all in good proportion, but he is just a bit smaller than most dogs.

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Nature
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My dog has the loveliest nature you could ever imagine. He is ever so kind and more tolerant than you could ever imagine a dog can be! Some days when he isn't feeling right, you can easily tell as he is so different from his normal nature. He seems to look sad and depressed and won't be so active or jumpy. Most of the time, he is always following us around the house watching every move. He is also very aware of all of us and will make sure he knows where we all are! If I am in the garden, then he will come out just to check I'm ok and to see where I am. If the door is shut, he will even bark to try and get out and find me. When you are doing something as insignificant as making a sandwich, he will watch your every move and probably try and get fed a little too.

My dog is very tolerant when it comes to playing games. You can wrestle him down to the ground constantly and he won't get annoyed for a surprising amount of time. It's not like it's hard to get him lying on the ground, but its funny playing this with him. As well as being tolerant, he is also very impatient! If I am filling up his water bowl for example, then he sticks his head in the way when I am pouring out the bottle and gets it all wet! Recently, he has realised that if he waits, he can still have a freshly cold drink without getting a wet head. However, he used to stick his head under the bottle as soon as I started pouring, so I had to hold him away. However, he is impatient in other ways. He will always bark for you to hurry up with everything! If you are standing still with him whilst out and about, then he will start barking to keep moving. Whilst out and about, he doesn't like to be in one place for too long as he gets very bored. He also cannot wait for his treats when you are getting them out the cupboard.

Overall, their nature is the greatest that any dog could have. They are very kind to all people and very tolerant too. My dog is pretty laidback and likes to play games with you. He does however seem to be rather impatient, which is annoying at times, but you get used to it. This is made up by his utter kindness towards you and he really is very caring! If you aren't feeling well, he senses it very quickly and acts differently. He may come to you and actually come up to give you a hug or show sympathy by rubbing his head against your leg when you're sitting down. He is very aware of everyone around him and shows complete kindness and care towards those people.

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Exercise
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The good thing about this breed is that they don't need as much exercise as larger dogs do. They don't need to be taken for a walk everyday, but if you have the chance, then it is more than beneficial to go out! As soon as I get the lead for my dog, he begins getting excited and dancing around the room like a tap-dancer with his claws making noises. We also have a special thing that goes round his legs that somehow stops him from pulling, as he likes to do this a lot! A walk around the local area is just fine, but you can let him off the lead in a large field and he will run around joyfully, keeping near to you the whole time and keeping an eye on you.

Apart from walks, we also take him on 'days out' or just to events or something like a craft fair. The terrible thing with my dog is that he barks in the car so much! No matter what we try, he always barks in the car and it's impossible to stop this! Other Cavaliers seem to be fine in the car, but mine gets over-excited and can't wait to get to his destination. The clever thing is, he always recognises when we are coming closer to our house and barks even more and looks out the window lots.

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Feeding & Water
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From his daily routine, you may be thinking my dog is a bit fat! Well he is around one kilogram over the weight he could be, but he is more than healthy for his age. When it comes to my dogs diet, you really won't believe what he eats. Since he was a baby, he never ate dog food and just wasn't into it at all. He wouldn't touch it and would rather starve. He ate the bare minimum to keep himself alive! It was soon that we realised we must start trying him on different foods. Nowadays, he is eating the same meals as us! My dog has utter luxurious food and is spoilt to bits in this way! For lunch, he will either have tuna & cheese, cheese on toast or cheese or wafer thin meat. We don't give him more than a slice of cheese with these foods, as it isn't the best thing for him. Here is a list of some of the things he has in the evenings:

Sausages
Roast Chicken
Lamb Steaks
Turkey
Bolognese
Casseroles

He has even more luxurious foods than these on the odd occasion too! He has had the finest steak in the past along with other expensive meats. His meals are ALWAYS accompanied by vegetables or something else. He either has peas & sweetcorn, rice with vegetables or scrambled egg on the odd occasion. He also likes pasta on some nights, but other's he doesn't! This diet is apparently perfect and he is more than healthy! His diet is also backed up with nutritious snacks and other foods. He has loads of different treats that he likes to eat, and he has one for his tooth-care every morning as I mentioned before. Sometimes he has a desert as a treat in the form of a SMALL AMOUNT of ice cream or half of a 'Soya' chocolate yoghurt. He also likes licking up fruit yoghurts, which can be good for him. Some fruits he even likes such as chopped in half grapes, mango and other fruits! One thing he won't eat is any citrus fruits such as orange, apple or pear he doesn't like either. He has a very good appetite and will eat a lot throughout the day.

His favourite foods include cheese, biscuits, ice cream and chocolate! None of these are good for him unfortunately, and we limit the amount he has. He will literally eat any kind of cheese, whether it is solid blue with fungi or strong cheddar cheese. He loves vanilla ice cream too, but enjoys the chocolate one as well!

As for water, his bowl should be kept topped up all the time! If there is any mess in his bowl such as a dead insect, food or something else, then it will be rinsed out and refilled. My dog has been drinking a lot recently, so it is important that he always has fresh water if he needs it. It seems to disappear very fast sometimes, so you must keep a close eye on it!

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Playtime
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My dog is very playful, but won't do certain things. His cleverness plays a big part in 'playtime' because the games he plays are thought out and sometimes done on a regular basis. As well as playing the simple games such as doing tricks, he plays mind games with you! He is pretty good at tricks and will sit and lie down easily. The thing he does best is giving you his paw, with instant reaction when you put your hand out. He even rolls over when you do the motion and tell him to. One thing he neveer does is go and fetch properly! He will run after the toy and and pick it up but drop it half way back to you! He never brings it all the way back to you, which is a bit annoying.

My dog treats everything as a game and plays them constantly with you. Sometimes his games are naughty such as asking to go out to the toilet when all he wants to do is peer over the wall or go exploring in the garden. He plays with you when you are trying to feed him is evening meal, as he rarely starts eating is straight away unless he is starving or it is his favourite - roast chicken! He will make it hard for you to feed him by simply ignoring you but he stays near you and plays a game. When you are trying your hardest, he will finally take it and then drops it out his mouth onto the floor and looks at it with his big fluffy ears all puffed up. He then expects you to pick it up again and feed it to him. Shortly after this, he will start eating it himself but he's funny when it comes to enticing him with the food!

He plays countless games and is very clever. One night, I was amazed by his cleverness. I was in the lounge with my parents and my dog wanted to sit with my Dad. My Dad wouldn't let him up as he was wet from the rain outside, however my Mum was willing to as he rarely sat with her. So, she allowed him up...only for him to instantly climb across the armrests to my Dad's chair beside hers! He actually thought out this plan just to sit with my Dad, and it was really amazing! He is very clever and entertains us all the time with things like this.

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Grooming
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My dog gets groomed every month and a half or couple of months. Depending on the weather and time of year, we may let him keep a long coat or get it cut more regularly if it's warmer. There are many dog groomers around, whether they are portable vans that come round your house, or well-established shops. It shouldn't cost more than around £35 for this dog to be groomed to a lovely style. This should be for a full wash, dry and style with all the extra bits like spraying him to smell nice and getting rid of any tangles or knots.

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Costs
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I first bought my dog as a puppy at just weeks old. He cost us £600, but was well-worth the buy. He has to be a lot nicer than most other dogs, for he is kind, caring and ever so playful and entertaining! We bought him from a house where the family bred the dogs and they had a whole family. Ours turned out to be the baby brother, but he was fine as he was taken from his family at such a young age, he probably didn't even realise about them!

As for running costs, he can be quite expensive as he has such a good appetite. It costs us every week to buy him treats, main meals and things for lunch. It is hard to say a price that it would cost every week as we buy our own weekly shopping at the same time and sometimes share the same meals as him. Running costs are quite high for a dog compared to other pets, but the advantage of the Cavalier is that they don't have so much to eat compared to larger breeds (except my dog)!

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Conclusion
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A dog isn't just for Christmas - A dog is for life. Despite things like running costs, I adore my dog to bits. He is the greatest pet in the world and is more caring, kind and loving than you could ever imagine a dog to be. He is playful and entertaining too and makes a great family pet being very tolerant as well. Compared to larger dogs, his small size means he SHOULD eat less, needs less exercise and everything costs less in general really! He looks beautiful and is very special to me as I have had him for 10 years now. Everyday, I cannot wait to get home to hug him and neither can he! He gets so excited when you arrive home, yet gets so worried when you are gone for a while. My dog acts like a half-human, half-dog and is extremely clever, which brings much entertainment to us all. Overall, he has to be one of the loveliest breeds out there.

Thanks for reading,

- Recon -

Summary: The most loving and kind dog that you could ever buy - A brilliant family pet