Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have big round eyes, long silky ears and a tail that hardly ever stops wagging. They were bred to be companions, and being somebody's best friend is still the job they love most.
These little spaniels are named after King Charles II of England, who loved them so much that he rarely went anywhere without a few at his heels. Legend says he even declared they could go into any public building in the land! Over the years the breed changed to have flatter faces, until an American visitor in the 1920s offered prize money for dogs that looked like the ones in the king's old paintings. Breeders took up the challenge and the longer-nosed "Cavalier" was born.
Cavaliers come in four colors. Blenheim is chestnut and white, tricolor adds black to the mix, black and tan is mostly black with tan eyebrows and legs, and ruby is a rich red all over. Many Blenheims have a little chestnut spot on the top of the head, sometimes called the kissing spot. Use long, wavy strokes on the ears to show off that silky fur and leave a tiny white sparkle in those big dark eyes.
