Plate 022 · British Isles
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
骑士查理王小猎犬
“A breed recreated from dogs in old paintings.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- England
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Toy spaniels of the 17th century; recreated in the 1920s
- Today
- Companion · Therapy dog
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Historical context · Today
Context · 1836Dash, the young Queen Victoria's King Charles Spaniel, painted by Landseer in 1836. From 1926 breeders bred back from King Charles Spaniels toward the longer-nosed type of old paintings, creating the Cavalier; Dash himself is not a documented ancestor.
This image depicts a related historical dog type, not necessarily the modern breed.
Edwin Landseer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowAustin Kirk · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
England
Descends from the small spaniels seen in paintings of the Stuart royal court.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
A lapdog of the nobility; Kings Charles I and Charles II were especially devoted to toy spaniels.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Later fashion favoured flatter faces. In the 1920s American Roswell Eldridge offered prize money for dogs resembling the old paintings, prompting breeders to recreate the longer-nosed type, recognised by The Kennel Club as a breed of its own on 5 December 1944.
04 · Today
Companion · Therapy dog
A gentle, adaptable family companion and therapy dog.
Personality
- Affectionate
- Gentle
- Graceful
- Sociable
- Adaptable
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Small
- Lifespan
- 12–15 years
- Coat
- Silky, medium-length coat with feathering
Field note
The modern breed exists because a 1920s prize rewarded breeders for matching dogs seen in 17th-century paintings.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Toy Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI, The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- United States
AKC registrations: ranked 12 among breeds in 2025. Wikipedia reports it was 6th in the UK in 2007 and 4th in Australia in 2009.
Sources2 references
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/cavalier-king-charles-spaniel/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-06 · Used for registry status, AKC group and breed standard reference only.
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalier_King_Charles_Spaniel
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
Edwin Landseer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Austin Kirk · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
