The King Charles Spaniel is one of two royal spaniels – the King Charles and the Cavalier King Charles.
With a shared heritage, it is only in the early 20th century, that the breed split into two distinct varieties, due to changes in appearance from breeding with short-muzzled dogs. Out of the two breeds, the King Charles has a more domed skull and flatter face than its cousin. It is also smaller in size and has an undershot lower jaw. In most other ways it is very similar, with wonderful silky fur and loving nature. They make wonderful companions and lap dogs and thrive on human companionship and affection. They do best in calm households and although they get on well with children, they may prefer the company of adults or sensible older children. They also get on well with other dogs and household pets.
History
Toy spaniels date back to the 16th century when they were bred down from sporting breeds to be gentle lap dogs and comforters to the nobility. Both Charles I and Charles II were devoted to this breed, with the breed named in the latters honour. Early Cavaliers had a relatively long muzzle but subsequent breeding with pugs and Pekingese led to a flatter face and more domed skull. This dismayed some breeders, who preferred the more traditional head shape which led to a re-emergence of the old-style Cavalier and the development of two varieties of the breed, the King Charles Spaniel, with the altered profile and the old type Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
