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Breed History
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a much admired Royal Spaniel having
been known in Europe and Great Britain since the 16th Century,
descending from the toy spaniels of Europe.
Packs of the little dogs are said to have been kept by members of the
nobility as sporting dogs possessing a highly developed scenting
capacity and enjoying nothing better than wading in water. As lap
dogs they were popular with the ladies who used them as comforters by
laying them on their stomachs or feet as 'warmers' during their long
carriage journeys, thereby being known as the "comforter" of "spaniel
gentle".
They first appeared in the courts of England with the reign of Queen
Mary the first. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was the favorite
of England's King Charles II in the 1700's. He was often accused
of spending more time with his beloved Spaniels than on affairs of
state. Even today, they maintain a royal status (by Royal Decree)
as the only breed allowed in all public places. They were often
called little comforters, curing illness and keeping laps warm in the
cold drafty castles. They were depicted in the paintings of many
old masters including Gainesborough, Titian and Lancier, and received
its name from King Charles II who was always surrounded by the Royal
Spaniels. It was a Cavalier, faithful to the end, found under the
skirts of Mary, Queen of Scots after she was beheaded.
The original toy spaniels became virtually extinct in the Victorian and
Edwardian eras as short nosed breeds took the fore. By 1923 the
King Charles Spaniel (today's English Toy), with it's flat nose, had
replaced the old-type toy spaniel.
In 1926 the incentive for revitalization of the old-type Toy Spaniel was
provided by Mr. Roswell Eldridge, an American, who offered prizes of 25
pounds for the Best Dog and Best Bitch of this type at "Crufts".
The name Cavalier was added when the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club
was founded in 1928 to further develop the breed. It was not until
1945 that the Kennel Club (England) granted separate registration from
the King Charles. A year later the Club held it's first
Championship Show at Stratford-on-Avon. The popularity of these
companion dogs had spread around the world and in 1957 the breed gained
Canadian Kennel Club recognition. In 1996 it gained American
Kennel Club recognition.
President Ronald Reagan
brought "Rex" to the White House as our "First Cavalier". Other
famous Cavalier devotees include Tracy Ulman, Steven Spielberg, Mia
Farrow, Frank Sinatra, Katherine Hepburn, Liza Minelli, Barbra
Streisand, Lauren Bacall, William F. Buckley and Kirk Douglas.
Political figures Mary Madeline and James Carvill own 2 Cavaliers (of
opposite colors, of course).
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