Laravel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel originated in the United Kingdom. This dog breed is often confused with the English Toy Spaniel, which is called the King Charles Spaniel in the UK. While they share a similar history, they are not the same dog breed. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is slightly larger than the King Charles Spaniel and has higher-set ears, a flatter skull, and a longer muzzle.

Toy spaniels were a favorite among early 19th-Century British aristocracy. The Marlborough family of Blenheim Palace bred a line of red-and-white spaniels. These were later crossed with Asian toy breeds to create the English Toy Spaniel breed, which is called the King Charles Spaniel in the UK. The more traditional spaniel that the Marlborough family bred was almost extinct as the newer Toy Spaniel breed became more popular.

In the 1920s, toy spaniel fanciers saw paintings featuring the old-type toy spaniel breed in noble English manors. Roswell Eldrige, a wealthy American, offered British breeders a cash prize for “Blenheim Spaniels of the Old World Type”. This accelerated the preservation of the old-type toy spaniel breed and dogs from these lines are called Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were first recognized by the AKC as toy dogs in 1945 and were fully recognized as a member of the Toy Group in 1995. They are one of the smallest dog breeds and are a popular companion breed in the United States.