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 The 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 breed, which appears in many of the great
paintings by the Masters, received its name from King Charles II who was always surrounded by the Royal Spaniels. 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 its 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.Cavaliers
make excellent pets, being very outgoing, happy, loving and devoted dogs. It would be difficult to find a dog with a
more delightful temperament. Though they are small enough to suit the city dwelling dog lover, they are equally at home
in the country. Though most Spaniels were originally bred as hunting dogs, the Cavalier has been bred exclusively as
a companion dog since the days of King Charles the II, and as a Pet and Companion, the Cavalier has no equal
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