Episode 56: Breed Showcase: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

This episode of the Good Dog Pod is all about the companionable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel! Host Laura Reeves is joined by two long time breeders, owners, and exhibitors of the breed to discuss breed history, grooming, health, and more.

What is it like to live with the Cavalier? The Cavalier is a toy breed with all the athletic ability and drive of a larger spaniel. They are very trainable and not too vocal, making them highly adaptable and fit for apartment dwelling. These dogs form strong, intuitive bonds with their owners, and thrive off of human interaction. Because of this, they are not fit owners who work long hours and would leave them alone at home all day. 

What are some grooming best practices for this breed? The Cavalier should be groomed several times a week and bathed once every two weeks to maintain a healthy, silky coat. Owners should pay extra attention to their ears and paws. Our guests offer other grooming tips, such as what conditioning spray to use for the best results. 

What are some health related topics all Cavalier owners should be aware of? A healthy Cavalier can expect to live 12+ years. However, there are some health issues that are commonly found in this breed, including those related to the heart, patella, hips, elbows, and eyes. Owners should be aware of the signs of these diseases and bring their dog to the veterinarian for regular check-ups. To keep your Cavalier healthy, practice preventative care such as keeping them at a healthy weight and regularly brushing their teeth. 

Transcript

Laura Reeves [0:40] Welcome to the Good Dog Pod! I am your host, Laura Reeves, and I have today two very special guests, dear friends of mine for many years. Julia Johns and Karin Ostmann are breeders of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I absolutely adore this breed, and we are going to do a conversation all about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels! So, yay! I’m excited. Welcome, you guys! Here we’re going to do a quick introduction. Karin, we’re going to start with you. Give us a quick overview of your time in Cavaliers and what brought you to this breed, what made you fall in love with them. 

Karin Ostmann [1:26] I have been in this breed for quite a bit over 30 years now. It’s probably gotten closer to 40. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel—literally I fell in love with, actually, a painting. My grandpa explained to me that it was a Land Spaniel, and I said, “Those dogs are just so cute!” And he said, “But I know something that’s a lot prettier than that,” and he introduced me to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I fell madly in love with them.

LR [2:02] Awesome, awesome. Very cool! And you have bred how many National Specialty winners now? 

KO [2:09] In the AKC, one. In the CKC (before they became AKC), three.

LR [2:17] Yes. Excellent. And Julia, introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background.

Julia Johns [2:23] So I actually grew up in dog shows. I was two weeks old at my first show. 

LR [2:29] I could remember you since you were at least 8.

JJ [2:32] It’s been a while! My parents have Rottweilers, and I wanted to show dogs, and they would not let me show the Rotties for obvious reasons.

LR [2:42] Because you were tiny! That’s why!

JJ [2:45] So we actually saw this Cavalier at the National Specialty for Rotties. And I was like, “I like them, mom!” And we started looking around, and we found a local Cavalier whose name was Garth Brooks and lived on Rogers, going back. Fell in love, and we never really turned back from there. So I’ve had Cavaliers for over 20 years at this point. I can’t imagine having anything else. They’re literally perfect. 

LR [3:16] They are very adorable. And you have had some very nice success with your dogs as well. 

JJ [3:22] I have, yeah. I’ve been working with Erica and Rachel of Orchard Hill Cavaliers. We actually won the 2019 National Specialty, which was our last (sadly) National Specialty. 

LR [3:35] Welcome to Covid world, right? So, that’s good. We have some excellent experts here to talk about what is one of the most favored small companion pets. These dogs are a good size. They’re a lovely temperament. They come in a fun variety of colors. Everybody loves a Cavalier! Karin, I’m hoping you can give us a little bit of history. How long has the breed been around? This is a breed of the nobility, if I understand correctly, yes?

KO [4:07] Well, the history right now is a little bit in question. I think Denise Holmes is doing some research on it and finding some new information, which is interesting. But we have been told for the last few years instead that they were owned by royalty during the 17th century. You can often see the small Spaniels in paintings from the Renaissance times. Two British monarchs—King Charles and his son Charles II—were especially devoted to a variety of toy Spaniels. Charles II’s dog is definitely the one everybody mentions as the first special Cavalier. Charles II was more interested in breeding Spaniels than ruling Britain. 

LR [5:11] Seems like a much better plan to me, but what do I know?! 

KO [5:15] Spaniels were a great favorite of British aristocrats in the early 19th century and a line of the Blenheims (at the time they were called Red and White Spaniels) were bred at the palace. At the time when Briar went on, there was an offering of a wealthy American named Roswell Eldridge. She offered a sizable amount of cash for dogs to be brought to craft’s dog show that resembled most the original King Charles Spaniel, which he thought it should look like (which, you know, that’s one person’s opinion). There were four in the beginning. I was told he did this at least two times. 

LR [6:05] Interesting. Julia, I’m going to have you give us the breakdown on the variety of colors that are available and what they are called or considered within the breed. 

JJ [6:15] As Karin mentioned, there’s the Red and White, which we call the Blenheims. We have a Tricolor, which has black, tan, and white on it, which should have little tan eyebrows, tan under the ears, and tan under the little tail. It should be well broken. The Blenheim and Tri make-up are party colors. Then we have our Black and Tans, which are marked just like a Rottweiler. A little bit more hair. 

LR [6:44] More hair, less dog. 

JJ [6:45] And there is the all-red, which is a Ruby. And they make up our whole colors. The Ruby should be red like the Irish Setter. 

LR [6:53] And very little white on either the Ruby or the Black and Tan. 

JJ [6:57] They’re called our whole colors, so they should be all solid red or solid black and tan. 

KO [7:04] All Blenheim or Tricolor are Ruby with a recessive white gene or a Tricolor is a black and tan with a recessive white gene. 

LR [7:17] I absolutely did not know that. I learned something new today, which is the best part of my job, I have to tell you! And so that is fabulous information for breeders of Cavaliers or people who aspire to be. So talk a little bit about how this breed is to live with. I mean, I’ve been around them some. I’ve shown a few. I showed one of Karin’s. But share with us your experience. Again, we’ll just go from one to the other, starting with Karin. How are they as companions to live with, just by themselves? 

KO [7:53] I think the most attractable part that I find in a Cavalier personality is its versatility. If you match the owner right… I don’t let people choose their puppy. I actually match the puppy to the owner. The reason that is is if you’re telling me more about your life, I will know that you are maybe wanting to have a more athletic dog that will play fetch 2-3 hours a day if you let him, that will go jogging with you, that will go hiking with you in the mountains. The Cavalier is actually quite an athletic dog. On the other hand, if you’re in a wheelchair, and you just want a loving companion but the dog needs to be mentally sound enough to be comfortable around the wheelchair, then the Cavalier can adapt to that as well. They can adapt to be a service dog. I have several seizure assistance dogs that are actually in full work. I have a dog that assists a blind young lady. He was an adult dog when he went to that young lady, and the reality is it’s the intuitiveness that this breed has. They have an ability to really sense the mind of their owner, which makes a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel a rather difficult dog to show if you do not know how to show that dog. 

LR [9:39] Yes, and it makes for a number of owners wrapped around the little Cavalier’s furry paw. 

KO [9:47] I often look at the person that picks up the puppy, and I look at the puppy, and I assure the puppy that that person will be well-trained in a very short time. 

LR [10:02] I think that that is absolutely on point. So, Julia, talk a little bit—and I think Karin alluded to this, and I think it’s one of the things that, to me, is most interesting about the Cavalier particularly. They are Toy Spaniels. Like, the ones I’ve been around actually go and chase things. They have more sporting drive than I would have expected them to.

JJ [10:26] Oh, absolutely. They almost have too much sporting drive sometimes. I live in an apartment now, and we have a little duck parade that comes around about this time actually. I have to plan our walks accordingly because my boys will go full-point mode. They’re all about those ducks. You do have to warn your pet people a little bit about the instinct. 

LR [10:52] It’s still there, even hundreds of years later.

JJ [10:57] Absolutely. My Cavaliers, I don’t trust off-leash. I love them dearly, but they see a leaf, and they think it’s a bird—

KO [11:09] Or a duck. 

JJ [11:12] They’re not the smartest Spaniel in that respect.

LR [11:14] It’s a good thing they’re pretty? Is that what you’re telling me?

JJ [11:17] Exactly. 

LR [11:21] Okay, so, as apartment-dwelling dogs… Julia, this is a good one for you to speak to. I’ve been to Karin’s place. She has a beautiful place out in the country. You have an apartment. How are they in an apartment? Are they barky? We have this vision of small dogs being yappy. Let’s talk about that. 

JJ [11:40] They can be a little noisy. When I first come home, they’re excited to see me. That’s usually the extent of the barking. It’s the welcome committee, as we call it. But after that, they do calm down because they’ve had their greetings and will either be settling down on the couch or going for a walk. They definitely do love our daily routines that we have set up for them. 

LR [12:02] They have great off switches.

JJ [12:05] They do, yeah. 

KO [12:06] You correctly say they. If you have a group of Cavaliers. But if you have one Cavalier, there is probably rarely a breed that’s more trainable than a Cavalier. 

JJ [12:19] Correct. Yes.

KO [12:20] I would say that in general, as a single companion, the Cavalier is not a yappy dog. I describe it like this: If you have five children, your household will be a lot noisier than your household will be with one child. It’s no different with Cavaliers. 

LR [12:40] I think that’s a super, super great point, Karin. I said their little furry feet. Let’s talk a little bit about grooming, because part of the elegance—part of the beauty—of the Cavaliers: those beautiful ears and their little slipper feet. Karin, you tend to have a good number of dogs. So talk to us about what the grooming routine looks like.

KO [13:03] Well, number one as a breeder: I really try to breed for a coat that is reasonable to maintain. I like a nice coat. I like nice furnishings. I like beautiful ears. Nobody will say that I’m not extremely fond of a nice-looking Cavalier. But they are definitely coats that are easier than other coats. In general, a Cavalier should be a dog that, if you brush him 3-4 times a week and maybe give him a bath every other week, you should have a dog that’s pretty easy to condition and maintain. 

LR [13:52] Right. And Julia, talk to us about those slippers. They’re supposed to have those furry little Sasquatch feet. 

JJ [13:58] They are! I mean, kind of going back to what Karin said: the good coats, that’s definitely something to look forward to. Like, we do need a good coat in our Cavalier. They should almost be a one-towel dog. You shouldn’t be towel-drying them with multiple towels. Just dry them off, blow-dry them a little bit every two weeks. That’s a great maintenance for them. 

LR [14:22] This is something I ask in a lot of my breeds that I do interviews about: Do you find different coat texture and quality in the different colors? 

JJ [14:30] That is a good one! They shouldn’t. 

LR [14:35] I’m just curious. 

JJ [14:43] They shouldn’t.

LR [14:43] They shouldn’t, but?

KO [14:45] Coat texture should, across the breed, be exactly the same. On the other hand, the black sometimes does lay a little bit thicker than the white, especially Tricolors. That can be somewhat challenging. But otherwise, I really think if you breed for a good normal texture coat, they really should all have a silky coat that’s medium in length. There is no undercoat to it. That’s what we really would like to see. 

JJ [15:19] Going back to the slippers on the feet, I mean, I do live in Seattle, Washington—where it rains. My adult Cavaliers that aren’t showing anymore, I do trim the little hairs on their feet, just as a maintenance. They run around outside. I want to have them come in, towel-dry them off because they’re usually soaking wet. Even after a walk, it is definitely a little easier to maintain if they’re retired and I do trim their feet. I will admit that. 

LR [15:50] Okay! Alright! In my time as a pet groomer, I was like I can’t touch those feet!

JJ [15:56] Pet grooming—even the ears, I’ll trim them a little bit, too. Just to make it easier to maintain. Especially when we do have quite a few…

LR [16:05] Right, more than one adds up in 3-4 times of brushing. And I think it’s important to note: that’s 3-4 times a week. When you’re sitting there watching TV on Netflix, you’re combing through those ears to make sure there’s no mats coming up because once they’re there, they’re much more difficult to remove than they are to prevent. 

JJ [16:29] I will say that is the perfect time to brush them out. I love it—a nightly routine we do. The dogs are comfortable, you’re comfortable. They can sit on your lap. It’s almost like a therapy session for everyone. You’re petting your dog. It’s a good way to condition them at night. 

KO [16:45] The main reason for matting in the Cavalier coat is often static electricity. It really helps if we maybe use a spray when we brush the dog, so we can keep the static electricity to a minimum, and you will actually see the dog will have a lot less problem with matting. 

LR [17:13] So, pro-tip there, guys! Like a conditioner spray?

JJ [17:17] Yeah, you can even dilute it in a little spray bottle.

LR [17:21] Yeah, it doesn’t have to be a heavy, heavy conditioning.

JJ [17:24] No. I will say I learned that from Peter Green. “Mist and brush! Mist and brush!” 

LR [17:31] I learned it from Cat Rogers, so what can I say? 

KO [17:32] Tresemme has a spray for a straightening iron for our hair. It works beautifully for a Cavalier coat. Inexpensive and readily available everywhere. 

LR [17:49] Tresemme! There you go. I love it! Pro-tip! Let’s talk a little bit about the breed life, health, and longevity. What are some of the health tests? Julia, I’ll have you start. Some of the health tests that you do in the breed that people should be looking for when they’re talking to breeders?

JJ [18:10] There’s quite a few. I will start off saying that MBD, which is the mitral valve disease, is in our breed. 

LR [18:18] That’s hearts, right? 

JJ [18:20] Yeah. Most Cavalier pet people, when they come to us, they tell me, “I want to find a Cavalier” or “I want a Cavalier, but they have heart problems.” Well, that’s true. But if you’re asking the breeders for their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles—you’re going back several generations. Are you doing your heart auscultations if needed or are you doing your heart echocardiograms? As long as you’re going to a breeder who’s doing that, your chances are going to be way less. Is that a guarantee? No. 

LR [18:57] There are no guarantees. Mother Nature is a wicked mistress, as we say. 

JJ [19:02] Yes, but it’s definitely going to decrease your chances of your dog coming up with MBD. Other things we should be doing: our patellas, which is done at a year. Hips. I’m from the Rotties, so hips and elbows! 

KO [19:20] Eyes. 

JJ [19:21] Eyes! We don’t typically, as a breed, have eye issues. All our breeders are pretty on the ball. 

KO [19:29] There is some dysplasia, especially when you’re going to the whole color lines. That’s something to keep in mind. Just test for it, so we are careful. There are two different kinds of retinal dysplasia. There’s the geographical retinal dysplasia, and then there’s retinal dysplasia that detaches from the side of the eyes. It’s not terribly common. It’s common enough that it’s important to test for that for a breeding program. There should not be problems necessarily in a companion dog, if you place the dog and say, “I don’t want to breed from it.” But if you keep breeding from it, then we will have retinal issues to the point that the dog actually will go blind. That’s something we’re trying to prevent. That’s very smart to do. 

LR [20:25] It’s great to hear that breeders are on top of that. I always want to hear about a breed where the breeders are catching something early and preventing it from becoming. 

KO [20:35] My concern in Cavaliers is actually some serious anxiety that I see all across the breed, which I try to get breeders aware of, that it’s something we need to keep in mind and be careful when we breed those dogs. The temperament in our breed is the paramount and foundation of our little dogs. There’s been an increase in that over the last 10-15 years, how we have decreased our gene pool significantly. 

LR [21:15] So definitely when you’re looking for a dog, you want to (as much as possible) meet as many members of the family so that you know what kind of temperaments they have in the home and all of that, yeah? 

JJ [21:27] Absolutely. It really is key. Because there are certain lines that these breeders know not to go to because they do have temperament issues. That’s what our breed is known for: how amazing they are. That’s what we need to keep as a foundation. 

KO [21:45] I think more importantly than even meeting is that you trust your breeder to be honest. If you are having a good conversation with somebody, and I always tell puppy buyers if you feel like you’re in a store and you’re getting a sales pitch, that’s probably not the breeder you should be buying from. In every breeding that we do in any breed, there can be the one who you just don’t quite know where is that personality coming from? Sometimes we just have to be upfront. It’s a mating thing. Most of the time, we will find that right match for that dog. And that will be a key importance for that dog as well, to have a good life.

LR [22:37] So, again, we talk about this all the time on the Good Dog Pod. We talk about it on Pure Dog Talk. Breeders and buyers matching the right puppy, the best puppy, from a given breeding with the right home. Buyers, people who are looking for a new companion, thinking long and hard about the best fit for their family. Speaking in those terms, who makes a great Cavalier owner and who would you not recommend a Cavalier to for their family? (I know. Everybody should have a Cavalier!)

JJ [23:12] Exactly. 

KO [23:15] No. I think somebody that wants a dog that follows them to the bathroom, even at midnight. It’s a dog that has to have human interaction. If you’re gone all day, even if you have four kids and you work all day and then you’re gone with those four kids to baseball games (whatever activities you have), the Cavalier is not a good fit. It’s going to become an extremely lonely dog. The dog does have to have human interaction. 

LR [23:48] There are breeds who are more aloof. There are Toy breeds who are more aloof than a Cavalier. A Cavalier is very much that jointed-at-the-hip—I won’t say needy because that has a negative connotation—but they are very attached. 

JJ [24:06] I definitely think if you work 10-12 hours a day, a Cavalier is not for you. It really isn’t. They truly need that human interaction. That’s their whole purpose in life: to be your companion. 

KO [24:18] If you have a great boss who lets you take a Cavalier to work with you, then it’s the best dog you could ever have. 

JJ [24:28] That’s true.

LR [24:28] Or doggy daycare. There are options. But generally-speaking, you’re talking about families that really want to have a constant companion literally glued to them.

JJ [24:38] Another child (that sleeps better through the night). 

KO [24:43] With temper tantrums usually, yes.

LR [24:46] With all of that information, the Cavalier’s life expectancy: how long are we going to expect to live with this companion that we’re looking to acquire?

JJ [24:58] I would love to say 12 years and up. I have two 15-year-olds at home right now. To me, if I can’t breed a dog that lives over 12, 13, into their teens—something’s wrong. I love these dogs too much for them to die at 5. 

KO [25:15] I used to give exactly the same answer. But we have MBD in our breed, and I used to be what people call a health Nazi today. I learned a very important lesson. I had a phone call, and this dog actually died at 9 years and 6 months. I was very unhappy and rather upset about it. The lady was like, “Don’t be upset! Please don’t be upset about it!” And I said, “What do you mean? Yes. I really work really hard, and I am going to have to figure out where I went wrong and everything.” She just said, “Please. I want you to promise me something.” And I said, “What do you mean?” She said, “We lived for 9 and a half years with this dog. It was the most awesome years of our lives. He was such a cool dog. I don’t want you to be upset and not sell us another dog.” It made me a little bit more humble about things. We have some control over life and death, but not all the control. If a dog has a really good quality of life, the dog should live as long as possible. But I’ve also bred dogs that are 17 years and older, and I have to be very honest. The quality of life was not that great anymore. I mean, there was no reason that I should have let that dog go. But also, the dog could have quite a bit of arthritis and other issues that then contributed to a rather not-so-good quality of life. I try to say if a dog has 10 awesome years. I would like it to be between 10 and 14. I can be happy with that. 

JJ [27:15] Speaking of quality of life, we (not just Cavaliers, but us as owners) are our dogs’ advocates. So we need to understand if they’re 17 and there’s not that quality of life, it’s heartbreaking. 

KO [27:27] Geriatric care in dogs is just as challenging as it is for us. Dogs have just as much trouble as they get older as we do. And I think one thing that we might need to mention is what is the most important gift you can give to a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for longevity and health? A good weight. And dental cleaning. 

LR [27:58] Oh my gosh, yes! Julia, you are a veterinary technician. Tell us about dental, please! 

JJ [28:07] The thing that most people might not realize is dental health is directly related to heart health. 

KO [28:17] And all-over health!

JJ [28:18] And also overall health, yeah. 

KO [28:23] All kinds of autoimmune diseases. It’s huge. 

JJ [28:27] It is. I mean, can’t we all brush our dogs’ teeth daily? Maybe not. Should we? Yes. Absolutely. Even twice a week or weekly, I’d start with that if we can do that on a weekly basis. 

LR [28:41] And regular veterinary dental cleanings and all of those things. 

JJ [28:47] Yes.

KO [28:48] Save your money on the $150 dog bed. Put it in a little account. Buy a $20 dog bed. Put the rest in an account and use it for dental care at your veterinarian’s office and the dog’s later life. I think that would be a good investment. 

JJ [29:08] There is also certain pet insurance as well that will help with the dental, as long as you’re following your veterinarian’s advice and keeping up with everything, I think that’ll help pay for some of that, too. So it’s not a bad thing to look into if you get a new puppy. Health insurance!

LR [29:25] Health insurance is a good thing! Okay, good weight, which I think is important for all of us. Clearly, I didn’t follow that guideline! But I think Karin makes such a good point that as a general rule of thumb, too many people in this country are literally loving their dogs to death. A healthy weight is a lot leaner than many people realize. 

JJ [29:53] One thing I definitely tell my pet people is when you put your hands on their ribs, you want to be able to actually feel them. You don’t need to see them. That’s too thin. But you need to at least loosely feel them. If you can’t feel them and you need to hunt for them… 

LR [30:07] If you can pinch an inch on your Cavalier, you have a problem. Any other parting words of wisdom for anyone considering a Cavalier to add to their lives? 

KO [30:23] Your life will never be the same again. You will feel a genuine commitment and love from your dog. The dog would like to have that same thing in return. So if you’re afraid of commitment, try a Cavalier.

LR [30:43] Start with a Cavalier before the boyfriend? Is that what you’re telling me? Okay, good! Got it. 

JJ [30:50] Cavaliers, they truly will change your life. The love you give them, they’re going to give back to you tenfold. They love you so unconditionally, whether you have a bad day, they’re your perfect companion. If you’re crying, they’ll come up and love on you. They give you exactly what you need in life. 

KO [31:08] They’re also called Comfort Spaniels. 

LR [31:14] Netflix, a Cavalier, popcorn, and a glass of wine! Okay, that sounds like a night to me! 

JJ [31:21] That’s my everyday. 

LR [31:23] Excellent. Ladies, thank you so much for your generosity of time and spirit and sharing about your beautiful little dogs. I appreciate you.