King Charles Spaniel
Also known as: English Toy Spaniel Toy Spaniel Charlies Prince Charles Spaniel Ruby Spaniel Blenheim Spaniel
Breed at a glance
- Origin
- England
- Weight
- 8–14 pounds (3.6–6.4 kg)
- Height
- 9–11 inches (23–28 cm)
- Colour
- King Charles (black and tan), Prince Charles (white with black and tan patches), Blenheim (white with red patches), Ruby (red)
- Litter size
- 5
- Other names
- English Toy Spaniel Toy Spaniel Charlies Prince Charles Spaniel Ruby Spaniel Blenheim Spaniel
intro
The King Charles Spaniel (also known as the English Toy Spaniel ) is a small dog breed of the spaniel type . In 1903, The Kennel Club combined four separate toy spaniel breeds under this single title. The other varieties merged into this breed were the Blenheim, Ruby and Prince Charles Spaniels, each of which contributed one of the four coat colours now seen in the breed. Thought to have originated in East Asia, and possibly acquired by European traders via the Spice Road , early toy spaniels were first seen in Europe during the 16th century. They became linked with English royalty during the rule of Queen Mary I (from 1553 to 1558), eventually earning their name after being made famous by their association with King Charles II . Ruling from 1660 to 1685, Charles II owned many small dogs which accompanied him and his entourage about their daily business. Members of the breed were also owned by Queen Victoria ( Dash ) and her great-granddaughter Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia . The modern King Charles Spaniel, and the other types of toy spaniels, are likely the result of crossbreeding historic spaniels with other East Asian breeds (such as the Japanese Chin , Pekingese , and the Pug ) in the early 19th century. This was done mainly to reduce the size of the nose and snout, as was the style of the day. The 20th century saw attempts to restore lines of King Charles Spaniels to the breed of Charles II's time. These included the unsuccessful Toy Trawler Spaniel and the now popular Cavalier King Charles Spaniel . The Cavalier is slightly larger, with a flat head and a longer nose, while the King Charles is smaller, with a domed head and a flat face. Historically the breeds that were merged into the King Charles Spaniel were used for hunting; due to their stature they were not well suited. They have kept their hunting instincts, but do not exhibit high energy and are better suited to being lapdogs. The modern breed is prone to several health problems, including cardiac conditions and a range of eye problems.
Health
A natural bobtail can be found in some members of the breed, which is not a mutation of the T-box gene, and so is allowed under conformation show rules. [ 60 ] Health-related research on the breed has been limited, with no major studies conducted in Britain. However, it has been included in studies outside the UK, including by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) in the United States. [ 61 ] The King Charles Spaniel has a number of eye and respiratory system disorders common to brachycephalic dogs, and endocrine and metabolic diseases common to small breeds, [ 62 ] as well as specific breed-associated health conditions. [ 61 ] The average lifespan is 10 to 12 years, [ 63 ] [ 64 ] and the breed should be able to reproduce naturally. [ 61 ]
History
The fact that dogs are always part of a royal Japanese present suggested to the Commodore the thought that possibly one species of spaniel now in England may be traced to a Japanese origin. In 1613, when Captain Saris returned from Japan to England, he carried to the King a letter from the Emperor, and presents in return for those sent to him by his Majesty of England. Dogs probably formed part of the gifts and thus may have been introduced into the Kingdom the Japanese breed. At any rate, there is a species of Spaniel in England which it is hard to distinguish from the Japanese dog. The species sent by the Emperor is by no means common even in Japan. It is never seen running about the streets, or following its master in his walks, and the Commodore understood that they were costly. The King Charles Spaniel may share a common ancestry with the Pekingese and Japanese Chin . [ 2 ] The red and white variety of toy spaniel was first seen in paintings by Titian , [ 3 ] including the Venus of Urbino (1538), where a small dog is used as a symbol of female seductiveness. [ 4 ] Further paintings featuring these toy spaniels were created by Palma Vecchio and Paolo Veronese during the 16th century. These dogs already had high domed heads with short noses, although the muzzles were more pointed than they are today. These Italian toy spaniels may have been crossed with local small dogs such as the Maltese and also with imported Chinese dogs. [ 3 ] The Papillon is the continental descendant of similar toy-sized spaniels. [ 5 ] The earliest recorded appearance of a toy spaniel in England was in a painting of Queen Mary I and King Philip . [ 6 ] Mary, Queen of Scots , was also fond of small toy dogs, including spaniels, [ 7 ] showing the fondness of the British royalty for these types of dogs before Charles II. [ 6 ] King Henry III of France owned a number of small spaniels, which were called Damarets. Although one of the translations of John Caius ' 1570 Latin work De Canibus Britannicis talks of "a new type of Spaniel brought out of France, rare, strange, and hard to get", [ 8 ] this was an addition in a later translation, and was not in the original text. [ 8 ] Caius did discuss the "Spainel-gentle, or Comforter" though, which he classified as a delicate thoroughbred. This spaniel was thought to originate from Malta and was sought out only as a lapdog for "daintie dames". [ 9 ] Captain John Saris may have brought back examples of toy spaniels from his voyage to Japan in 1613, [ 2 ] a theory proposed by Commodore Matthew C. Perry during his expeditions to Japan on behalf of the United States in the mid-19th century. He noted that dogs were a common gift and thought that the earlier voyage of Captain Saris introduced a Japanese type of spaniel into England. [ 1 ]
Urban myth
An urban legend claims that Charles II issued a special decree granting King Charles Spaniels permission to enter any establishment in the UK, [ 76 ] [ 77 ] overriding "no dog except guide dogs" rules. A variant of this myth relates specifically to the Houses of Parliament . [ 78 ] [ 79 ] This myth is sometimes instead applied to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. [ 80 ] The UK Parliament website states: "Contrary to popular rumour, there is no Act of Parliament referring to King Charles spaniels being allowed anywhere in the Palace of Westminster. We are often asked this question and have thoroughly researched it." [ 78 ] [ failed verification ] Similarly, there is no proof of any such law covering the wider UK. A spokesman for the Kennel Club said: "This law has been quoted from time to time. It is alleged in books that King Charles made this decree but our research hasn't tracked it down." [ 76 ]
Description
The King Charles has large dark eyes, a short nose, a high domed head and a line of black skin around the mouth. [ 7 ] On average, it stands 9 to 11 inches (23 to 28 cm) at the withers , with a small but compact body. [ 52 ] The breed has a traditionally docked tail, except in the UK and some other European Countries where docking and cropping has been illegal since 2006. [ 53 ] [ non-primary source needed ] Cropping of ears has been illegal in the UK for over 100 years. [ 54 ] It has the long pendulous ears typical of a spaniel and its coat comes in four varieties, trait it shares with its offshoot, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. [ 52 ] [ 55 ] The four sets of markings reflect the four former breeds from which the modern breed was derived. Black and tan markings are known as "King Charles", while "Prince Charles" is tricoloured, "Blenheim" is red and white, and "Ruby" is a single-coloured solid rich red. [ 52 ] The "King Charles" black and tan markings typically consist of a black coat with mahogany/tan markings on the face, legs and chest and under the tail. The tricoloured "Prince Charles" is mostly white with black patches and mahogany/tan markings in similar locations to the "King Charles". The "Blenheim" has a white coat with red patches, and should have a distinctive red spot in the center of the skull. [ 56 ] [ 57 ] King Charles Spaniels are often mistaken for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. There are several significant differences between the two breeds, the principal being the size. [ 41 ] While the Cavalier weighs on average between 13 and 18 pounds (5.9 and 8.2 kg) , [ 55 ] the King Charles is smaller at 8 to 14 pounds (3.6 to 6.4 kg) . [ 52 ] In addition, their facial features, while similar, are distinguishable: the Cavalier's ears are set higher and its skull is flat, while the King Charles' is domed. Finally, the muzzle length of the King Charles tends to be shorter than the typical muzzle on a Cavalier. [ 41 ] The American Kennel Club has two classes, English Toy Spaniel (B/PC) (Blenheim and Prince Charles) and English Toy Spaniel (R/KC), [ 36 ] while in the UK, the Kennel Club places the breed in a single class. [ 58 ] Under the Fédération Cynologique Internationale groups, the King Charles is placed in the English Toy Spaniel section within the Companion and Toy Dog Group, along with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. [ 59 ]
Temperament
The King Charles is a friendly breed, to the extent that it is not typically as suitable as a watchdog as some breeds, [ 52 ] though it may still bark to warn its owners of an approaching visitor. [ 7 ] It is not a high energy breed, and enjoys the company of family members, [ 52 ] being primarily a lapdog. [ 7 ] Although able to bond well with children and tolerant of them, it will not accept rough handling. It prefers not to be left alone for long periods. Known as one of the quietest toy breeds, it is suitable for apartment living. [ 52 ] The breed can tolerate other pets well, [ 52 ] although the King Charles still has the hunting instincts of its ancestors and may not always be friendly towards smaller animals. [ 36 ] It is intelligent enough to be used for obedience work and, due to its stable temperament, it can be a successful therapy dog for hospitals and nursing homes. [ 7 ]
After Charles II
Toy spaniels continued to be popular in the British court during the reign of King James II , through that of Queen Anne . Popular types included those of the white and red variety. [ 14 ] Following the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and the reign of King William III and Queen Mary II , the Pug was introduced into Britain which would eventually lead to drastic physical changes to the King Charles Spaniel. [ 15 ] Comparisons between needlework pictures of English toy spaniels and the continental variety show that changes had already begun to take place in the English types by 1736, with a shorter nose being featured and the breed overall moving away from the one seen in earlier works by Anthony van Dyck during the 17th century. [ 16 ] English toy spaniels remained popular enough during the 18th century to be featured frequently in literature and in art. On Rover, a Lady's Spaniel , Jonathan Swift 's satire of Ambrose Philips 's poem to the daughter of the Lord Lieutenant , describes the features of an English toy, specifying a "forehead large and high" among other physical characteristics of the breeds. [ 17 ] Toy spaniels and Pugs were featured in both group portraits and satirical works by William Hogarth . [ 18 ] Toy spaniels were still popular with the upper classes as ladies' dogs, despite the introduction of the Pug; [ 19 ] both Thomas Gainsborough 's portrait of Queen Charlotte from 1781 and George Romney 's 1782 Lady Hamilton as Nature feature toy spaniels with their mistresses. The toy spaniels of this century weighed as little as 5 pounds (2.3 kg) , [ 20 ] although they were thought to be the dog breed most prone to becoming overweight, or "fattened". [ 21 ]
Other common issues
Being a brachycephalic breed, King Charles Spaniels can be sensitive to anesthesia . [ 70 ] This is because in brachycephalic dogs, there is additional tissue in the throat directly behind the mouth and nasal cavity, known as the pharynx , and anesthesia acts as a muscle relaxant causing this tissue to obstruct the dogs' narrow airways. [ 71 ] These narrow airways can decrease the dogs' ability to exercise properly and increase their susceptibility to heat stroke . [ 71 ] Other congenital and hereditary disorders found in the King Charles Spaniel are hanging tongue, where a neurological defect prevents the tongue from retracting into the mouth; diabetes mellitus , which may be associated with cataracts; cleft palate and umbilical hernia . [ 72 ] The English Toy Spaniel Club of America recommends that umbilical hernias be corrected only if other surgery is required, due to the risk of surgery in brachycephalic breeds. [ 73 ] In another study conducted by the OFA, the King Charles Spaniel was the 38th worst of 99 breeds for patella luxation ; of 75 animals tested, 4% were found to have the ailment. [ 74 ] However, surveys conducted by the Finnish breed club between 1988 and 2007 found that the occurrences were higher in some years, ranging from 5.3% to 50%. [ 61 ] There are several breed traits which may cause concern as health issues. [ 75 ] They include skull issues such as an open fontanelle , where in young dogs there is a soft spot in the skull; it is common in dogs under a year old. A complication from that condition is hydrocephalus , also known as water on the brain. This condition may cause neurological symptoms that require the dog to be euthanised . Fused toes , where two or more of the dog's toes are fused together, may seem to be a health issue but this breed trait is not a cause for concern. [ 73 ]