The King Charles Spaniel (also called the English Toy Spaniel, especially in the United States) is a small dog breed of the spaniel type.[1][2]
History
In 1903, the Kennel Club in the United Kingdom combined four small spaniel breeds into a single breed of dog and called it the King Charles Spaniel. The other breeds merged into this breed were the Blenheim, Ruby and Prince Charles Spaniels. Originally from East Asia, toy spaniels were first seen in Europe during the 16th century. They were often seen with English royalty and were made famous by their association with King Charles II. They are very closely related to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the two were considered the same breed until 1945 when the Kennel Club divided them into two seperate breeds. This breed has a smaller skull and shorter nose than the Cavalier.[1]
Colours
These dogs come with four different types of coats (which came from the four breeds that contributed to making this breed):[3]
Blenheim - which is a white coat with red markings.
Ruby - which is a dark red.
Prince Charles or Tricolour - which is white coat with black markings on the body and brown marks over the eyes.
King Charles - which is a rich black coat with brown markings.
Gallery
Blenheim markings
Ruby markings
Prince Charles markings
King Charles markings
Temperment
Usually very contented but can get excited when around children. Unlike most of the other spaniel breeds, the King Charles does not require much exercise and will be quite happy with just a short stroll every day.[3]
