Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has a face made for portraits. Silky ears, wide dark eyes, a chestnut and white coat. It looks like royalty because, historically, it was.

These small spaniels warmed the laps of the English court. King Charles II adored them so much that, by Samuel Pepys’s account, he played with his dogs instead of minding the state. The breed carries his name.

Before central heating, a lap spaniel had a job. Ladies of the court called them comforters and held them for warmth. A Cavalier still believes that is its calling. It will curl against you, sigh, and become a small furry heater.

Over the centuries the original style nearly disappeared. In 1926 an American named Roswell Eldridge offered a prize at Crufts for spaniels like those in old royal paintings. Breeders took up the challenge, and the Cavalier returned.

The result is a spaniel with a sweet face and a bottomless supply of affection. Cavaliers befriend children, cats, strangers, and the mail carrier. They are happiest in your lap, or beside it, or on your feet.

Take one home and the arrangement is simple. You supply the sofa. The Cavalier supplies the loyalty, and a small invisible crown.