Grooming the Cavalier King Charles
by Connie Limon (Email: connielimon@yahoo.com)
Grooming the Cavalier King Charles

The Cavalier King Charles has a coat of soft, gently-waving, never curly longish hair that is silky. There should be a profuse mane extending down in the front of the chest. There should also be thick feathering on the ears and feet, and well up the back of the legs. There should be plenty of feathering in the coat of a Cavalier King Charles. The coat should not be trimmed for the show ring.

Its red and white color type is called "Blenheim" after the Duke of Marlborough's estate. Other colors include ruby, black and white and tricolor, which is a combination of black and white with russet brown accents.

Although the Cavalier King Charles claims origin in seventeenth-century England, the roots of most if not all true spaniels are found in Spain. The Cavalier King Charles probably also has some of the ancient Oriental toy breeds among its progenitors as well. Spaniels were and are sporting dogs, designed to flush and retrieve game birds. The Cavalier King Charles of the 1600s may have served a similar function, but the primary purpose was to provide pleasure for its English royalty owners. The Cavalier King Charles boasts a long history filled with royal favor.

You will need a slicker brush and comb. Many pet owners like the feet to be trimmed of feathering especially in the winter. Some pet owners prefer that all feathering be removed.

Grooming procedure:

1. Brush the Cavalier King Charles with the slicker brush. 2. Comb through the coat to remove all tangles. Use an untangle spray if necessary. 3. Check the Cavalier King Charles' nails, ears and teeth. 4. Some pet owners like the thicker-coated dogs to be thinned out. You can use thinning scissors and thin with the growth of the coat. Comb the coat thoroughly. Assess whether more thinning is necessary. 5. The excess hair between food pads should always be cleaned out with scissors, but not on top of the feet. The show dog Cavalier King Charles will require a little extra attention.

Now your Cavalier King Charles is ready for his bath. Try bathing him with a pH-balanced shampoo. What may be useful for your Cavalier King Charles is a purifying shampoo and mask conditioner to enhance the coat and skin. Use this about every 4 months.

When you blow dry your Cavalier King Charles be sure you go along with the hair growth, rather than against it. You can also cage-dry your Cavalier King Charles after combing through the coat with a balsam conditioner.

Pet or show dog, the Cavalier King Charles is a delightful creature. He is especially good with children, but all ages can enjoy the companionship of a Cavalier King Charles. He loves to please his family and should do very well with grooming sessions if introduced properly and maintained on a routine basis.

The Cavalier King Charles does require a fair amount of frequent brushing and combing to keep him in shape. Nothing real complicated or anymore than the dog grooming basics of brushing, bathing, blow drying ear cleaning and nail trimming. Beyond these basics, there is a small amount of trimming.

Author: Connie Limon, Toy Dog Fancier. Visit us at http://www.abouttoydogs.com and sign up for our newsletters. About Toy Dogs is a guide to the selection and care of toy dog breeds. We feature articles, dog books and a toy dog breeder directory. Purchase a full page ad with 3 pictures, a 12 picture video, advertising in our newsletters and article marketing. To my knowledge no other toy dog breeder directory offers this same package of advertising services to the toy dog breeder.

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