The King Charles 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.
Developed primarily in royal courts and noble households in the United Kingdom.
The King Charles Spaniel is a toy breed with a noble history, often associated with British royalty. They are known for their affectionate nature and distinctive flat face. Originally bred as lapdogs, they are highly sought after for their gentle temperament and companionable nature.
Portrait of Queen Mary I and King Philip by Hans Eworth (1558)
Five children of King Charles I of England (1637) by Anthony van Dyck, featuring a spaniel of the era at the bottom right
Portrait of a King Charles Spaniel, by Jean-Baptiste Huet 1778
An 1852 drawing of King Charles and Blenheim Spaniels
A painting of a King Charles Spaniel by Édouard Manet, from c. 1866
A Blenheim Spaniel in 1903
Headshot of an early 20th-century Ruby Spaniel
King Charles Spaniels from 1915
A King Charles Spaniel with Prince Charles markings
![A toy Spaniel, a dwarf Spitz and a Maltese next to a basket (1855) by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Wegener [de].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F7%2F7a%2FWegener01.jpeg%2F480px-Wegener01.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
A toy Spaniel, a dwarf Spitz and a Maltese next to a basket (1855) by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Wegener [de].
Trainability
Responsiveness to training: —/5