The Evolution of the Toy Spaniel

When King William III (1650 to 1702) and Queen Mary II (1662 to 1694) ascended to power in 1689, the toy spaniel’s popularity waned, because the new monarchs preferred Pugs and other short-faced breeds recently imported from Asia. The Cavaliers endured in and around certain country estates, most notably at Blenheim Palace (home of John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough). The Blenheim variety of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel — a white dog with chestnut markings — was favored by the Duke of Marlborough, and one legend explains the origin of the desired lozenge (diamond-shaped) mark on top of the toy spaniel’s head.

One evening, when the Lady Marlborough was particularly anxious about her husband during the war, she sat up all night with her favorite female Cavalier, which was about to whelp a litter of puppies. The legend says that in her anxiety, she continually stroked and pressed on the head of her pet, and when the puppies were born, they all carried her thumbprint on their heads. This mark, called the Blenheim spot, is still desirable in the Blenheim variety of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel today.

In other parts of England, the toy spaniel evolved over the next few centuries to look more like the Asian breeds favored by William and Mary: shorter face; undershot jaw; domed skull; and larger, more protruding eyes. “Whether Pugs cross-bred with the little spaniels or whether shorter-faced spaniels were imported from Asia, we don’t know for sure, but the toy spaniel began to develop a much shorter, upturned nose,” says Cavalier breeder Barbara Garnett Wilson of Nordland, Wash.

This flatter-faced spaniel evolved to become the English Toy Spaniel (called the King Charles Spaniel in England). But what happened to the longer-nosed, flatter-skulled spaniel so beloved by the European aristocracy of centuries past? Where had it gone?

A King's Toy - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Small spaniels have long been a fixture among the British aristocracy, as far back as the 13th century. Sometimes called Spaniel Comforters or Spaniels Gentle, these small dogs served as companions for ladies and children, lap warmers for residents of chilly castles and travelers in drafty coaches, and as a target for fleas that would distract the tiny parasites from feeding on humans and passing the plague.





Some accounts say that doctors sometimes wrote prescriptions that included more time with the toy spaniel, and these small dogs with their affectionate and attentive temperaments served as confidantes and companions. However, before the 19th century and the advent of dog shows, breeds weren’t distinguished the way they are today. Everyone knew about small spaniels, but dogs varied widely in size and appearance. “A lot of toy breeds claim the same historical role, including the Papillon, the Japanese Chin and especially the English Toy Spaniel,” Gammon says.

Many of these modern breeds share similar roots, but it was King Charles II (1630 to 1685) who lent the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel his name and helped distinguish the breed from other toy spaniels. His extreme devotion to these beautiful and tractable companions is the stuff of legends.Charles II’s affinity for the toy spaniel must have begun in childhood, because his father, Charles I (1600 to 1649), was similarly taken with the small spaniels. Charles I’s black-and-white spaniel, Rogue, accompanied him everywhere, even to his execution.

As an adult, Charles II, often called the “Merry Monarch,” kept a pack of spaniels in his bedroom, even allowing females to whelp puppies in his personal chamber, a practice many members of the household viewed with disdain. Charles II, who ruled from 1649 to 1660, kept many spaniels and probably took the larger, sturdier dogs on his travels by horse and ship. The smaller, more delicate specimens made perfect gifts for ladies of the court.



Charles II and his brother, James II (1633 to 1701), had a pact to continue breeding the toy spaniels, even in the event of Charles’ death. James was so committed to the preservation of the dogs that one story tells of a shipwreck in which James was heard yelling, “Save the dogs!” and, as if an afterthought, “…and the Duke of Monmouth!” When Charles II died in 1685 at the age of 54, 12 toy spaniels mourned at his bedside.

From Royal Origins

Discover how the Cavalier went from royal favorite to near extinction and back.

Every lady of the aristocracy cradled one in her arms. Every privileged child frolicked with two or three. Artists bedecked their subjects with them, and no upper-class household was complete without one. Toy spaniels have been an integral part of personal life in Europe for centuries, a mark of the privileged class who could afford a non-working dog purely for the luxury of comfort and companionship. Their beautiful, silky coats, melting eyes and adoring temperaments endeared them to kings and queens, as well as servants, shopkeepers and children.


Yet, the toy spaniels of yore experienced many changes throughout their colorful history, and the dog we know today as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was, at one point, almost completely extinct. Its revival and subsequent popularity has brought this toy spaniel full circle. “The dogs in the paintings are back,” says John Gammon of Clarksville, Tenn., a Cavalier breeder and former president of the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club. “Even though these toy spaniels weren’t called Cavalier King Charles Spaniels at the time, that is exactly what breeders were shooting for when they revived the breed.”

Click here to see how it happened.

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