Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Shedding

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels' shedding is listed as moderate to high. You will get hair on your floor, furniture, clothes and bed if you let them share it. They need brushing daily ideally or every second day minimum. If you are showing your dog you need to know that their hair should not be cut to detangle it, only a small amount of trimming is allowed under their feet and even that is minimal. If you are showing your dog and are using a dog groomer- it is important to make sure they have worked with the breed before as any excess cutting and your dog will be disqualified from show.

Because they are a small dog with long hair and close to the ground they will pick up more twigs, burrs and grass seeds than other dogs which will need removing by brushing and hand picking out.

Their ears, back of their legs and on their rump near their tail will knot the most and require patience to keep silky. I used a brush and used a comb for the knots.

Because they make an excellent Companion Animal most of them are more than happy to sit in your lap or on a table in front of you and let you brush them. Be gentle detangling any knots as most will not even whine or bark to let you know that you are hurting them- but rather suffer in silence!

They have a water resistant coat so when you bath them- usually monthly- do so in warm water with two sets of shampooing, rinsing thoroughly both times and then apply doggie conditioner and rinse well after that too.

Make sure you clean and dry their ears thoroughly. You can buy canine ear cleaning solution at a pet shop or vets and I recommend this to prevent infections from a buildup of oils and dirt in their ears which in turn helps prevent earmite infestation. Use fine cotton rags torn or cut into little pieces and be gentle but firm and get into the creases.

You can also buy eye cleaning wipes or use damp cotton strips to wipe the corner of their eyes.

You can buy clippers from the petshop but I strongly suggest you watch this video before you do it and make sure you have it clear in your mind that you can see where the veins begin in the nails and do not cut into them! Or else get your dogs nails clipped at the groomer every 6 weeks. Walking them on cement footpaths daily also can help keep their nails trim but not enough that you can skip trimming them.

To summarize the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is what I would call a high maintenance dog.

Add into this, they are not a dog that can be left outside all day or night but much prefer to be an indoor dog. They also can get arthritic from the cold if left outside in Winter. Also as a Hunting Companion breed they like a long walk every day. 30 minutes to 45 minutes average.