Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are friendly. They love being around their family and don’t like to be left alone for long periods. Cavaliers are patient and tolerant even around young children. They are smart, easy to train, and playful.
Cavaliers were ranked as the 15th most popular breed in 2021 in the United States[1].
People love this breed, not only for their appearance but also because of their loving personality.
This article explores 15 temperament traits of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels:
- Intelligence
- Trainability
- Affection
- Energy
- Aggressive tendencies
- Stubbornness
- Barking tendencies
- Clinginess
- Destructive tendencies
- “Lap-dog” tendencies
- Friendliness
- Laziness
- Loyalty
- Prey instinct
- Patience around young children
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Temperament & Personality
Cavaliers are friendly and protective of their owners. They don’t engage in aggressive behavior except when they feel threatened. Cavaliers easily distinguish between threatening and non-threatening situations. They are outgoing and sometimes triggered by small animals.
The temperament of dogs is measured using a test[2] formulated by the American Temperament Test Society.
The temperament test measures:
- The ability to distinguish between dangerous and not-threatening situations
- Prey drive
- Protectiveness
- Stability
- Friendliness
- Shyness
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are well-behaved in most situations. They pass the temperament test more than 85.5% of the time.[3]
King Charles Cavalier Personality Traits
Cavalier Spaniels are friendly and loyal. They have a loving personality and form strong bonds with their family members. This breed is smart and agile. Cavaliers are great around children and friendly to other dogs.
This table lists the main characteristics of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels:
| Trait | Rating |
| Intelligence | 4/5 |
| Easy to train | 4/5 |
| Good family dogs | 5/5 |
| Good with kids | 5/5 |
| Good with other dogs | 5/5 |
| Friendly to strangers | 4/5 |
| Protective nature | 3/5 |
| Affectionate | 5/5 |
| Aggressive | 3/5 |
| Barking | 2/5 |
| Stubbornness | 2/5 |
| Energetic | 3/5 |
| Hunting instinct | 3/5 |
1. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Smart?
Yes, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are smart. They are not among the top 10 smartest breeds but display above-average intelligence.
The largest study[4] on canine intelligence analyzed the obedience and working intelligence of 130 breeds. Cavaliers ranked 44th, a position that places them in the rop half of the study group.
King Charles Cavaliers understand first commands in between 25 and 40 repetitions and they obey first commands more than 50% of the time.
Cavaliers are smarter than Jack Russells and Beagles, but less intelligent than Poodles or Golden Retrievers.
2. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Easy To Train?
Yes, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are easy to train. They are not self-willed and like to please their owners. This breed is well-behaved and happy to learn new things.
Cavaliers need training from puppyhood. They are motivated by positive reinforcement and love to see you happy and proud of them.
If you offer a reward every time they learn a new trick, you will end up with a well-behaved Cavalier in no time.
Some dogs need multiple training sessions during puppyhood, as well as during adulthood. These breeds are self-willed and don’t like to be told what to do.
Cavaliers are the opposite.
On a trainability scale of 1 to 5, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a four.
3. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Affectionate?
Yes, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are affectionate. They like to spend a lot of time with their owners and show their love towards their family members.
Cavaliers are companion dogs. Once you get a Cavalier, you become their best friend.
Unlike other breeds that are reserved, Cavaliers like to get physically close. They will lick your face every time they have the chance.
Their kind and friendly appearance make it hard for you to hold back on your affection. As a result, your interactions with your Cavalier cause them to be even more open with their feelings.
4. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Active?
Yes and no. Cavaliers King Charles Spaniels display moderate energy levels. They are happy when they run around and play with you or other dogs. But, they are also happy to sit with you on the couch all day.
A study conducted on 33 breeds[5] found a correlation between selective breeding and the way a dog’s brain develops. This means that the purpose they were bred for influences which area of the brain is more active.
Cavaliers were bred for companionship. Even though they come from hunting breeds, their need to be constantly active is underdeveloped.
Cavaliers need at least 30 minutes of physical exercise per day. If you take them for a walk every day, they are happy. They are not addicted to running and jumping all the time.
5. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Aggressive?
No, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not aggressive. They engage in aggressive behavior only if they perceive a situation as threatening. Training and socialization in puppyhood significantly reduce the chances of aggressive behavior in Cavaliers.
Cavaliers engage in aggressive behavior if they feel their life or their owner’s life is in danger. They can become aggressive when they are in pain[6] due to several health conditions.
Cavaliers’ predisposition to aggression is influenced by[7]:
- Age – older dogs are more aggressive.
- Size – smaller dogs are more aggressive.
- Sex – males are more aggressive than females.
- Fearfulness – fearful dogs are more aggressive.
Cavaliers have been bred for companionship. As a result, the part of the brain responsible for aggressive behavior is not well developed as it is in aggressive breeds, such as the Rough Collie.[8]
6. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Stubborn?
No, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not stubborn but step their boundaries if they are not trained during puppyhood.
The purpose of Cavaliers is to be a good companion to their owner. As a result, they love to please their family members.
As long as they see you happy, Cavaliers will not want to disobey you.
7. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Barkers?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are moderate barkres. They are not extremely vocal but express their emotions through barking.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels bark when they:
- Are scared
- Experience pain
- Are excited
- Need attention
- Feel lonely
- Are anxious
- Are bored
- Detect a threat in their environment
8. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Clingy?
Yes, king Charles Spaniels are clingy. They are attached to their owners and make the best of their time together. When their owners are at home, Cavaliers like to spend every minute beside them. Cavaliers are also called velcro dogs because of their clinginess.
Here are 5 reasons why Cavaliers become velcro dogs:
- You give them treats all the time and allow them to always lay close to you, even during sleep.
- Their eyesight and hearing are changed due to aging.
- They were selectively bred to depend on their owners.
- Cavaliers are bored.
- They have a predisposition for separation anxiety.
9. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Destructive?
No, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not destructive. They can engage in destructive behavior when they are left alone for long periods.
Cavaliers have a predisposition for separation anxiety[9]. They don’t like to be left alone regularly for long periods.
Cavaliers with separation anxiety often engage in destructive behavior. This behavior is a type of redirected frustration.[10]
10. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Lap Dogs?
Yes, Cavaliers are lap dogs. The original purpose of the breed was to warm the laps of royalty.
Cavaliers love to lay close to their owners. That is where they feel they belong.
They don’t need high amounts of physical activity and have no problem spending a day doing nothing.
11. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Friendly?
Yes, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are friendly with strangers and other dogs. They are welcoming to whoever enters their home.
Cavaliers are not reserved or cautious because they are used to the presence of humans. Not only that, but they love being around people and hate being alone.
This breed is not reserved around other dogs and is not scared of them. They love playdates even with dogs they are not familiar with. They are likely to get along with other dogs but they still need supervision while they do it.
12. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Lazy?
Yes and no. Cavaliers like to be active in moderation.
They like to run and consume their energy, but also enjoy being couch potatoes once in a while.
This trait is specific to each dog and it depends on the Cavalier’s personality and owner.
13. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Loyal?
Yes, Cavalier King Charles spaniels are one of the most loyal breeds.
Cavaliers form strong bonds with their owners. They don’t have a favorite person. Cavaliers don’t discriminate between family members, they love them all the same. There are some exceptions specific to each dog.
Cavaliers always choose to please their owners and are never selfish.
14. Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Good Off-leash?
No, Cavaliers can be left off the leash if they are trained but they are not to be trusted, especially near a road.
Cavaliers’ ancestors were hunting dogs who had a strong prey drive. Even if Cavaliers have been bred for companionship for more than a century, they are sometimes triggered by small animals, birds, or objects.
Cavaliers should always be kept under a leash near roads because they can easily get hit by a car.
15. Are King Charles Spaniels Good With Children?
Yes, Cavaliers are great with children. They are extremely patient and tolerant. This breed is affectionate and makes a great companion for children.
The interaction between Cavaliers and young children goes well. Cavaliers love to display their affection and children like to be kissed and tickled. Still, this interaction should never be left unsupervised.
Cavaliers who haven’t been socialized with children during puppyhood can display problematic behavior around children. They can perceive them as threats because they were not familiarized with them at a young age. This rarely happens but it’s best to be cautious.
Conclusion
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are fun to be around. They are playful and love to express their affection. They are clingy and don’t like to be alone. Cavaliers have patience with children’s unpredictable behavior and are extremely tolerant. They have above-average intelligence and love being around strangers and other dogs.
