9781422279311

dogs have been selectively bred, over many generations, to be com- panions rather than working dogs. This means the Cavalier does not have a great desire to chase, so he will live in harmony with cats, as long as interactions are supervised from an early stage. If you keep small animals, such as guinea pigs or hamsters, al- ways err on the side of caution, and never allow a Cavalier unsu- pervised access. Accidents happen in a split second, so it is always better to be safe than sorry. Vive la différence When people are discussing the breed, they sometimes refer to the King Charles Cavalier or simply the King Charles. In fact, there are two distinct breeds of toy spaniels: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; and what is known in the United States as the English Toy Spaniel and in Britain as the King Charles Spaniel. They look similar, but there is a big difference: the Cavalier King Charles has a muzzle and the English Toy Spaniel does not. Obvi- ously this is not literally the case; the King Charles has a snub nose, the same as a Pug or a Bulldog,

whereas a Cavalier King Charles has a distinct muzzle, more like a miniature Cocker Spaniel. There are other subtle differences. The English Toy Spaniel is slight-

ly smaller and lighter boned, and has more bulbous eyes than the Cavalier, for ex- ample. But essen- tially, they come from the same basic mold.

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