Next on the list of dogs the Busybodies of Britain want you not even to be able to admire in dog shows is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Admittedly that is a long, silly name, and dog shows might do everyone a favor by changing it.
Our first photo contest winner, Rasta from NYC. See below for contact and adoption information.
Changing the name to what? I don't know, but "Fuzzyflops" comes to mind, because this is the dog breed "fuzzy puppy" bedroom slippers try to look like. Smallish dogs with long hair and floppy ears and terribly cute faces. You probably have more respect for other breeds, but you can't not like a CKC Spaniel.
There is an historical reference. England's first King Charles, who ruled from 1625 to 1649, had shaggy hair. So did his courtiers, followers, and partisans--male as well as female.
His father, King James of Bible-translation commission fame, was widely rumored to be bisexual, and he was able to persuade Princess Henrietta Maria to marry him only by proxy, but they learned to live with each other and had several children. He was probably heterosexual. Mostly, anyway. But he was a sickly little fellow with a speech impediment, and everyone had been disappointed when his healthier-looking older brother died. He told everyone he trusted only one barber;when Parliament refused to pay that barber Charles just let his hair grow. In his court men wore their hair in long flowing waves if possible, lace, jewelry, one-or-two-inch heels, and either flop-top boots or slippers with rosettes. About the only difference in men's and women's fashions that is obvious to modern readers is that men wore breeches and women wore long skirts. When they were outdoors both sexes also wore hats; when indoors they took the hats off.
Charles does not seem, in historical hindsight, to have been all that bad at his job--until his quarrels with Parliament reached the point where he not only tolerated censorship but tolerated the execution of well-off writers who published their own books, expressing dissenting religious opinions. Anyway Charles I was a liberal Protestant who married a Catholic and tolerated Catholic practices in England, and stricter members of the English Church wouldn't have it. The opposition party, in which men cut their hair short and were nicknamed Roundheads, took over and executed Charles for the crime of being king. A few years later the opposition leader who took over the leadership of the country was executed for the crime of having killed the king, and the British monarchy was restored.
Anyway, Charles I liked spaniels. Apart from his setting fashions that appeared to be inspired by these shaggy little dogs, it's hard not to like spaniels. First a bloodline of spaniel dogs was named after him; then, as some breeders of King Charles Spaniels crossbred the dogs for fashionable looks, others attached the modifier "Cavalier" to the breed name, commemorating what King Charles' party were called.
Unfortunately, there were valid reasons for trying to diversify this breed's DNA. They inherit all of the "spaniel" traits people want not to have to own. They can be so devoted to their humans that they annoy the humans; some will follow their human from room to room, trying to sit on per feet whenever possible. They are cat-sized and, if anything, like to curl up in their humans' laps more than cats do. They are basically hunting dogs, though small, and tend to bolt away in pursuit of small animals, on walks, then drop their prey right on their humans' feet. Floppy ears can encourage ear infections; CKCs' hair is not a primary source of eye problems, but they can inherit more serious eye disorders. They are prone to genetic conditions that shorten their lives and probably cause the dogs considerable pain. It's been claimed that a majority of all CKC Spaniels will die from heart disease after age ten. Some seem to be born with skulls too small for their brains, as well. PETA scream that "so few dogs of this breed can be considered truly healthy" that the breed should just go extinct.
If only PETA could be considered truly healthy...This organization was always run by left-wingnuts and always known for outspoken opposition to various practices that used, when Ingrid Newkirk was young, to be both common and genuinely cruel. Now they're transferring that outspoken opposition to the whole idea of people being free to own or keep pets. In a world where everyone works to pay rent on miserable little flats to an increasingly corrupt government, the only pets anyone will be able to afford will be alley rats and cockroaches. People who want to live in that kind of world especially don't like the house dogs that protect our privacy, our property, and our persons from attackers. Scratch those people, and out pops their eagerness to violate our privacy, our property, and our persons.
Mullahs who proclaim that people lose blessings by having a watchdog are definitely un-American, and need investigation for any connections to anti-American organizations. It's very simple, Muslims living in the US. Americans generally like dogs. Who don't like dogs? Thieves don't. If you don't like dogs, be quiet, and consider therapy, to avoid labelling yourself a thief. Some Americans are sympathetic to cat phobia, but we're probably right to distrust a man who doesn't like dogs.
People more levelheaded than PETA recommend that you demand tests for genetic disorders and buy pedigreed dogs only if they're free from any bad genes, even if you intend to have your dog neutered, to ensure ethical breeding practices. In theory, DNA tests and early neutering could breed disease genes out of the pool. The average life expectancy for the breed is 10 to 15 years. Selective breeding for healthy CKC traits could boost that to 15 to 18 years.
So some people might want to own a CKC Spaniel just to show what we think of PETA, which is not unreasonable. It's hard to find pedigreed CKC's in shelters because the ones who aren't sleeping at someone's feet have probably been euthanized--for valid reasons--but it's easy to find crossbreeds who have that fuzzy-slippers-dog-face look and attitude of sycophantic adoration. Sometimes the crossbreeds may be healthier.
CKCs need lots of brushing, which is no problem--they enjoy it--and an occasional bath, which may be a harder sell to the dog. They benefit from having a fenced yard to keep rodent-free. Outside the yard they need to be on a leash. Because they are typically so attached to a human, they may need for their human to walk with them, which is a win-win; both parties can benefit from walking about a mile, altogether, every day. In installments.
Obesity can shorten the lifespans of little house dogs who stay close to a human who doesn't get enough exercise. The dogs love treats, especially scraps of what the humans eat, and the humans love giving them treats...and then the dogs gain weight at about the same rate the humans do, only it's much more weight in proportion to the dog's healthy weight of 12 to 18 pounds, and obesity aggravates any problem genes the dog has. This is among the breeds most likely to be buried under the tree where the foolish fat human places a row of five or ten memorial markers commemorating how Fluffy, Muffy, Tuffy, Buffy, Duffy, Huffy, Puffy, and Gruffy all died at ages under ten.
That motivation to please the human helps a dog learn commands and tricks, and thus seem "smart" to humans. CKCs can excel in dog sports where they compete against other dogs their own size. Some also do well as visiting or therapy dogs.
Just for comparison, here is a show-quality CKC to show how close crossbreeds like Rasta, shown above, can come:
Photo from Britannica.com.
Long-haired cats usually do not show an attitude of sycophantic adoration. They bring one out in the people who love them. They are included here, though, to be fair.
Zipcode 10101: Rasta (see above)
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/rasta-5a37ad7a-539d-483e-9e9c-33187407df75/ny/new-york/animal-lighthouse-rescue-ny1199/details/
Rasta is described as a cautious little dog who has some idea of how small he is, relative to everyone else, and needs time to feel confident about approaching people. He does well with calm adults, human or other, but is frightened by fast-moving, impulsive young creatures who are much bigger than he--so no young children live in his ideal home. A friendly, confident senior dog, on the other hand, might help him settle in.
Sammi fromNYC
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/sammi-42594e66-2900-4d89-ac49-bc070624a95f/ny/new-york/anjellicle-cats-rescue-ny488/details/
Sammi does not like other cats. Maybe they chased her off the food when she was living on the street--she was rescued when she was starving, down to five pounds. She's not all that small a cat. She does seem to like and trust humans and even tolerate having her underside tickled.
Zipcode 20202: Sage from Westminster
Rescued from a puppy mill, Sage is described as about twice the size a show quality Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is allowed to be. Either somebody filled out her web page on a computer with an "optical mouse" that bounces when the light flickers, or she was being kept by a dishonest, unethical, as well as inhumane, breeder. They're not sure about her DNA but say she's cuddly and trainable and won't be having puppies in any case.
Chloe from Alexandria
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/chloe-c4097203-ae12-4877-b61c-e2eed5b589c1/va/alexandria/marlees-misfits-va935/details/
Just why this super-fluffy cat became a "misfit" isn't clear--they don't have a full biography--but she's been through some horrible things. For one thing she's been declawed. She can't climb, so she'll never be safe outdoors. They think she's fairly well along in middle age. Who knows...I imagine that having all of my whole fingertip joints pulled off with tongs would age me, too. The surprising part is that she's still gentle and friendly enough to be up for adoption.
Zipcode 30303: Eastland from Cumming
He's another shelter pup who acts as if he's learned the hard way that just about everybody is bigger than he is. He needs a quiet, gentle home.
Aioli from Chattanooga
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/aioli-62a9c129-a135-4de8-8326-00d5c7762a1e/ga/atlanta/your-local-fur-mama-tn1052/details/
Aioli was rescued along with some kittens. She was eager to move the kittens out into the world...probably due to hormones telling her to go out and start the next litter, but the shelter put an end to that. She likes food and may need to have her weight watched for the first year or two since she's been spayed. She is described as friendly and snuggly but not overwhelming.
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