The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is often mistaken for other breeds. For example, my dog Mayla is often mistaken for a Cocker Spaniel. So I thought I would dive into what breeds are similar to the Cavalier King Charles and their differences.
Dogs similar to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel include the Cocker Spaniel, the English Springer Spaniel, and Tibetan Spaniel. These breeds of dogs are all small in size and have floppy ears. They also typically have a short coat of fur.
These 11 dog breeds below do not all look a whole lot like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Some look different, but all are similar in size, weight, and characteristics.
11 Dog Breeds That Are Similar To The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- English Springer Spaniel
- Cocker Spaniel
- Tibetan Spaniels
- Beagle
- Basset Hound
- Welsh Corgi
- Bichon Frise
- Shih Tzu
- Lhasa Apso
- Boston Terrier
- Havanese
How Is The English Springer Spaniel Similar To The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
The English Springer Spaniel is a gun dog bred in England to flush game birds for hunters. They are similar to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in size, weight, and characteristics.
However, they have a longer coat of fur and their ears stand up straight.
The English Springer Spaniel is also bred to be working dogs and participates in many activities such as obedience trials, tracking, agility, flyball, frisbee, and dock diving.
The English Springer Spaniel is similar to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in many ways. Even their looks. They are both small in size, have floppy ears, and have a short fur coat. Both dogs are friendly and energetic, and both love to play agility and hunting games.
What Are Differences Between English Springer Spaniel and The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
The English Springer Spaniel looks almost identical to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Still, they are different in a few ways.
The Springer Spaniel weighs between 40 and 50 pounds (18 – 23 kg), and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel weighs between 20 and 24 pounds (9 – 11 kg).
The Springer is also a bit taller, between 18 – 20 inches (45 and 50 cm), while the Cavalier is only about 12 – 15 inches (30 to 38 cm).
The Cavalier’s coat is silky and can be either long or short, but it doesn’t have the thick, feathery look of the Springer’s coat. The Springer Spaniel has a long, wavy, curly fur coat, while the Cavalier’s hair is silky and smooth. The Cavalier also comes in more colors than the Springer.
Both dogs are friendly and energetic. The Springer needs more exercise than the Cavalier. The Cavalier is content to lounge around the house and doesn’t need as much exercise. They both can become bored or destructive if left alone for too long.
In conclusion, the English Springer Spaniel and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are similar in many ways. If you are looking for an alternative breed to the cavalier, almost identical but a little bigger, the Springer is a good choice.
How Is The Cocker Spaniel Similar To The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
The Cocker Spaniel is a breed more common in my country than the English Springer Spaniel, and the breed my dog is often mistaken for.
They are both small in size and have floppy ears, but the Cocker is slightly taller than the Cavalier King Charles is. Their temperament, though, is their most overlapping domain.
The Cocker Spaniel and Cavalier King Charles love people and want to please. They are gentle, loving dogs that make great family pets.
Both dogs have floppy ears with wavy (curly), medium-length hair that requires regular cleaning to avoid infection. Both tend to gain weight if not exercised regularly.
I have also written an article about the King Charles Spaniel vs Cocker Spaniel. You can read it here.
What Are Differences Between Cocker Spaniel and The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
Like the Springer Spaniel, the Cocker Spaniel looks similar to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The Cocker Spaniel is slightly larger and taller than the Cavalier King Charles.
They typically weigh 30-35 pounds (14-16 kg), while the Cavalier only weighs between 12 and 18 pounds (5.4 – 8.2 kg).
Cocker Spaniels are bred either as show dogs or working dogs. The show dogs have a longer, silkier coat of hair, while the working dogs have a shorter coat that is easier to care for.
The Cavalier’s coat is silky and can be either long or short, but it doesn’t have the thick, feathery look of the Springer’s coat. The Cocker Spaniel has long, wavy, or curly hair.
The Cocker Spaniel comes in a broader range of colors than the Cavalier King Charles. The most common colors are black and golden. Cocker Spaniels can be black, tan/black, light cream, liver, tan, red, or particolored (more than one color).
The Cavalier comes in three colors: Blenheim (red and white), ruby (solid red), and black and tan.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not as likely to bark as Cocker Spaniels.
How Is The Tibetan Spaniel Similar To The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
The Tibetan Spaniel has a long history in Asia and was once only owned by Buddhist monks and Chinese nobility. The breed eventually made its way to England, where it became popular among the upper class.
The Tibetan Spaniel is a small, intelligent dog that shares many similarities with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Both breeds are gentle, loving, and great with children. They are also of similar size and weight with only a couple of inches difference.
These two dogs shared the same breed group and were initially bred as lapdogs. The Tibetan Spaniel is thought to be the older of the two breeds.
Both dogs are great apartment pets and do not require a lot of space. They are also low-maintenance dogs that don’t need a lot of grooming.
They are perfect family dogs for families with children of all ages. While both breeds make great companion dogs, they are both highly sensitive. They don’t tolerate being left home alone very well.
Do you want to know how well the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can be left alone? You can read my article here.
What Are Differences Between Tibetan Spaniel and The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
The Tibetan Spaniel does have some unique physical features that set it apart from the Cavalier King Charles. The Tibetan Spaniel’s flat face and short nose are the most notable differences.
The smaller ears and fluffy tail complete its appearance.
The Cavalier King Charles has a longer nose and a single silky coat. The Tibetan Spaniel is also smaller than the Cavalier, weighing between 10 and 20 pounds (4.5 – 9 kg).
The Tibetan Spaniel is a bit smaller than the Cavalier King Charles. They typically weigh between 9 and 15 pounds (4-7 kg), while the Cavalier weighs 12-18 pounds (5.4-8.2 kg).
Both breeds don’t tolerate hot weather very well, so choose carefully when you live in a place where the weather can be hot. On the opposite cold weather is where they differ. The Cavalier King Charles can tolerate the cold weather much better than the Tibetan.
Other Mentioned Breeds Similar To The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
While many breeds of dogs share similarities with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, these are a few other popular and often mentioned as similar breeds to King Charles Spaniel.
- Beagle
- Basset Hound
- Welsh Corgi
- Bichon Frise
- Shih Tzu
- Lhasa Apso
- Boston Terrier
- Havanese
Although these breeds share some similarities in characteristics, most of these dogs are very different in physical characteristics. The Beagle, for example, is a much larger breed of dog originally bred as a hunting dog.
The Basset Hound shares some physical characteristics with the Cavalier King Charles, but it is a much lower energy breed. The Welsh Corgi is a popular herding breed, much more active than the Cavalier.
The Bichon Frise is a small lapdog breed with a white coat and originates from France. The Shih Tzu is another small breed of dog that shares many similarities with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
The Lhasa Apso is another Tibetan breed of dog that was once only owned by nobility and Buddhist monks. The Boston Terrier is an American breed created by crossing the English Bulldog and the White Terrier.
The Havanese is another small dog breed similar in size to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This breed is a famous companion dog and does well in apartments.
A truly similar dog breed should share similar looks, so I will not discuss these breeds. I believe these breeds are far from identical to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and should not be mentioned as similar.
Conclusion
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a popular breed of dog that shares many similarities with other breeds. These breeds include the Beagle, Basset Hound, Welsh Corgi, Bichon Frise, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, and Boston Terrier. While each breed has unique characteristics, they all share physical appearance and temperament commonalities.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a great family that should only be mentioned as similar to the Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, and Tibetan Spaniel.
Other breeds are very different in looks and character; if mentioned as similar, you can call all dogs similar.