Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Few dogs are softer on the lead or happier on a lap, and at 6 to 8 kg a Cavalier is easy to manage on any path. The honest drawback is its heart. Mitral valve disease affects more than half of Cavaliers by age five and nearly all eventually, and most carry the skull shape linked to the painful condition syringomyelia. Choose a breeder whose dogs have recent heart and MRI screening, insure early, and expect a typical lifespan of around 10 to 12 years.