Simpatico CKCS
Since 1988
Carol Godwin
‘Simpatico” 49, Norwich Road
Lenwade, Norfolk NR9 5SH
tel: 01603 870421 mobile: 07881 623199
email: simpatico@btinternet.com
www.simpaticocavaliers.co.uk
History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Three eldest children of King Charles ICharles II, James and Mary
by Anthony Van Dyck
A painting of the 9th Duke of Marlborough and his
family including their Blenheim Toy Spaniels. This
portrait of the family at Blenheim Palace in the UK
was painted by John Singer Sargent .
1500's
Henry VIII was not known as a dog lover and decreed, during his reign, that no dogs should be kept at court except for “some small spanyells
for the ladies”. In 1554 a portrait was painted of his daughter, Queen Mary I and her husband, Philip of Spain, with a pair of toy spaniels at
their feet.
In 1570 Dr, Johannes Caius, chief physician to Queen Elizabeth I, wrote a Latin treatise which divided the known breeds of dogs in England
into five groups. The third group was for “Spaniell gentle or comforter - a delicate, neat and pretty kind of dog”. He also described them as
“chamber companions” and “pleasant play fellows” and wrote that the small spaniels could relieve pain and discomfort when held against the
stomach or chest of a diseased or weak person. Be that as it may, the small spaniels were certainly often carried for warmth and
companionship.
There is also the well known story of a small black and white spaniel which was found under the petticoats of Mary, Queen of Scots, after her
execution at Fotheringay Castle in 1587. The record of the story tells that the spaniel was covered in blood and was taken away and washed.
1600's
Charles II grew up with toy spaniels and is pictured as a child with his brother and sister and two toy spaniels in a painting by Van Dyke. He
also brought some back to England with him on his return from exile in 1660. The small spaniels became his special favourites, so much so that
he was rarely seen without them - a fact not always appreciated by those in court! According to diarist, John Evelyn, the King “took great
delight in having a number of little spaniels follow him and lie in his bed chamber where he suffered the bitches to puppy, which rendered it
very offensive and indeed, the whole court stinking”.
1800's - Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria had a favourite Toy Spaniel called Dash, and artist, Sir Edwin Landseer’s first royal commission was a delightful head study of
Dash, painted in 1836. He also painted Queen Victoria’s second toy spaniel, a black and tan called Tilco.
Dash was Victoria's faithful companion throughout her secluded girlhood and early reign and was regularly mentioned in her personal diary. It
is said that following her coronation in 1837 she hurried back to her apartments to give Dash his evening bath.
Dash also played a part in bringing Victoria and Albert together.On their first meeting Victoria was taken with the tall, serious blue eyed
Albert,but it was his behaviour toward Dash which sealed her approval of him. She recorded in her diary that”Albert played with and fussed
over Dash.
Dash is buried in the grounds of Windsor Castle and his epitaph reads” His attachment was without selfishness, His playfulness without
malice, His fidelity without deceit.Reader if you would live beloved and die regretted, profit example of Dash”
1800’S - The Marlboroughs
In the 1800’s the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough were great lovers of the small spaniels and the Duke is credited with being the first in
Britain to breed small spaniels with the red and white colouring. Blenheim Palace was the ancestral home of the Marlboroughs; thus the red
and white (or chestnut and white) spaniels became known as ‘Blenheim Spaniels’ and the name Blenheim has remained.
A well known story about Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough is said to explain the origin of the lozenge or spot which appears on the head of some
blenheims.It is said that Sarah continually pressed the head of a pregnant bitch to calm her nerves as the bitch sat faithfully beside
her.comforting her while she awaited anxiously for news of the Duke who was fighting in the Battle of Blenheim.When the bitch gave birth, each
of the puppies carried a thumbprint (said to be a sign of faithfulness) on their heads.
Author Unknown
King Charles Spaniel
by George Stubbs
"Dash"
painted by Sir Edwin Landseer
History of Simpatico Cavaliers
1987 - Decided cavaliers were the only breed for me
1988 - Bought Emmie she was a blenheim
1988 - Went to my 1st show and decided I want a show dog
1988 - Got Catherine - blenheim and Ellie - May - tricolour - their owner had died so took them on.
1988 - How I got my Kennel name - Simpatico:
I applied to Kennel Club for an affix and tried about 20 different names and each one was rejected.I rang the KC from
work in frustration at not being able to get the one I wanted. Whilst I was on the phone I tried more names - no good,
when Paula in the office (she was Italian) asked me to describe a cavalier and I said nice and friendly. She called out
SIMPATICO it had a nice ring to it and described the breed and Kennel Club said yessssss, Simpatico cavaliers was born.
1990 - 24/11 Got my 1st show dog Tiffin she was a tricolour
25/11 Passed my driving test - Now I’m ready to show just need some training.
Present day - Showing is still my hobby and I am still learning but I enjoy it and so do the dogs.
Basil
Tilly & Potter
Lola & Crystal
Abelard
I joined the Accredited Breeder Scheme in 2008 as I felt I was already fulfilling the Kennel Club’s criteria.
My aim is to breed friendly, sound, healthy dogs full of spirit and not nervous in anyway. I have my breeding stock MRI,
heart and eye tested and all my puppies before they go to their new homes are heart checked by a vet at least twice, eye
litter screened for any defects, microchipped and fully innoculated that is why they don’t go till 12 weeks.
But because I do all the tests doesn’t mean that there would never be any health problems within their lifetime - no -one
can guarantee that, it just means I try my best, which is all one can do.
Abbi at
5 months
Abbi at
4years
Abbi at her last show
at 10yrs
Abbi at 14 and she is
still going strong
The Four colours of Cavaliers
Cavalier colours
Blenheim
Is the most popular of the four colours, They should have deep chestnut patches on a pearly white background on about 50>50 of the
body.The ears should be chestnut and also the side of the face and a white band should go up the middle of the face broadening at the top
and hopefully there will be a lozenge/chestnut spot - although not compulsory. Young puppies chestnut can look pale but if you lift the ear
and look at inside that is the colour it will change to once they have their new coat - about 16weeks or so.
Tricolours
A tricolour should have large black patches which are well broken up onto a pearly white background.They also have a rich chestnut over the
eyes, cheeks, inside the ears and on the underside of the tail.
Rubies
A ruby is all one colour unlike the other 3 colours. It should be a nice rich tan/chestnut red, sometimes they can look a pale colour.
Black and Tans
A black /Tans body should be raven black and tan/chestnut markings above the eyes, on cheeks, inside the ears, on chest, legs and underside
of tail.The tanning should be a deep bright tan.
Grooming aids and hints for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Grooming Hints
A very young puppy must be introduced carefully to regular grooming sessions, best to practice everyday when first get them and make it fun
for them. Hold the puppy firmly in the arms for safety initially and gradually over a month or so put them onto a non-slip table surface.A soft
bristled brush is a good brush to start with, just do gentle strokes the way the coat lays.This is also a good time to introduce them to cleaning
their teeth get a finger or dog toothbrush with dog toothpaste and gently go over their teeth. Use cotton wool and warm water and very
gently wash around their eyes using a different piece for each eye, check the inside of the ears and make sure no grass seeds etc in there,
then like the eyes some warm water on cotton wool and wipe around the inside of ear. You should now check their nails - not forgetting their
dew claws (the equivalent of our thumbs they can curl round and grow back into foot) nails should grind down with walking.Whilst your
doing nails the fur in between their pads should be trimmed this gets knotted and dirty and can lead to sore pads also they slip on floors if
not done, don’t go too low as then they have no protection on their feet. All of this will probably take you 15>20 mins of your day.
Adult coat
If puppy brushing goes well by the time they get their full coat they will be used to being brushed etc and should be enjoying it
By about 10months > 1year they will have their adult coats get a comb and start with their ears, don’t forget the back/behind of the ears right
by the neck this often gets left and then you find a big knot.You can now start combing the front right under chin and behind ears, next comb
the leg feathering don’t forget their armpits as this is another area where knots develop quickly, then the tail and very gently their rear end.
Lastly comb their body and give them a very good brushing all over.
Bathing
It’s up to you how often you bath them but always do a good grooming session before you bath, there are plenty of different types of dog
shampoo’s that can be brought from vets, pet shops or on-line, Put your dog safely in sink, bath wherever you decide and wet coat put your
shampoo on and rub in gently then make sure you get all the shampoo out. You could use conditioner if you wish but rinse that out
thoroughly as well then towel dry them. All you should need then is a quick brush/comb and use a hairdryer to dry them.
Cavaliers are a breed that are totally free of any trimming and one of the easiest breeds to care for. Just a couple of regular grooming sessions
a week and the occasional bath your cavalier should remain looking smart and with no need to be taken off to the local grooming parlour to
remove any knots to ears and coat, the only trimming that will need to be is as in above in grooming section that is underneath the pads and
between the toes this be done very carefully with a pair of rounded end scissors. This needs to be done as when the fur grows it clods up and
becomes hard and causes a sore foot [this is equivalent to us walking on a sock that is all creased up].
When they first arrive in their new home.
When you arrive home take your puppy into the garden so that they can spend a penny, stay
with the puppy making lots of encouraging noises, when the puppy has performed pick them up
and make a lot of fuss of them. Take your puppy into the house, being careful to introduce to any
other pets and children in a calm way which will not frighten the puppy.
It is a very traumatic time for puppies when they go to their new home. How you approach
things in the first few days of your puppy’s arrival is the most informative time. A calm gentle
attitude means a happy, full of life little soul who only wants to please everyone.
Let your puppy wander around and explore their new home, keep an eye on them for signs of
wanting to spend a penny [puppies will walk around in circles looking a little uncomfortable]
Don't let the children smother the puppy so much that they cannot move around, explain to the
children very gently that once the puppy has settled down and knows their way around a little
then they can have a play. But until the children become familiar with the puppy please stay with
them and supervise as children love to pick up and cuddle new puppies, and puppies just love
to play and nip little fingers, which if happens could lead to the child dropping the puppy from a
height and breaking legs or causing a minor injury.
Don't let your puppy go up the stairs or climb onto any furniture, they are too small and again could either break their legs trying to jump
off the sofa or cause a more serious injury falling down the stairs.
When your puppy becomes tired, show them where their new bed is and allow them to sleep. Don't allow any children to disturb the
puppy explain that the puppy is very tired and need to have a sleep just like new babies.
House training your puppy
When your puppy wakes take them into garden, stay with them until they perform and
give plenty of praise when they do .You have now started house training your puppy. If
your puppy makes a mistake [and there will be a few] please don't smack the puppy
they do not realise what they have done, pick them up and tell them that they have been
naughty and take them outside. Like babies they have no control over the bladder and
bowel movements.
Always take them outside to spend a penny after they has eaten and immediately on
waking.
Don't let your puppy sleep too long in the evening, it is tempting to let them sleep and
sit back and relax watching TV but when you are ready to go to bed the puppy will be
full of life and will not want to go to bed. Sit on the floor and play with them for an
hour or so before bedtime, then when you are ready to say goodnight your puppy is
more than likely happy to go to sleep.
Put them into bed with a cuddly toy and perhaps a chewstick. Make sure that you put
plenty of newspaper around their bed, as the puppy will need to spend a penny in the
night .As the puppy gets older the newspaper can be reduced and gradually place the
paper by the kitchen door, you will find that as the puppy becomes older and cleaner,
they are able to go for longer periods before the need to spend a penny and will
gradually become clean at night.
Following these simple rules your puppy should soon get the message and become
housetrained.
Lead and car training your puppy
Lead training can be fun or it can be hell, sometimes a calm easygoing puppy put on a lead for the first time stuns
it's new owners by pulling and screaming and protesting as much as possible. For this problem you will need to use
bribery and corruption with plenty of tit-bits and patience. The easiest place to start training is in the garden don't
spend longer than 10 minutes the first time, they get bored. Some take longer than others but be patient they will
soon learn and then they and you can enjoy your walks. It is always good to take them dog training to socialise and
help to lead train.
I always start training them in the car early they love going for rides. I put a cage up in the back of the car for both
our safety. If you find that your puppy gets car sick the best thing is to ask your vet, best to do this early before they
get into the habit of being sick when in the car. Never take your puppy in the car if it has just eaten this will just
make him vomit and he will automatically put this to the car and won't enjoy the ride at all.
General health problems
Anal Glands:
Cavaliers often need their glands emptied some more regularly than others.They will start to scoot their backends on the
floor so you will soon know.
Ears:
Need to check their ears at regular intervals, sometimes if there is a problem they will shake and scratch their ears this
could be caused by infection, grass seed,wax or ear mites, it is best to get investigated by vets if persists.
Eyes;
Clean their eyes regularly with warm water and cotton wool pads. If you think there is any chance of ulcers or infection
they must go straight to the vets.
Fleas:
If you use shampoos and flea sprays from your vets this should contain this problem but don’t forget if bad it will be on
your carpets, furniture etc so they will need spraying also from your vets
Snorting:
This can sound quite scary when first heard sometimes when they get excited they take a sudden intake of breath and
a snorting noise follows.If you just hold the dog and gently put head back it should stop.
Teeth:
Puppies have 42 permanent teeth between the age of 16 and 30 weeks. Check to make sure all their baby teeth are
replaced by new ones.Rawhide chew bones help with teething and don’t give cooked meat bones and neither chicken
or pork but you can use raw beef marrow bones. See my grooming section it says how to clean teeth.
Cavalier Health issues
Eye problems:
Retinal Dysplasia is a congenital, local or generalised malformation of the retina that may result from trauma, genetic
defect, or damage caused by a viral infection Most forms of RD are inherited.Only a specialist opthamologist can see this
defect and you can get a certificate under the KC/BVA Eye scheme.
Cataracts are one of the most common problems affecting the eyes of the dog. There are many different forms and causes
of cataract formation. They affect all breeds and ages of dogs, but certain types show up more commonly in certain
breeds.
Heart murmurs:
Cavaliers tend to get Mitral Valve disease their hearts should be checked annually -probably best when vaccination due.
The heart is an organ which frequently fails in the dog and surprisingly, it happens to dogs of all ages. In the young, this is
typically the result of congenital abnormalities in the formation of the heart or blood vessels, which surround it. In older
animals, it is usually a case in which one side or chamber is weakened or over worked due to altered circulatory patterns
.
Slipping Patellas:
This happens in the back legs and the knee cap slips in and out which causes pain especially if it doesn’t go back in
place.This can be surgically repaired.
Syringomyelia: (SM)
is defined as "a condition that results in the development of fluid-containing cavities within the parenchyma of the spinal
cord. as a consequence of abnormal cerebrospinal fluid movement." (November 2006 International Conference in
Syringomyelia). One of the signs is: It looks like the dog scratches constantly but doesn’t actually touch itself.
Known to be poisonous or harmful to dogs
These are just a few of things I know about please check if your dog eats anything he shouldn’t - Take them
straight to the vets some take small quantities only to harm.
In Most Households:
Alcohol and Yeast dough, Caffeine, Chewing gum (Xylitol) , Chives, Chocolate, Cocoa, Cocoa bark, Garlic
bulbs, Grapes, Macadamia Nuts, Onions, Pot Pouri, Raisins, Rotten or Mouldy foods, Seeds and Pits (apple,
cherry, peach, plum),
Bulbs:
Amarylis, Autumn crocus, Daffodil, Day Lily, Elephant ears, Gladiolas, Hyacinth, Iris, Lily of the Valley,
Narcissus, Orange Day Lily, Tulip etc.
Ferns:
Asparagus fern, Australian Nut, Emerald Feather, Emerald Fern, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern.
Flowering Plants:
Cyclamen, Hydrangea, Kalanchoe, Poinsettia
Garden Perennials:
Charming Diffenbachia, Christmas Rose, Flamingo Plant, Foxglove, Marijuana, Morning Glory, Nightshade,
Onion, Tomato Plant, Tropic Snow Dumbcane.
House Plants:
Ceriman, Chinese Evergreen, Cordatum, Corn Plant, Cutleaf Philodendron, Devils Ivy, Dumb Cane, Golden
Pothos, Green Gold Nephthysis, Marble Queen, Mauna Loa Peace Lily, Nephthytis, Peace Lily, Red Margined
Dracaena, Striped Dracaena, Taro Vine, Warneckei Dracaena.
Shrubs:
Cycads, Heavenly Bamboo, Holly, Jerusalem Cherry, Mistletoe, “American”, Oleander, Precatory Bean, Rhododendron,
Saddle Leaf Philodendron, Sago Palm, Tree Philodendron, Yucca.
Succulents:
Aloe (Aloe Vera)
Trees:
Avocado, Buddhist Pine, Chinaberry Tree, Japanese Yew, Lacy Tree, Macadamia Nut, Madagascar Dragon Tree,
Queensland Nut, Scheffiera, Yew.
Vines:
Branching Ivy, English Ivy, European Bittersweet, Glacier Ivy, Hanhn’s self branching English Ivy, Needlepoint Ivy.
Misc:
American Bittersweet, Andromeda Japonica, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Buckeye, Caladium hortulanum, Calla Lily, Castor
Bean, Clematis, Fidle - Leaf Philodendron, Florida Beauty, Fruit Salad Plant, Golden Dieffenbachia, Gold Dust
Dracaena, Heartleaf Philodendron, Horsehead Philodendron, Hurricane Plant, Mexican Breadfruit, Mother in Law,
Panda, Philodendron Pertusum, Red Emerald, Red Princess, Ribbon Plant, Satin Pothos, Spotted dumb Cane, Sweetheart
Ivy, Swiss Cheese Plant,
Just because my puppy has gone off to their new home doesn't mean to say my concern for that puppy ends. I am
responsible for bringing this little soul into the world and feel responsible for the rest of their life and if for any reason you
find that you can no longer keep them I will always take them back.I do insist on this as I do like to know where my
puppies are and that they are not being passed on, and of course I am always pleased to see my puppies from time to
time, but please ring first to let me know you are coming I get quite disappointed and jealous when returning from a show
and my husband tells me that one of our puppies has paid a visit
Last but not least always have an ID disc on your dog in a public place and remember there are alot of antidog people out
there don't give them any thing to shout about, always clean up after your dog.
Insurance
I always advice that you get your dog insured as you never know when needed.
Hope you enjoy your cavalier
Dolly
13/6/01 > 3/8/09
Zoe
26/11/92 > 20/4/05
Cuddly Dudley
7/12/99 > 14/6/10
Emmie
4/3/88> 5/6/02
Hope
8/12/96 > 20/3/07
Gone but NEVER forgotten
may the angels look after
them till we meet again.
Alfie
1/9/98 > 24/7/08
Ellie - May
27/12/87 > 6/6/01
Catherine
18/4/86 >10/9/02
Tiffin
10/7/89 > 24/8/04
Simpatico So Hot
‘Basil’