How much exercise does a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel need?

As a rule, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needs to be exercised twice a day for several hours. This should ideally be done in the forest or where he can run without a leash without any problems. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needs enough physical and mental exercise. 

Your pet needs daily exercise. In addition, your dog can romp around in the garden or you can go to a fenced exercise area.

Your dog needs to go outside at least twice a day.

Beyond that, you can decide according to your dog whether you go more often and how long your rounds will be.

Walking – When does the dog need to go out?

The question of how often a dog should go out depends crucially on its individual needs. Some dog breeds need a lot of exercise due to their special urge to move, while others are content with smaller rounds. 

This dog breed needs a lot of movement and run.

When a dog needs to go outside is also very individual. Decisive factors include cleanliness and walk training. 

As a rule of thumb, however, dogs can last five to six hours before the next business is due. 

This also tells you how often a dog should go out every day. According to this, you should plan at least four to five rounds per day.

Ideally, you should schedule your dog’s walks so that he does not have to go out at night. In this context, it is important that the most urgent walk is in the morning. The walk after getting up must be integrated into the daily schedule. 

As a rule, a routine rhythm is established after a certain time, so that the morning round takes place at 6:00 a.m. every day, for example.

Dogs make themselves known when they have to go out

Normally, every dog makes itself known as soon as it has to go out. However, this only applies to dogs that have already completed their cleanliness training. It is not yet to be expected from puppies. As soon as the intervals between rounds become too long, dogs start whining, possibly barking, are restless and otherwise draw attention to themselves. 

Some dogs may scratch at the door, others may put the leash at their master’s feet. Pay attention to how your dog makes itself known and don’t let it get that far in the first place.

Your dog will be in better health if you react before your dog even contacts you.

If you are going to be away for a long time and your dog has to wait for you at home, find out here how long your dog can be left alone.

Whether young or old – all dogs need to go out. 

Puppies and seniors need more exercise

A puppy stays with the breeder until at least 8 weeks. At least with a good breeder. After that, you can take your dog with you.

Once you have arrived at your new home, the first few weeks are especially important. During this time, you must pay special attention to the walks. Everything needs to be explored, from traffic to the forest.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a very calm dog that needs a lot of exercise every day.

Experience shows that puppies need more walks than adult dogs. Until they are truly house-trained, it is recommended that you take your fur friend out at least every two hours. 

This way puppies learn that they have to do their business outdoors and not indoors. 

The amount of time between each round can be extended individually over time. In addition to puppies, seniors also need to go outside more often. 

Your dog is getting old and counts as a senior dog if your dog is over 12 years old.

With age, dogs get difficulties to control their urge for a longer period of time. It’s a good idea to cater to your dog’s individual needs.

You could take your dog out more often, but for shorter periods.

If the dog doesn’t get out – what can happen?

If your dog doesn’t get out enough, it will sooner or later do its business indoors. 

However, what is much more decisive and to the dog’s disadvantage – lack of exercise leads to considerable limitations. Dogs that do not get out or only get out too rarely are often overweight, which has an impact on their health. 

In addition, in such cases dogs tend to engage in destructive behaviour, for example by destroying things or starting to go berserk. 

If your dog doesn’t get enough exercise and exercise, it can quickly lead to obesity or depression.

Among other things, shoes or furniture may be chewed up. Furthermore, the lack of exercise leads to aggression towards people and other animals in the long run. 

This is how you can keep your dog busy indoors

Some dogs begin to withdraw because they are not physically and mentally stimulated enough. In this case, the behaviour resembles a typical depression. 

Other dogs, on the other hand, become hyperactive. Finally, the muscles of the affected dog can stiffen, which leads to considerable pain. Further illnesses of the four-legged friend are also possible due to lack of exercise and too few walks. 

For example, bladder or kidney diseases can occur due to continuous stopping.

To prevent this from happening to your four-legged friend, make sure he gets enough exercise!

If you don’t have enough time, you can look for someone who will walk your dog for a small fee.

Typical breed characteristics of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

  •     Character – adaptable, undemanding, lively
  •     Size 30 to 33 cm
  •     Weight 5,5 to 8,2 kg
  •     Colours: black, blenheim, ruby, tricolour, black and tan
  •     Life expectancy 9 to 13 years

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a breed from Great Britain recognised by the FCI. 

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes in different colour varieties. Solid colours in black, ruby or blenheim as well as black and tan up to tricolours. 

Both females and males reach a body height of 30 – 33 cm. This pleasant size in combination with their light weight make the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel an ideal companion. 

In temperament, these dogs are very sociable, adaptable and affectionate. They are social and companion dogs and like to be close to people.

This dog breed is an absolute family dog and gets along wonderfully with children.

A hunting instinct is – if at all – usually only quite weakly pronounced and well manageable. The hunting instinct can be stopped by consistent training.

One of the typical diseases of this breed is the EFS syndrome, i.e. the ‘Episodic Falling Syndrome’, which causes neurological cramps after increased exertion and stress.

Care and upbringing

The friendly, affectionate and even-tempered nature of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel makes it relatively easy for his owners to train him. This breed is therefore also ideally suited for dog beginners. 

Despite its relatively small size, the four-legged dog still wants to be kept busy and exercised – both mentally and physically. 

Extensive walks with lots to explore are a daily must for a well-balanced and contented dog.

The rather long coat of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel should be groomed daily with the help of a brush. Otherwise matted areas can quickly form. 

Brushing should be particularly thorough behind the ears and under the armpits, as this is where knots and tangles tend to form.

Who is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel suitable for?

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a pleasant and friendly companion with a moderate temperament. For this reason, this breed is also suitable for dog beginners or as a family dog. Long walks and spending time with the family are very important to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. 

So if you are looking for a loyal companion who is easy to train, has little hunting instinct and is friendly to people and animals and you are not afraid of daily walks and grooming, then you will find the ideal dog in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

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