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50 free Cavalier King Charles Spaniel trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This Cavalier King Charles Spaniel trivia quiz covers the little toy spaniel from Charles II's court to Ronald Reagan's White House. History questions run through the Duke of Marlborough's red-and-white hunting spaniels at Blenheim, the legend of the Duchess's thumbprint, Judith Blunt-Lytton's crosses with the Toy Trawler Spaniel, Roswell Eldridge's 1926 silver prize for 'old type' Blenheims, the first standard based on Ann's Son, the wartime collapse of breeding stock, Plantation Banjo's outsized influence and AKC recognition in 1995. The breed section covers the four recognised colours and their King Charles Spaniel equivalents, how a Cavalier differs from the English Toy Spaniel, weight, feathering, temperament and Coren's ranking, and the health story every owner should know: mitral valve disease, syringomyelia, episodic falling, glue ear, macrothrombocytes and the 2022 Norwegian court ruling. The Parliament urban legend and famous owners from Queen Victoria to Margaret Thatcher round it out. Questions run from easy to expert with a difficulty score on each, so it suits a family quiz or a devoted Cavalier owner. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia and breed references and each question carries its citation. Also try our Dogs and English Cocker Spaniel quizzes.
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Q 01How many colours does the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed standard recognise?
Four
They are Blenheim, tricolour, black and tan, and ruby; all-black and 'chocolate' dogs occur but are outside every standard.
Q 02The red-and-white Cavalier colour is named after which stately home?
Blenheim Palace
The 1st Duke of Marlborough kept red and white spaniels there for hunting and named the estate after his 1704 victory.
Q 03Which duke recorded that his red and white spaniels could keep up with a trotting horse?
Marlborough
John Churchill kept the King Charles-type dogs for hunting in the early 18th century.
Q 04The coloured mark in the middle of some Blenheim dogs' foreheads is nicknamed what?
The Duchess Thumb Print
Legend says Sarah Churchill pressed her thumb on a pregnant dam's head while awaiting news from Blenheim, and five lucky-marked pups followed.
Q 05The 1926 American prize called for Blenheims with a 'long face, no stop' and what kind of skull?
Flat, not domed
He also wanted a spot in the centre of the skull, the mark now called the Blenheim spot.
Q 06The Cavalier shared its history with which smaller breed until the 1920s?
King Charles Spaniel
In the US that breed is called the English Toy Spaniel; the two diverged only about a century ago.
Q 07The toy spaniels that preceded the Cavalier changed dramatically in the 19th century after crossing with what?
Flat-nosed breeds
The result was the domed skull and short face of the modern King Charles Spaniel.
Q 08Judith Blunt-Lytton crossed Blenheims in 1911 with which now-extinct breed?
Toy Trawler Spaniel
She considered it the best living representative of the 17th-century type.
Q 09In 1926, which American offered 25 pounds of sterling silver for the best 'old type' Blenheim spaniels?
Roswell Eldridge
Breeders of the day were appalled, but the prize kicked off the movement that became the Cavalier; he died before seeing it succeed.
Q 10The first Cavalier breed standard was based on which dog?
Ann's Son
He belonged to Katherine Mostyn Walker; the Kennel Club at first recognised the variety only as 'King Charles Spaniels, Cavalier type'.
Q 11In what year was the first Cavalier club formed?
1928
Two years after Eldridge's prize, a handful of believers organised despite the establishment's scorn.
Q 12During the 1940s the Ttiweh Cavalier Kennel's population fell from 60 dogs to how many?
Three
Wartime hardship and food shortages destroyed most of the emerging breed's stock.
Q 13What happened after the Kennel Club recognised the Cavalier as its own breed in 1944?
Breeders combed registers for suitable dogs
Amice Pitt, Katie Eldred and Madame Harper-Trois-Fontaines found up to 200 such dogs among the King Charles Spaniels.
Q 21Cavalier standards say the coat should be free from curl but permit what?
A slight wave
Feathering on the ears, feet, legs and tail must be kept long, and the tail is usually not docked.
Q 22Where does the Cavalier rank in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs?
44th
That is average working and obedience intelligence; the breed's real talent is bonding with people and other dogs.
Q 23Why will most Cavaliers never become 'street-wise'?
They chase anything that moves, including cars
They also regard all strangers as friends, which rules them out as guard dogs.
Q 14Which single stud dog sired 53 of the 60 wartime-born Cavaliers, severely narrowing the gene pool?
Plantation Banjo
That founder effect is the likely reason mitral valve disease is so widespread in the breed today.
Q 15The first recorded Cavalier in the United States arrived in which year?
1956
Lyons and Sally Brown brought it from Britain and helped found the Cavalier King Charles Club USA.
Q 16In which year did the American Kennel Club recognise the Cavalier?
1995
The American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club had been created the year before specifically to apply for recognition.
Q 17On average, how much does a Cavalier weigh?
13–18 lb
The King Charles Spaniel is smaller at 9–15 lb, with a domed skull and shorter muzzle.
Q 18Which physical feature most obviously distinguishes a Cavalier from a King Charles Spaniel?
Its flat skull
The Cavalier also has higher-set ears and a longer muzzle than its domed-skulled cousin.
Q 19Which Cavalier colour is called 'Prince Charles' in the King Charles Spaniel?
Tricolour
Black and tan, meanwhile, is simply called 'King Charles' in that breed.
Q 20A Ruby Cavalier should be entirely what colour?
Chestnut
Any white in a Ruby's coat counts as a fault under AKC show rules.
Q 24What is the most common cause of death in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?
Mitral valve disease
A Kennel Club survey found 42.8% of Cavalier deaths were cardiac, ahead of cancer at 12.3% and old age at 12.2%.
Q 25By what age may over half of all Cavaliers be expected to have the breed's signature heart disease?
Age 5
It is rare for a 10-year-old Cavalier not to have a heart murmur, and the disease can appear in dogs of one or two.
Q 26The MVD breeding protocol says parents should be heart-clear and at least how old?
2.5 years
Their own parents should be heart-clear to age 5, though a UK club chair admitted in 2009 that many breeders ignore the guidance.
Q 27Syringomyelia in Cavaliers is caused by which malformation at the back of the skull?
Chiari
The skull is too small for the brain, which herniates toward the spinal cord and blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.
Q 28What share of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have the skull malformation behind syringomyelia?
Over 90%
Between 30 and 70% have actual syrinxes, though most of those dogs show no symptoms.
Q 29Which odd behaviour is a classic sign of syringomyelia in Cavaliers?
Air scratching
The dog scratches at its neck or shoulder without making contact, often while walking, and worse when wearing a collar.
Q 30Episodic Falling in Cavaliers is now known to be what kind of disorder?
Neurological
It is caused by a single recessive gene; about 1% of Cavaliers are affected and 19% are carriers.