Lucas and Danica are two beautiful Caveleir King Charles Spaniels who I worked with for a breed study. I'm going to share a few key points I learned about this great breed! As a part of the toy breed, CKCS's are a small dog with a big heart. They are one of the most cooperative and loving breeds I've ever worked with, and it makes perfect sense to me why people enjoy them as part of the family. They are relatively lazy (for a dog), and therefore don't resort to bad behaviors when bored, they'd rather sleep. Because they weren't genetically bred to do a specific job, owners don't have to focus on getting their job needs met before they follow along with the owners' current activity. 

Working breeds have no sense of purpose if they are not given a job on a consistent basis, and most of the work I do is to help owners find a job for their dog because their dog has resorted to destructive behavior due to not having a job. However, most toy breeds need less exercise, don't require nearly as much focused training time, and usually like to travel with their people. I observed that these two are happy participants in any activity. They wanted to be a part of whatever their owners were doing, and they didn't need too much incentive. 

The Caveleir King Charles Spaniel is an excellent breed to choose for a first time dog owner, or someone looking for a kid friendly family dog with lower maintenance than a working or sporting category breed. I noticed that one or two hardy walks per day was enough for these two to get their physical exercise needs met. If you're looking into getting a CKCS, I would recommend having a lengthy discussion with a breeder and meeting as many of the breed (or any breed for that matter) as you can. 

Getting a dog is a huge commitment and I would recommend that you take time to research the background, tendencies and pros / cons of any particular breed you are looking at. Caveleir King Charles Spaniels are adaptable but easily distracted, so creating the right kind of incentive for obedience training is key. Lucas and Danica were happy to follow the travel itinerary and chase lizards on breaks. Watching them, I was once again reminded of the importance of choosing a dog that will go well with your lifestyle. 

Most of the work I do with dogs is redirecting misbehavior and working with problems once they already exist. This is why I would encourage you to really research the dog breed that you are hoping to get, or to the best of your ability, the mutt breed mix you would like. I often see that the specific breed someone has chosen is not necessarily a bad fit, but working through the behavior issues that the dog came to them with or developed is just a little more than they're willing to do. Sometimes it is better to research a different breed or take more time making a decision about getting a dog.