what are king charles spaniels?
Dog
contradiction
 The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small spaniel classed as a toy dog by The Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club . It originated in the United Kingdom and is one of the more popular breeds in many countries . Since 2000 , it has grown in popularity in the United States and ranks as the 18th most popular pure @-@ breed in the United States ( 2013 Registration Statistics ) . It has a silky , smooth coat and commonly a smooth undocked tail . The breed standard recognizes four colours : Blenheim ( chestnut and white ) , Tricolor ( black / white / tan ) , Black and Tan , and Ruby . The breed is generally friendly , affectionate and good with both children and other animals ; however , they require a lot of human interaction . The expected average lifespan of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is under ten years . 

contradiction
 The King Charles has large dark eyes , a short nose , a high domed head and a line of black skin around the mouth . On average , it stands 9 to 11 inches ( 23 to 28 cm ) at the withers , with a small but compact body . The breed has a traditionally docked tail . It has the long pendulous ears typical of a spaniel and its coat comes in four varieties , trait it shares with its offshoot , the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel . 

entailment
 The King Charles Spaniel ( also known as the English Toy Spaniel ) is a small dog breed of the spaniel type . In 1903 , the Kennel Club combined four separate toy spaniel breeds under this single title . The other varieties merged into this breed were the Blenheim , Ruby and Prince Charles Spaniels , each of which contributed one of the four colours available in the breed . 

contradiction
 The breed can tolerate other pets well , although the King Charles still has the hunting instincts of its ancestors and may not always be friendly towards smaller animals . It is intelligent enough to be used for obedience work and , due to its stable temperament , it can be a successful therapy dog for hospitals and nursing homes . 

contradiction
 The King Charles Spaniel is less popular than the Cavalier in both the UK and the US . In 2010 , the Cavalier was the 23rd most popular breed , according to registration figures collected by the American Kennel Club , while the English Toy Spaniel was the 126th . In the UK , according to the Kennel Club , the Cavalier is the most popular breed in the Toy Group , with 8 @,@ 154 puppies registered in 2010 , compared to 199 registrations for King Charles Spaniels . Due to the low number of registrations , the King Charles was identified as a Vulnerable Native Breed by the Kennel Club in 2003 in an effort to help promote the breed . 
