Named after the 17th-century English king Charles II — a lifelong devotee of the breed — the Cavalier was nearly lost during 19th-century crossbreeding and was reconstructed in the 1920s to its toy-spaniel form. Soft, sweet, and devoted, they are arguably the gentlest of all small breeds. The deep tragedy: nearly half the population inherits mitral valve disease and syringomyelia, capping the average lifespan at 9–12 years. A loving companion for anyone home most of the day, but never to be left alone for long.
