The King Cavrin is a newer hybrid which has been developed by mixing the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Cairn Terrier, and as such, has little information available for the hybrid itself. To ascertain what makes this little bundle of love so interesting and appealing, we must look at the histories of the parent breeds. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has an interesting history, to say the least. Date of origin of the Cavalier is unknown but what is known is that it began as a spaniel which caught the affection of King Charles I in the 1600's to the extent that the breed was named after him. The history reveals that both King Charles I and King Charles II both adored the breed so much that they were seldom seen without several of them alongside. A decree from the king even allowed them to be present in the House of Parliament, a decree which is still in existence today. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is not a breed which was particularly financially beneficial to own, not being one to earn its keep in the traditional hunting tasks, making it impossible to own unless one was very wealthy or of royal descent. After the fall of the House of Stuart, the breed lost its popularity to the Pug for a time. Queen Victoria is said to have had one as a child but she spent her life breeding and developing a toy breed that would become the English Toy Spaniel in America and the King Charles Spaniel in the United Kingdom, a breed that had a much shorter, flatter face, a domed skull and was shorted than the original Cavalier, causing the original breed to all but disappear. The newer toy breed was developed from the mixing of the Cavalier with the Pug and the Japanese Chin. In the 1920's, Roswell Eldridge, an American, paid a visit to England for the express purpose of locating the "old world type" of spaniel, not being impressed with the newer "toy" version developed by the Queen. In 1926, he hosted a contest, with an attractive reward, in an attempt to find a male and a female which resembled the spaniel of King Charles II time..."long face, no stop, flat skull, not inclined to be domed and with the spot in the center of the skull". He ran the contest for 5 years and he was able to find a winner in 1927. The monetary prize that was offered for the winner prompted more interest in the development of the original paniel and gave us the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that we know and love today. The Cairn Terrier originated in Scotland and can be traced back to the 17th century. They come from a line of extremely old terriers from the Isle of Skye and were bred for the purposes of courageous hunting and bolting of various types of vermin, foxes and otter from the rugged cliffs, ledges and rocks of the coasts of Scotland. Their breeding made them hard working canines who could survive harsh climates with what seemed like unlimited energy to hunt the various prey as required by their owners. Scotland's terriers descended from the same stock from the islands and western highlands, eventually evolving in various terrier breeds: Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Skye Terrier, Scottish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier and the Cairn Terrier. The original Cairn Terrier was called the Cairn Terrier of Skye, a name fanciers agreed upon in 1910 as a result of the confusion with the "Short-haired Skyes" and "Skye Terriers". It was first recognized as Cairn Terriers at dog shows in Britain in 1912 and by the American Kennel Club in 1913. It is considered to be one of the oldest known terrier breeds. You will likely recognize him as "Toto" in the movie "The Wizard of Oz", a part which he played that truly epitomized his heritage. Despite a century of pure-bred dog show participation, this breed has remained an amazing example of its true ancestral heritage, changing neither in appearance or temperament. The King Cavrin hybrid itself is recognized by the following organizations: American Canine Hybrid Club, Designer Breed Registry, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, Dog Registry of America, Inc. and the International Designer Canine Registry.
