The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog breed is one of the loveliest of all, so I decided to get one for myself two years back. I can’t say I am disappointed by my choice; on the contrary, I am pleased about the decision I made.
The CKCS breed has stunning multicolored coats that are silky and medium length. This might prompt you to want to know how much fur this breed sheds on average.
How much do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels shed? Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are known to be moderate shedders, but some shed more than others. Although they shed, the CKCS coat is not big enough to be a huge problem for you, especially if you maintain proper grooming habits.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, unlike some other dog breeds, have a top coat making them pretty easy to groom. In general terms, compared to other double-coated dog breeds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will not shed so much during the season change or throughout the entire year.
Keep in mind that you can’t completely stop a CKCS from shedding, but you can only reduce the amount it sheds by regularly grooming it.
How Bad the Shedding Really Is and What’s It Like?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not extreme shedders. Since they are single coated, they tend to shed a lot less than other double-coated breeds. This means that a CKCS shedding is not way out of the ordinary.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for a companion, you have made a good choice. But if you cannot deal with the occasional dog hair on your floor or carpet from time to time, then you should probably look for a different breed to adopt—possibly a hairless one.
But the good news is that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are a pretty small dog breed, and the coats they shed will not really cause a big problem for you. Occasionally, you’ll find hair on your furniture, clothes, floor, carpet, and even your bed (that is if you let your dog share it with you).
My Cavalier usually comes to my bed every morning for her usual face licking, and so far, I haven’t found a bundle of hair on the bed. Instead, I’ve seen a few strands here and there, which wasn’t a problem for me.
However, that is my dog. And I’ve heard of Cavaliers who shed a whole lot less. A friend of a friend I met for a play date a while back told me she could go weeks without finding hair on her carpet or anywhere around the house. I guess hers is just one of those few cases.
The fact is, I can only really give you accurate details about my own Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and my experience with her shedding.
Below is how best I can describe the shedding of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel:
Shedding on the floor: My Cavalier sheds minimally on the floor. A year ago, my floor was bare, with just the tiles, which made it easy to see the hair strands on the floor. They were not so much, but as I was not a fan of cleaning up every day, I decided to get a carpet. On a carpet, you won’t see so much of the hair, and you can always do the cleaning once every couple of days.
Hair clinging to clothes: More often than not, I’ve found my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s hair on my clothes. She’s very affectionate and loves to snuggle whenever she sees me, so there’s always body contact. I’m not a huge fan of finding hair on my clothes, especially when I notice them after reaching the office. This problem is either better or worse, depending on the kind of fabric you have on.
The hair on the hand when petting or playing with your dog: This has not been common with my Cavalier. It’s not like it has never happened, but it is pretty rare. If your hand is wet, then chances are you’ll find hair stuck on it after petting your dog. But if they are dry, then there’s little chance of this happening.
Shedding on the couch, bed, or curtains: It is not uncommon for me to find hair on my couch or bed from time to time. This is not usually huge clumps of hair, but just a few strands scattered around the surface. Unlike cleaning fur from hardwood floors, getting hair off couches and beds are pretty tricky because of the fabrics they are made of.
On the skin: You’ll experience this a lot if you’re the sweaty type. You’ll find that hair will stick to your skin a lot more when it is damp from sweat or any other liquid. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have silky smooth fur, and they can easily cling to your skin.
Studies show that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels shed particularly in the Fall and Spring. But due to artificial light, they shed pretty much around the year.
The females are known to shed a lot more after birthing each litter. I have noticed that my Spaniel doesn’t shed more at any particular time. She sheds the same all year round minimally.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not among the low maintenance dog breeds out there. They have gorgeous coats, which are one of their most desirable qualities. But to maintain their coat, brushing is needed.
The CKCS will require a commitment to maintaining them as they need to be brushed at least 2-3 times every week. This will help to remove knots from their coats and significantly reduce the amount your dog sheds.
Bathing them and using good shampoo every week will also reduce shedding as much as 84%.
Dealing With Allergies
If you are allergic to fur or hair, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is probably not for you. No dogs are indeed entirely hypoallergenic, but some dog breeds are worse than others for people who suffer from allergies.
Purebred Cavaliers will be very harmful to your sinuses if you’re an allergy sufferer. Still, there are ways you could mix the breed with others to get puppies that are better suited for individuals with allergies.
A good example is the Cavachons, which you get from crossing Bichon Frise and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog breeds. Another example is the Cavapoo, which is a cross between Poodles and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
However, if you insist on adopting a Cavalier, these tips will reduce how frequently your allergies act up:
Wash or bathe your dog every week. This will help reduce dander.
Create a no-dog-zone in your home where you can quickly retreat if your allergies begin to act up. The best place to establish this is your bedroom, which will ensure your sleep is never disrupted.
HEPA (High-Efficiency Air Filter) should be installed in your home which will maintain the air purity.
Make use of sheets that do not allow particles into your mattress.
Research on shampoos you can use on your dog to reduce dander.
Purchase a HEPA vacuum cleaner and clean the house as frequently as possible.
How to Reduce the Shedding?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are not the worst shedders. But they do shed regardless. There are very effective ways you can reduce the way Cavaliers shed.
These methods work for me and with the answers I got from other Cavalier King Charles Spaniel parents, they work for others. You can give these tips a try, and you might be amazed at how much positive results you’ll get.
Tips for reducing Cavalier King Charles Spaniel shedding:
Regular grooming: Cavaliers require an average grooming effort. Brushing its coat about 2-3 times a week will help in reducing the shedding. A bath every week helps too.
Healthy diet: One of the best ways to reduce the way your Cavalier sheds is by feeding it the right food combination. Make sure to purchase food that contains meat as your dog needs a protein-filled diet. The nutrients found in meat-rich food are absorbed and digested easily, and they help promote good health and control dry skin and excess shedding.
Add flaxseed oil or olive oil to meals: Olive oil and flaxseed oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids that help improve your dog’s coat texture. Adding one teaspoon to every 10 pounds of your dog’s weight should be enough.
Dealing With Shedding in the House
The best way to keep your house clean of dog hair is through constant vacuuming. However, vacuuming will not remove 100% of the hair, so other methods need to be employed, especially in areas where a vacuum cannot get into.
But first, since you will be spending a lot of time vacuuming, you must invest in a good vacuum cleaning that can pick up pet hair.
A technique I found that work for me was buying lots of throw rugs and placing them around the house. The rugs usually suck in much of the hair as a sponge would. This prevents my dog’s hair from spreading all over the house and air. Since you’ll need to clean these rugs often, you should buy washable ones.
You can also keep your dog covered up by dressing him up with a sweater. This will contain the dog enough to prevent its hair from spreading.
For areas where the vacuum cleaner cannot get into, I usually take a wet paper towel and use it to wipe the surfaces. Any hair within the area will stick to the paper towel, and after I’m done, I just throw it out.
An alternative to this is using chairs and sofas that come with washable slipcovers. This will allow you to remove and wash them from time to time.
For my tile, regular sweeping and vacuuming work perfectly. If you Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is allowed to enter everywhere in the house, you’ll need to sweep or vacuum the floors daily.
Spotting Abnormal Shedding
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are prone to certain diseases, of which one of the main symptoms is increased shedding. You might notice some areas of their coats that have patches of thinning areas in different parts of their body. You should know that this occurrence is not at all normal.
One of the illnesses that causes a rapid increase in shedding in Cavaliers is Cushing’s Disease. This disease is a life-threatening genetic disorder that increases the production of too many hormones from the dog’s adrenal glands.
Other symptoms associated with this illness is increased appetite, excessive drinking, and lethargy. So as soon as you notice these symptoms, you should take your dog to the vet.
Your dog can also shed abnormally when it has allergies. Dogs can get allergic to food or even to the shampoo you use on them. If you notice that one of these is the cause of your dog’s excessive shedding, consider changing their diet and the product you use.
In cases like these, early detection will help you manage the situation better. If you cannot guess what the problem might be, the best action to take is to see a vet for professional advice or opinion.
My Final Thoughts
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are great companions to have. They are affectionate and are excellent family dogs. But as seen in this article, they do not come without their problems.
Cavaliers will leave hair all over the house, so if that is something you can’t deal with, then the Cavalier is not for you. Also, you must be prepared to do a lot of vacuuming and cleaning around the house, which might be too much work for some people.
For those with allergies, Cavaliers might not be the best pick for you. But due to their lovable nature, other methods, as shown in this article, can be employed to reduce the amount of shedding considerably. This will make them tolerable even to those who are allergic to dog hair.
Also, invest in the best equipment and grooming tools for your Cavalier and keep them maintained. I promise they are a great addition to any home.
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