Congratulations on your new puppy! You chose well, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have one of the best temperaments there are. They are bright, affectionate, and gentle, and will simply love to be around you.
Training a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy should be an exciting and rewarding journey that helps build a strong bond between the two of you. These intelligent, and eager-to-please little dogs respond well to positive reinforcement, making the training process enjoyable for both you and your pup.
Whether you’re working on basic commands, housebreaking or socialisation, starting early with consistent training will ensure your Cavalier grows into a well-mannered and happy companion.
In this 8-week guide on how to train a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy, we’ll get into all of the key life skills you should be teaching them, and tips to help you successfully train your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy.
With just a few taps in the Zigzag puppy training app, you’ll have a full training program for your King Charles Cavalier puppy. We have full lessons that cover everything from potty training, to socialisation, to habituation, and to staying at home alone.
Need extra help? We’ve got your back! Our team of puppy trainers are available 24/7 to help you leap over any troubles and worries along the way.
Getting started with training your King Charles Cavalier puppy
Are you ready to start training your Cavalier puppy? Let’s get to it!
What age can I start training my cavalier puppy?
As soon as you bring them home! The earlier you begin training your King Charles Cavalier puppy, the better. These are very smart puppies, and will appreciate learning a lot, especially as they also get to bond with you.
Just brought your puppy home? There’s no need to stress – you can learn all about it in our article on tips for your puppy’s first week at home.
What do I need to train my Cavalier Puppy?
Making sure you have the right equipment for your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will set you up for success and make training them a breeze.
Here are our recommended essentials for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy:
Puppy Food that’s suitable for your King Charles Cavalier
A comfortable lead – check out our training leads article to find the best one for your pup
A comfortable harness and a collar
A crate to sleep in
Puppy playpen to create that safe puppy proof area
Dog bed and blanket
Food and water bowls
Puzzle toys
Grooming Brush
Check out our new puppy checklist for more.
Things you need to know about King Charles Cavaliers?
To train and care for your King Charles Cavalier effectively, it’s important to begin by understanding their origins and unique quirks. Furthermore, getting to know how they develop both mentally and physically will help you provide the best support for your playful pups.
Are Cavaliers easy to train?
Yes! Lucky you. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are generally considered easy to train. They are intelligent, eager to please, and highly responsive to training, which makes them quick learners. Their friendly and affectionate nature helps them bond well with their owners, making them highly engaged during training sessions.
With the right approach, Cavaliers can excel in obedience training and even advanced tricks and agility!
What is a Cavalier’s personality like?
Cavaliers are gentle, funny clowns, they’ll make you laugh every day! Their sweet and cuddly demeanour makes them excellent companion dogs, but they are also keen on play and enjoy indulging in activities like fetch or going for walks.
Cavaliers tend to be sociable with both people and other animals due to their calm and adaptable character. Overall, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are loving, loyal, and cheerful which makes them fantastic companions, and a fabulous choice for families.
What is the lifespan of a Cavalier?
Cavaliers can live for up to 15 years, isn’t that great?! They’ll be around to give you plenty of love and comfort for a long time.
What are Cavaliers bred for?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were originally bred as companion dogs for European nobility, particularly in the courts of England during the 17th century. Their primary role was to provide warmth and comfort by sitting on their owners’ laps (lovely, isn’t it?) with their affectionate and gentle disposition.
Although their spaniel heritage implies a small instinct to hunt, they’ve always been primarily bred for companionship, so don’t expect them to be as full on as a Gundog!
Now for a little history lesson: This breed is named after our well-known King Charles II of England, who was famously fond of small spaniels that closely resembled today’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. These dogs were often seen at court, always by the King’s side, to the point where they became strongly associated with him. “Cavalier” was added later to differentiate it from the smaller, flatter-faced King Charles Spaniel (also known as the English Toy Spaniel). Today, Cavaliers still embody the loving, loyal traits that made them cherished companions to royalty and noble families centuries ago.
Overview of your Cavalier’s training program
Your King Charles Cavalier puppy will grow up quickly, which means it’s up to us to get them a solid foundation for key life skills that they will need as adult dogs.
In the Zigzag puppy training app, you’ll discover a comprehensive training program tailored specifically for your King Charles Cavalier. We take all their unique breed traits into account, and design their training according to their age and developmental stage so that they learn exactly what they need at the right time.
If you come across any trouble, there’s no need to worry! Our team of puppy trainers is at hand 24/7 to help you overcome them in a positive way, and continue your journey as smoothly as can be..
Our 8-week training program for your King Charles Cavalier puppy
Your King Charles Cavalier’s 8-week training program will provide them with the fundamental skills required to become a well-behaved, socialised dog capable of thriving in today’s modern world. Whether you live in the country or the city, your puppy’s training should be adapted to their surroundings and the day to day experiences they will come across.
In the countryside, your King Charles Cavalier might meet horses and have to learn to interact with farm animals respectfully, as well as stay focused amidst the distractions of wide and open spaces.
City dogs, on the other hand, will have to practise walking through busy streets, learn to resist temptation and leave things on the pavement, as well as keep calm about loud noises.
Regardless of where your puppy will grow up, consistent training during these early weeks is essential for helping your King Charles Cavalier become a well-adjusted family member and a polite and nice dog to be around them.
Learn all about how we use positive reinforcement training in the Zigzag app, and get started with a step-by-step King Charles Cavalier training program today!
Week 1
The first week with your King Charles Cavalier will be all about bonding and creating a secure attachment to each other. Let’s not rush into home alone training! Your puppy needs to feel safe and secure with you and never left to cry it out – this is really important! Leaving puppies to “cry it out” really doesn’t work, and just creates much bigger problems in the long run.
Your King Charles Cavalier puppy’s first week of training should be spent concentrating on socialisation and habituation. These will help them learn about the outside world and develop their self-confidence! You should also take a look at:
House Breaking – Read our in-depth tips on how to toilet train a puppy in as little as seven days, regardless of whether you have a garden or are potty training in a flat. In order to prevent as many accidental poop-ins in your home as possible, start as soon as you can on this one.
Grooming and handling – Good news – your King Charles Cavalier will enjoy the process of grooming. To them, it simply means spending time with you, which we’re sure they will absolutely love. Furthermore, brushing helps blood circulation and removes any dead fur, keeping your King Charles Cavalier’s skin healthy.
Make sure they can create positive associations with the brush and your hands. They need to learn that hands are nice and will likely touch them loads throughout their lifetime in a stress-free environment. Treats are always a brilliant option to help them through it.
Check out our full guide to puppy grooming as well as learn how to make those vet visits go smoothly to read more about all this.
Name – Teaching your King Charles Cavalier puppy their name is the first step in training them to pay attention and listen to you…a key aspect to puppy training, if you ask us.
Learn how to teach a puppy their name or perhaps how to choose the best name for your puppy if you haven’t decided yet.
Sit – ‘Sit’ is typically one of the first cues we tend to teach puppies. Can’t blame us, it does look super cute! It also helps with manners training as sitting keeps them from jumping up as easily. Not many people enjoy having pups leap up at them with muddy paws, but it’s also not the best idea for your King Charles Cavalier’s growing joints.
For more, read our articles on how to stop a puppy jumping up and how to teach your puppy to sit.
Crate Training – Training your King Charles Cavalier to be happy in a confined space, such as a crate, playpen, or baby gated room, will help them sleep better, establish a regular nap time schedule, and provide a place to relax away from the hustle and bustle.
Crates, playpens and babygated areas also provide your King Charles Cavalier with a perfect puppy proofed area to hang out in, so you don’t need to worry what those curious little noses are getting into!
This part is important – while King Charles Cavaliers are affectionate and enjoy spending time with children, they also require time alone and should not be left unsupervised with them. Safety always comes first, so we’ll use baby gates, playpens, and crates to keep everyone safe and happy.
What to feed – Puppy food can be a contentious subject for some. Honestly, it seems like everyone knows what your dog should be eating these days! But providing the necessary nourishment remains critical for keeping your pup healthy and at a good growth rate. Make sure your puppy is getting a healthy diet, regardless of whether you choose a BARF diet, decide to cook for them yourself or choose a commercial wet or dry puppy food.
Week 2
We’ll continue our life skills training in Week 2. Since this is how dogs learn best, we are focusing on making training fun and rewarding for your King Charles Cavalier puppy!
Talk about “dogs being like wolves” or dominance has been left in the past. We don’t use these terms in our training at Zigzag as it’s just untrue and extremely outdated!
Biting – Yes, you should be ready for your King Charles Cavalier puppy to bite. It’s nothing against you! It’s just part of their nature and their development. To divert their attention from chewing your arm, use lengthy tug toys and frozen Kongs! Oh, and practise patience profusely—you’ll definitely need it!
Take a look at our guide to puppy biting and teething to learn more about this nippy chapter.
Management – Management is often forgotten about, but tremendously important to avoid many behavioural problems. The main goal of management is to set your puppy up for success. Your Cavalier will be a lot more successful and confident if they can control their surroundings and circumstances. Puppies of King Charles Cavaliers are innocent until proven otherwise, so let’s prevent them from committing mistakes until they do!
…and what does this all mean? Worry not – you can learn all about it in our article on management in dog training.
Down – The ‘down’ is another helpful cue and position that you can teach them for numerous situations. We admit that any trick you wish to teach your King Charles Cavalier will be done eagerly by them, but this one is particularly good for hanging around the house. Training with a mat or blanket will make training for them on a hard floor much more comfortable. How about getting one that matches their coat?
Alone time training – Slowly and steadily, you should get your Cavalier puppy to be comfortable on their own. Start by creating a safe and secure attachment to you, one that is built on trust. Do remember the rule of thumb: Never let a puppy cry it out! It’s simply not a thing and never will be.
Our article on preventing separation anxiety in puppies will show you the way in what can sometimes be a challenging training period for dogs.
Introduce the collar and harness – Your little King Charles Cavalier should always wear a harness, so it’s important to start getting them used to collars and harnesses at a young age. For ID badges, we like to use collars, and for going on walks, we like to use harnesses.
Bathing – King Charles Cavalier puppies shed, so the dirt from their coats will come out naturally. This means they won’t need a lot of bathing; unlike say a Cavapoo who doesn’t shed. Either way, we still want them to get used to baths for the day they find they end up in a deeper-than-it-looked muddy puddle.
Learn how to bathe your puppy and teach them step-by-step how bath times can be fun!
Week 3
King Charles Cavaliers may appear like they’re just made for cuddles, but trust us, they are also incredibly intelligent dogs, who genuinely love to learn.
They’ll love using puzzle toys as much as possible to keep those brain cells turning, as well as sniffing games, and of course, learning tricks.
Let’s start the training for this week:
Lead walking – Walking on a loose lead takes time to master, but it is definitely worth the effort. Training your Cavalier puppy not to pull on the lead can sometimes feel like an interminable, tricky journey, but we’ll help you through it!
Teaching your puppy not to pull will involve building a reinforcement zone in which they will learn that walking calmly next to you equals delicious rewards. Start this by practising indoors or in your garden without anything other than treats. Once you’ve mastered that, you can add a lead and harness.
Recall – Training your Cavalier puppy to come when called, also known as recall training, is a crucial aspect of their development. It’s essential to start this training process early on to ensure a smooth transition when the time comes to let your puppy off the lead. Practise at home, in the park, and anywhere you can so it’s fully ingrained in their minds.
Settle – Enjoying a bottomless brunch with your King Charles Cavalier can be just as delightful for both of you, just make sure you teach your dog to snooze on their settle mat or bed. You’ll be enjoying countless pints and scones next to your young Cavalier in no time by teaching them to settle.
Tug – Your King Charles Cavalier puppy will love playing tug-of-war. Playtime is also a great way to strengthen the bond between you, so indulge in it as you wish.
To stop your Cavalier from just grabbing toys and to help them give them back to you happily, you should teach them the cues “take it” and “drop.” You can find detailed instructions on how to do this in our articles about teaching a dog to drop, and learn even more tips and game ideas in the Zigzag app. Plus, playing tug with these cues can help prevent your dog from being possessive over their toys and running into other problems in the future because of this. Yay!
Nail clips – Cutting a dog’s claws can be a challenging process. It’s a good idea to get your King Charles Cavalier accustomed to the clippers or having their paws touched, as some dogs dislike both of these things.
We can’t deny cute paws have their responsibilities, so you better get to our article on how to care for a dog’s paws.
Now the big question – how is potty training going? Hope it isn’t a sensitive topic for you. If you’re living in a flat or somewhere without access to a garden, take a look at our roundup of the best indoor dog potties or our post on toilet training in a flat. Wishing you the best!
Don’t be surprised if your King Charles Cavalier droolings a lot when they’re teething! To help soothe sore gums and cravings for chewing, make sure to give them a great load of puppy-appropriate chews, stuffed Kongs, and other engaging chew toys.
Week 4
Generalisation – Training your Cavalier puppy in different places and environments is very important for helping them understand that “sit” applies no matter where they are.
Start by practising in various spots around your home and yard, and then gradually introduce walks and outings to new locations. When you’re in a more distracting setting, go for tastier and smellier treats to help them keep their attention on you. Check out our article on rewards and treats to discover the best ones and how to use them.
Build on the basic cues – Yep, mastering commands like sit, down, lead walking, and recall requires lots of repetition and consistent practice. And don’t forget, patience is essential too!
Leave it – This is an excellent self-control exercise for your King Charles Cavalier puppy. Teaching all dogs to ignore items they shouldn’t have is important; you can help them learn it in a positive way! Start with some plain kibble that’s simple for them to leave, and then gradually introduce more tempting treats to add a challenge.
Train with games – King Charles Cavaliers may be pocket-sized but they are still spaniels…which can only mean energetic little fur balls. This makes them perfect candidates for training games that can teach important life skills such as self-control and frustration tolerance! Check out our training games library for some great activities to incorporate into your training sessions.
How’s the day-to-day routine going? Take a look at our puppy training timetable for advice on getting into tune with your King Charles Cavalier puppy.
Week 5-8
Check out our personalised training schedule for your King Charles Cavalier for weeks 5-8. Focus on the reward-based training we talked about earlier, like teaching your Cavalier pup to walk on a lead and to come back when called. Don’t forget to download the Zigzag app! We’ve designed a complete program for your King Charles Cavalier’s age, as well as characteristics and quirks of their breed.
With the Zigzag puppy training app, you can be sure that your King Charles Cavalier puppy will receive the most adequate and thought-through training. Plus, our team of skilled dog trainers is available to help you through any hurdles at any time. Think of them as superheroes!
King Charles Cavalier Puppy Training FAQs
What is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel temperament like?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a friendly and affectionate temperament. They are gentle, playful, and adaptable, thrive on companionship and get along well with families, children, and other pets.
What do I need for bringing home a Cavalier Spaniel?
When bringing home a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, you’ll need:
Food and water bowls
High-quality puppy food
Crate
Soft bedding
Collar with ID tags and lead
Grooming supplies (brushes, shampoo)
Interactive toys
Treats for training
Training pads (if needed)
A nearby Veterinarian (for vaccinations, check-ups)
Will a Cavalier’s personality change?
Yes! As puppies, Cavaliers are more playful and energetic. As adults, they will become more mellow.
How much exercise do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels need?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels need around 60 minutes of exercise each day, although you could make them longer as they grow older. They’ll always enjoy sniffy walks or heading out on hikes with you…but you might need to carry them towards the end. Can’t blame them; they are ‘kings’ at the end of the day, right?
Are king charles hypoallergenic?
Nope, sorry! Cavaliers shed fur and they produce dander so are not suitable for people with allergies.
