The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of the best life companions for families or any dog lover. These small furry animals are energetic, sweet, loving, etc. These interesting characteristics make them awesome dogs to live with. However, they are relatively high-energy for their size. That’s why you should be more aware of your dog’s exercise needs!
As a spaniel breed, they retain from their active ancestors. Most other dogs of these breeds such as Brittanys, American Water Spaniels or Cocker Spaniels are more energetic than Cavaliers. Nonetheless, that’s not a reason to neglect your dog’s exercise requirements. So, here’s what I’ve found on: How much exercise do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels need?
These dogs will need around 45 to 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are relatively active for their size and will love to do many activities. At least 1 hour of daily exercise is recommended for more energetic dogs. You could split that time into 2 walks (15-20 min.) with free playtime (30 min.)!
Giving enough purposeful active time to your dog isn’t always easy. However, I searched for the best activities to do with your Cavalier. At the end of your reading, you will know everything essential about your buddy’s exercise needs. It could help you to keep your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel healthy, fit, and happy!
Are King Charles Spaniels High-Energy Dogs?
Even small dogs can need a lot of daily exercise. Cavaliers are perfect examples of active companions without limitless energy. That’s one of the reasons why they are amazing buddies for families!
Some dogs such as Dalmatians or Collies have too much energy to spend. Other lazy breeds like Basset Hounds or Bulldogs don’t have enough energy to be playful and active. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a good balance of their energy. That’s perfect to keep you busy without requiring too much time!
Some Cavaliers can be as athletic as some sporting dog breeds. With their high potential of playfulness, you will be able to enjoy simple activities every day. For example, things such as running in your backyard could be very fun. They will enjoy many other dog sports especially when it includes playing with people. However, these furry friends can seem like couch potatoes sometimes!
How Much Exercise Do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Need?
Normally, most dogs will need around 30 to 60 minutes of daily physical activity. That will include walks, off-leash time, canine activities, playtime, sports, etc. Providing enough exercise to your furry friend is interesting to keep him fit, agile and limber!
Keep in mind that every dog has different needs, limits, and conditions than others. Some very active dogs can need up to 2 hours of daily exercise such as Weimaraners or Australian Shepherds. Other couch potatoes such as Chow Chows or Newfoundlands won’t need more than 20 to 40 minutes of active time a day. As you can see, exercise requirements vary a lot depending on the breed!
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels will need at least 45 to 60 minutes of daily exercise. That should include one or two walks per day between 10 and 25 minutes. Besides, you could do canine activities, off-leash or any other thing that makes your dog spend his energy!
What If You Don’t Provide Enough Exercise To Your Dog?
Giving proper physical activity to your Cavalier is crucial for his well being. More than 50% of dogs in the US are overweight. Many things can explain that, but the lack of exercise is probably one of the main factors of this impressive statistic!
Most dog owners don’t even know how much exercise their companion needs. Now that you know what are your Cavalier’s physical requirements, it’s your responsibility to provide him proper exercise time!
Lack of Exercise Consequences!
Without enough physical or mental activity, your companion won’t be happy. Furthermore, he will be more likely to suffer from boredom, obesity, stress, anxiety, etc. Boredom could also lead your Cavalier to have behavioral issues. If you don’t entertain him, he will find a way to stay busy. In other words, he could start digging, chewing and barking for no reason!
Behavior changes such as becoming destructive or even aggressive aren’t rare for bored dogs. With at least 30 minutes of daily exercise, you shouldn’t have any problem. However, you should always try to provide at least 1 hour of playtime to your Cavalier for his happiness!
Overall, physical and mental stimulation will reduce your dog’s health risks, improve his digestive system, regulate his weight, and help him build more self-confidence. Furthermore, that’s also the perfect opportunity to strengthen your dog-owner bond and have fun together!
What Can Change Your Cavalier’s Exercise Needs?
The breed is something that has a lot of influences on your dog’s physical activity requirements. Nonetheless, that’s not the only element to determine your Cavalier’s exercise needs. Things like his age, health, energy, and personality will vary how much training or walking you should give to your dog. Here are the traits of you Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to look at and find his exercise needs!
Health.
The health of your companion is essential when it’s time to do physical activity. Before starting any kind of canine activity, you should always ask you if your Cavalier is healthy enough for that. If your dog is overweight, injured or has a structural or health issue, his exercise needs will change. That’s why it’s always recommended to visit your vet to have more personalized answers and tips!
Age.
Puppies generally have more energy than adult buddies, so they need more exercise. However, you should be very careful with the intensity or the time of your workouts. Young pups require more short bursts playtime than anything else. With several frenetic random activity periods every day, your young Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will be plenty satisfied!
5 Things To Do With Your Puppy Cavalier!
- Teach Him Cool Tricks!
- Play in Water, Grass or Leaves!
- Tug-of-War!
- Fetch!
- Hide and Seek!
- Etc.
Senior dogs are more fragile and will need less intense activity. Nevertheless, it’s very important to keep old companions active with daily exercise. Be very careful with running sports or other high impact activities on your dog’s joints. Maybe old Cavaliers won’t be able to keep up running as they once did, but you can adapt and find low-intensity activities for them!
Energy/Desire.
Some dogs simply have more energy than others. That’s why it is so important to know your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel well. Companions with a lot of energy will love to try new canine sports. Cavaliers can be very energetic, but they also love to snuggle. Therefore, you need to discover your dog’s exercise needs with his personality. Every pet is unique, so find the perfect workout time and activities to enjoy with your buddy!
Cavaliers Exercise Need – Related Questions
How Many Walk Should Your King Charles Spaniels Have Every Day?
Like many other breeds, 1 or 2 walks would be enough for your Cavalier. Taking at least one walk around 15 minutes every day is highly recommended for moderate energy companions. You could also let these small buddies running free for 30 minutes or more. The type of activity isn’t the most important as long as they have 45 to 60 minutes of exercise every day!
How Far or How Long Should You Walk With Your Cavalier?
Due to his hunting lineage, your pooch should be suitable for relatively long walks. Cavaliers could be very interesting hiking companions. On average every Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can walk up to 4 miles (6.5 km) safely. You shouldn’t walk such a long-distance every day. For daily walks, you should stick to a distance around 1 mile (1.6 km) or 15-20 minutes!
This maximum or ideal walking distance will vary a lot from one Spaniel to another. For example, puppies shouldn’t walk more than 0.5 or 1 mile (0.8 or 1.6 km). It’s the same thing for overweight, old or unhealthy dogs, they have more exercise conditions. Their fragility will restrict them to enjoy too long or intense activities. After they are fully grown, healthy Cavaliers will be suitable to try longer hikes or walks. Make sure to respect your dog’s limits to avoid unnecessary pain or injuries!
Can King Charles Spaniels Run With You?
Unfortunately, Cavaliers aren’t suitable to run more than 1 or 2 miles (1.6 or 3.2 km). Companions of their size are rarely good running buddies for canicross, long jogs or intense running sports. Keep in mind that with such little legs, they need to spend way more energy than us to run the same distances. Nonetheless, they can be interesting for small jogs or to run and have fun in your backyard!
5 Canine Exercise Ideas For Active Cavaliers!
To help you provide more physical activity to your furball, I have canine sports for you. Dog activities are very interesting for both of you. They will also help you to keep your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in good shape and improve his general well-being. Here are some things to try with your dog to spend his energy!
- Hiking.
- Tag.
- Flirt Pole.
- Agility Course.
- Running At The Beach.
More intense sports such as running, canicross, biking or swimming could be too much exercise for your dog. Be careful to give enough playtime without exaggeration. Over-exercise could cause serious pain or injuries to your Cavalier. With their small size, you need to be very careful with these relatively fragile dogs!
5 Low Energy Activities For Spaniels!
Some Cavaliers are less active than others. However, couch potatoes’ owners don’t have any good reason to not exercise their furry friend. I know that it can be very difficult to provide physical activity to your dog when he doesn’t have any desire to be active. Nonetheless, there’s always a way to keep your Cavalier in good shape and health. Here are ideas of lower-intensity ways to make your buddy more active!
- Treasure Hunt.
- Dog Training.
- Backyard Play.
- Dog Toys.
- Tug-of-War.
Things like making your dog work for his food are very effective for lazy companions. There are plenty of other ways to exercise them with moderate activities. After some training and workout, you could start to try more vigorous exercise with your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. There’s always a way to adapt his playtime for his conditions and exercise needs!
Don’t Forget The Mental Stimulation!
Many dog owners don’t even understand that their companion has mental activity needs. That’s sad because many smart dogs will get bored without intellectual challenge. Besides, it’s not complicated at all to entertain your Cavalier mentally. Here are some ways to avoid behavioral issues or boredom with cerebral stimulation!
- Puzzle Games.
- Scent Walks
- Learn New Things or Tricks.
- Nose Work Games.
- Interactive Activities.
Simple things like allowing your dog to sniff on walks can make his brain work. Don’t neglect mental stimulation because it’s essential as much as physical activity. I hope these ideas will help you to keep your companion healthy and happy!
Last Thoughts About Exercising Your Cavalier!
Finally, you might consider giving more physical and intellectual activity to your dog. Nevertheless, I highly recommend you to see your vet before changing anything in your buddy’s workout routine. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels will need anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes of exercise every day. Less or more than that could cause bad repercussions on his health or well-being!
Keeping your Cavalier in good shape is your responsibility. Enjoying canine activities has plenty of other benefits than being a good exercise source. I hope this article helps you understand how much exercise your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel needs. It would be a real pleasure to meet you during my daily walks!