| Species | Dog |
|---|---|
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Size Category | Small |
| Weight Range | 5.9–8.16 kg |
|---|---|
| Height Range | 30.48–33.02 cm |
| Lifespan | 12–15 years |
| Juvenile Stage Ends | 10 months |
| Senior Age Threshold | 10 years |
| Exercise Needs | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Grooming | Moderate |
| Annual Exam Focus | Cardiac auscultation; Eye exam; Patellar evaluation |
| Routine Care | Senior Cavaliers require biannual vet visits with blood work, joint mobility supplements for arthritis, moderate exercise, and careful monitoring of advanced Mitral Valve Disease (MVD). |
| Condition | Onset Stage | Risk | Hereditary | Screening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitral Valve Disease | Adult | High | No | N/A |
| Syringomyelia | Adult | High | No | N/A |
| Patellar Luxation | Juvenile | High | No | N/A |
| Hip Dysplasia | Adult | High | Yes | Recommended |
| Eye Conditions | Adult | High | Yes | Recommended |
| Cardiac Disease | Adult | High | Yes | Recommended |
| Risk Level | High |
|---|---|
| Ideal BCS | 5/9 |
| Visual Cues | Ribs easily palpable with slight fat covering; slight hourglass waist narrowing in front of hind legs when viewed from above; abdominal tuck visible from side. |
| Daily Activity | 40 minutes |
| Caloric Notes | {"daily_kcal_per_kg": 50, "RER_factor": 70, "activity_multiplier": 1.2} |
| Litter Size | 3–5 |
|---|---|
| Dystocia Risk | Low |
| CHIC Required Tests | Hip Dysplasia; Cardiac Exam; Patellar Luxation; Eye Exam |
| Recommended DNA Tests | Episodic Falling Syndrome (EFS); Dry Eye Curly Coat Syndrome (CKCSID); Degenerative Myelopathy (DM); Muscular Dystrophy (DMD); CDDY/IVDD |
| Neonatal Weight | 141–226 g |
|---|---|
| Growth Notes | Monitor for early-onset juvenile cataracts by 6 months. Brachycephalic traits require monitoring for BOAS. Prone to mitral valve disease (MVD). |
| Vaccine/Health Schedule | {"start_weeks": 6, "series_count": 4, "core_vaccines": "CDV; CAV; CPV; Rabies", "socialization_end_weeks": 16} |
| Anxiety Proneness | High |
|---|---|
| Top Triggers | Separation; Loud noises; Unfamiliar environments; Unfamiliar people or animals; Confinement without preparation |
| Separation Anxiety Risk | Very_High |
| Calming Interventions | Gradual desensitization; Decouple departure cues; High-value food enrichment/puzzle feeders; Positive crate training; Group training classes/socialization |
| Enrichment Needs | Moderate |
| Cognitive Dysfunction Risk | High |
| Sociability Score | 5/10 |
| Locomotion | Trotting gait; Short bursts of speed; Lap seeking; Following owner closely |
|---|---|
| Social | Leaning against owner; Gentle eye contact; Seeking physical contact/cuddling; Play solicitation |
| Comfort | Yawning; Sniffing the ground; Licking nose; Turning head away |
| Stress/Displacement | Lip licking; Yawning; Sniffing the ground; Turning head away; Averting gaze |
| Breed-Specific | Obsessive fly catching; Paedomorphic/juvenile behaviors; High empathy/attunement to owner |
| Types | Bark (alert); Bark (attention-seeking); Whine; Growl (play) |
|---|---|
| Frequency Range | 500-2000 |
| Tendency | Moderate |
| Primary Modality | Balanced Vocal/Body |
| Tail/Body Signals | Fast vertical wag = excitement; Slow wag with relaxed body = contentment; Tucked tail = fear/anxiety |
| Top Problems | Separation anxiety; Excessive barking; Resource guarding; Attention-seeking behavior; Fearfulness/timidity |
|---|---|
| Medical Etiology | Air scratching/vocalization (Syringomyelia/Chiari-like malformation); Sudden aggression/irritability (pain from hip dysplasia/luxating patella); House soiling (UTI/Cognitive Dysfunction) |
| Fear/Anxiety Etiology | Separation anxiety (panic when left alone); Noise phobia/fearfulness of loud noises; Timidity/fear of unfamiliar environments or larger dogs |
| Frustration Etiology | Excessive barking (boredom/under-stimulation); Destructive chewing (boredom/stress); Attention-seeking behaviors (pawing/nudging when ignored) |
| Learned Behavior | Attention-seeking barking/whining; Jumping up/pawing for attention; Resource guarding (if improperly managed/confronted) |
| Cognitive Dysfunction | Disorientation/getting stuck in corners; Sleep cycle disturbances (night waking/howling/pacing); Loss of house training/house soiling; Altered interactions with owners/anxiety |
| AI-Trainable Signals | Tail position/movement (high/stiff vs low/tucked); Ear orientation (perked up vs flattened back); Eye contact/shape (soft eyes vs hard stare/whale eye); Facial muscle tension (relaxed mouth vs lip licking/yawning); Body posture (play bow vs tensing up/backing away) |
|---|---|
| Context-Dependent Vocalizations | Frantic barking when alone = separation anxiety vs barking at triggers = alert/fear; Growling when approached with resource = guarding vs growling during play = excitement; Whining/crying = attention-seeking vs whining/crying = pain/distress (e.g., from Syringomyelia) |
| Interspecies Communication | Highly attuned to human emotional tone and easily shut down by harsh voices; Uses attention-seeking physical contact (pawing/nudging) to initiate interaction; Relies heavily on eye contact and soft gazes to bond with owners |