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The Cavalier King Charles spaniel as you can imagine was made popular by King Charles I

and King Charles II, both descendants of Mary Queen of Scots who loved to the breed as

well. They are considered one of the largest of the toy breeds and historically have done a

bit of small game hunting and retrieval work. But generally they Cavalier has been a favourite

companion dog of royalty and nobility.

The Dachshund is of German origin and was originally bred to hunt burrow dwelling vermin.

This is why they have large out-turned front paws ideal for digging, as well as short stature

and long bodies to better move through burrows. The modern Dachshund still has a high

prey drive but now spends most of its time trying to burrow under the covers and have a

cuddle.

Moving along, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has minimal exercise requirements and

doesn't usually need more than a few good walks each day and a bit of play time. They may

chase small animals like cats or birds but many today don't have a high prey drive. They are

always ready for a game of fetch in a fenced yard and should always be on a leash when

outside the fence. Though they aren't prone to wandering the neighborhood they will easily

wander into the street or other places they shouldn't be.

The Dachshund doesn't need much exercise either but they do you have a higher prey drive

so they'll need a bit more mental and physical exercise during the day. The do need to be

supervised in the yard since they are natural diggers they will easily destroy the garden bed

or even tunnel their way out of the yard. Outside of the fence, they should always be on a

leash because of their high prey drive they are again prone to wandering in the street in

other places they shouldn't be but because of their hunting instincts, they also have a

tendency to want to wander the neighborhood.

Both the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Dachshund are extremely affectionate canines

and love to be in your lap or on the bed with you and love nothing more than to have a good

long cuddle. The Cavalier tends to be a bit needier when it comes to affection and family

time which also makes them stronger candidates for developing separation anxiety.

When it comes to a good family dog you can't go wrong with either the Dachshund or

Cavalier. Since both breeds are on the smaller side it's, of course, best to supervise when

they are around children so they don't accidentally get hurt. The Cavalier makes a wonderful

family dog because they are very quiet and subdued even in their play once they've grown

out of puppyhood.

The Dachshund also does well with children but has a tendency to nip or herd them which

can hurt the dog when a child trips over it and of course the child when they fall. The

Dachshund makes a decent watchdog because they tend to bark at anything that moves or

any changes they note. The Cavalier is a mix. Some of them tend to bark at every noise but

in general, most Cavaliers are fairly quiet and don't make good watchdogs.

Our next category of comparison is grooming requirements. The Cavalier has a long and

silky coat that is left to grow long and feathery as a breed standard. They also have fur

between and around their toes on the underside so they may need frequent trims to keep

them from sliding around the floor in homes with minimal carpeting. The Cavalier also tends

to shed all the time with seasonal periods of higher shedding.

The Dachshund has three coat variations; short hair, long hair, and wire hair. All three types

shed minimally and require very little grooming. The one thing you'll want to look out for with

the Dachshund is when they come in from outside you'll want to wipe down their front paws

especially well since they are prone to digging.

Our final category is trainability. Both the Cavalier and Dachshund are known to be hard to

potty train but it's possible with patience and regular potty schedules.

The Cavalier has a very soft personality and they respond best to training with treats and

praise. Getting loud or yelling at the Cavalier will generally cause them to sulk and find a

corner to hide in.

The Dachshund tends to be more stubborn and needs consistent leadership of an

experienced owner. They are more independent and exhibit the ‘small dog syndrome’

frequently unlike the Cavalier.

And there you have it, the biggest differences to consider when you’re looking at the

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Dachshund.