Breed trainability
Are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels easy to train?
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was bred as a companion, and many of them treat that as a full-time occupation. That is the charm, and it is also where the training questions live: a dog that wants to be with people around the clock has to learn that alone is fine, that the rug is not a toilet, and that a magpie on the lawn is not an invitation. We take each in turn.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
Companion by breeding
Wanting company is the trait, and being alone is the lesson.
Many Cavaliers are soft-mouthed with food, attentive to faces and happy to repeat a behaviour for a marker and a treat, which is why living-room cues often come along well. We still do not promise a number of sessions; some Cavaliers are more distractible or more cautious than the breed's reputation suggests, and they set their own pace. Under the feathered ears there is also still a spaniel, and a moving bird can matter more than a cue.
The harder lessons are the quiet ones. A companion breed that is never left on its own has no practice at it, and the first solo afternoon can be a shock, so we treat calm alone time as a skill to build on purpose, in short stretches, while the household is still nearby. Toilet routines for a small dog work best on a schedule, with a trip outside after every nap, meal and play session. Neither lesson is glamorous.
- Often food-motivated and attentive
- Alone time is a taught skill
- Toilet routine on a schedule
- Still a spaniel around birds
Recall and next steps
Recall gets proofed on the pathway, not in the hallway.
Recall is where a Cavalier's spaniel side shows. A dog that comes beautifully in the hallway may run straight across a road after a squirrel, and a dog that small is easy to lose sight of in long grass. Recall gets taught with a marker and a reward and then proofed in progressively busier places, and while it is still unreliable the dog stays on a leash or a long line rather than being tested near traffic.
For a Cavalier puppy, Puppy Fundamentals is a three-week board and train at $2,775 plus GST that works on crate comfort and structured socialization. Functional Off-Leash, three weeks at $3,030 plus GST, is built for dogs with decent manners who are ready for real freedom; it works on reliable recall around distractions and includes a Micro or Mini Educator remote collar, with owner education included. That choice is made at the consultation, and the smaller option is chosen whenever it is enough.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Are King Charles Spaniels easy to train?
People often use the shorter name for a Cavalier, but the King Charles Spaniel is a separate breed, generally smaller and with a shorter muzzle, and this page is about the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Both were bred as companions, so many share a people-focused temperament. The individual dog matters more than the label.
Are Cavaliers hard to train?
In our experience the sticking points are house-training, being left alone and recall when something feathered moves, rather than learning cues. None of those is about intelligence. They come down to routine, early practice at being alone and a recall proofed outdoors at the individual dog's pace.
Are Cavaliers stubborn?
Stubborn is rarely the word we would reach for. A Cavalier that ignores a cue may be distracted, unsure, or may have learned that the cue does not always mean anything. We look at which it is before changing anything, because each calls for a different approach.
Are Cavaliers good first dogs?
Many first-time owners do well with a Cavalier, including in a Calgary apartment or a quieter household. We would plan for house-training, deliberate alone-time practice and cold-weather walks from the start, since a small, silky-coated dog feels a January wind. Private Training at $150 plus GST per one-hour session comes with a plan to practise all week, for owners who want to do the work themselves.
Do Cavalier King Charles Spaniels bark a lot?
Some do, particularly at the window or door, and some are quiet; the breed does not come with one setting. Where barking has become a habit, the trigger and the timing matter more than the volume, and that is where we would start. Those details tell us more than the breed name does.
Keep reading
Company is not a curriculum.
Book a consultation and tell us about the alone time, the rug and the squirrels. The program comes after, not before.
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