I was at Fleet Feet on Elmwood today talking to owner Dan Loncto when out of the back bounced this absolutely amazing, adorable puppy (if at five months she still qualifies as a puppy) . Frisky doesn't begin to describe her. From the way she was going at my finger I'm evidently going to have to start washing my hands better after lunch.
At any rate, Bristol is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. It was the first time I had ever heard of this breed of dog, but the first person to walk in the store after I got there ran over and exclaimed "Is that a Cavalier King Charles?" I felt like I just fell off the proverbial turnip truck.
So I just went to www.CKCSC.org (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club) and found out that this breed is often slow to mature, so Bristol is definitely still a puppy. Actually the whole history of these toy spaniels is pretty interesting. For instance, they get their name from being the favored pets of King Charles II. The website explains that "So fond was King Charles II of his little dogs, he wrote a decree that the King Charles Spaniel should be accepted in any public place, even in the Houses of Parliament where animals were not usually allowed. This decree is still in existence today in England."
Pretty cool, Dan. Your dog gets the royal free pass!
If you need your cute fix swing into Fleet Feet and see if Bristol is there. If she doesn't melt your heart, well, get to the doctor and make sure you've still got one. -A. Cuellar