Mudi vs Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Breed Comparison

Mudi vs Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Breed ComparisonCavalier King Charles Spaniel is originated from United Kingdom but Mudi is originated from Hungary. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel may grow 14 cm / 5 inches shorter than Mudi. Both Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Mudi are having almost same weight. Both Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Mudi has same life span. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel may have less litter size than Mudi. Both Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Mudi requires Moderate Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Toy dog
Herding dogs
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United Kingdom
Hungary
Height Male:
31 - 33 cm
12 - 13 inches
38 - 47 cm
14 - 19 inches
Height Female:
29 - 33 cm
11 - 13 inches
34 - 43 cm
13 - 17 inches
Weight Male:
5 - 9 kg
11 - 20 pounds
8 - 14 kg
17 - 31 pounds
Weight Female:
5 - 9 kg
11 - 20 pounds
6 - 11 kg
13 - 25 pounds
Life Span:
9 - 14 Years
12 - 14 Years
Litter Size:
2 - 6
5 - 10
Size:
Small
Medium
Other Names:
Comfort Dogs, Comfort Spaniels
Hungarian Mudi Canis Ovilis Fenyesi
Colors Available:
Rich red shade with white, black and tan or even tri-colored
marbled color, gray, , striped, black, bro spotted, stained
Coat:
Medium length and silky
curly, dense
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Responsive, Social, Sweet
Alert, Courageous, Energetic, Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Playful, Protective, Stubborn
Grooming:
Moderate Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

cavalier king charles spanielThe origin of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel goes back many centuries. It was in 1928 that this spaniel breed was separated from the smaller King Charles and these were particularly popular with royalty in England.

In fact, Mary, Queen of Scots had one of these spaniels who accompanied her to her beheading. It was her grandsons who gave their name to the breed, and King Charles II, who reigned from 1660 to 1685 kept these dogs. After Charles II's death, the dog’s popularity waned somewhat. The dog was later bred with pugs giving them the familiar features they have today, such as the domed head and the shorter nose.

Interest in the breed revived, and a breed -club was established, drawing up a breed standard. Finally, in 1945, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was recognized as a separate breed.

mudiSometime between the 4th and 6th centuries, the Great Migration – a variety of dogs came to live in the Carpathian Mountains on the Great Hungarian Plain. This migration period brought sheepdogs and herders brought by shepherds. These dogs were of two sizes both small and large. The smaller ones were bred together – Pumi, Puli, and Mudi. Because of this, these breeds share the same history, with the Mundi being the oldest of them all.

The Mundi was finally separated from the other breeds about 1930 when Dr. Deszo Fenyesi began to breed them. It was in 1966 when the F.C.I. finally approved the standard for the breed. Still then as today, there were not many breeders developing the Mudi. They are working dogs – farm dogs – herders, guard dogs and ratters. He is also known as a tracker, with the majority of the breed living in Hungary.

As the Mudi was bred separately from the Pumi and the Puli, differences between the breeds became clear. Many Mudi are born with a stump or no tail at all. The Mudi is not a great dog for the first timer. He is stubborn, assertive and needs a lot of socialization and exercise. In 2004 breeders in the United States created the Mudi Club of America to preserve the breed and foster responsible ownership. This is a clever, active and keen breed, very loyal to his family but wary of strangers. The United Kennel Club recognized the breed in 2006.

In Hungary, these are still a breed of herding dogs capable of running 500 sheep at a time. They are versatile, courageous, intelligent and agile. They are great in obedience trials, agility, and flyball. In Finland and the United States, they also work as search and rescue dogs.

Description

cavalier king charles spaniel puppy - descriptionThe Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small to medium sized dog wih its height being 31 – 33cm and its weight being 5 – 8 or 9 kg. He is known for his long, silky coat which is fairly straight and feathery.

He has floppy ears, and with this Spaniel breed the tail is generally left long and feathery. The coat comes in many different colors so you will find the popular rich red shade with white, he can be black and tan or even tri-color.

Temperament:

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is affectionate, playful and eager to please. He makes an excellent pet for children as well and gets on well with other pets in the home too.

They adapt quickly to different environments and will be happy in the city or in the country, so long as his owner is with him and meters out lots of love and attention. He is intelligent and responds well to training and socialization, turning him from a playful puppy into a relaxed, obedient adult dog.

The Cavalier loves to be active but he also loves to be quietly lying next to his owner. It is also why these dogs make such splendid companions for the elderly as well as being a good choice for therapy dogs.

mudi puppy - descriptionThis is a medium size dog with an almost square profile. They have erect ears on wedge-shaped heads. He is not a strong boned but medium boned. That square profile is based in large part on their very square stance. Their muzzle is about half the length of their head and they have what is considered a “dare devil” expression in their dark, almond-shaped eyes. The color of the eyes is important and must match with the color of the dog or the standard is not met.

Merle fur – brown, brown speckled, blue eyes.

Brown or gray-brown fur – Brown eyes

Gray fur – gray eyes

What is not acceptable is having yellow eyes and black fur; pink eyes and white fur. The lips, eye rims, and nose must all have the same pigmentation. This should be black in all but the brown and brown-grey dogs. These dogs have brown noses, eye rims, and lips. The tail can be almost anything from full to bob. All are considered to be natural lengths for a Mudi.

Their coat is self-cleaning and won’t mat. It is on the long side. In fact, a short, flat, smooth coat is a disqualification from the standard. The color of the coat ranges from white to brown to gray, gray-brown, merle, golden, cream and white. Very little markings of any kind are usual.

Characteristics

cavalier king charles spaniel dog - characteristicsThe Cavlier King Charles Spaniel is an affectionate, playful and eager-to-please dog breed that is good with children and other dogs. They will be happy to join you in any games you have in mind but will easily lie quietly beside you for companionship too.

This spaniel breed is exceptionally intelligent and can be easily trained and socialized, making them even better behaved dogs.

For their gentle, sweet nature, it is no wonder that they make such excellent therapy dogs for children and adults, and he is willing to be a wonderful friend to you too.

Children friendliness

mudi dog - characteristicsYes, they are great with children and love being a part of a large family or “pack”.

Special talents

They are extremely versatile and great at herding and guarding.

Adaptability

They are adaptable if you are. They don’t need to live in the country, but they need space to run and play.

Learning ability

They are highly intelligent but a little stubborn. Their ability to learn is high but you have to be the boss.

Health Problems

cavalier king charles spaniel puppies - health problemsCavaliers are generally fairly healthy dogs but they are prone to mitral valve disease which can lead to heart failure. The heart as 4 chambers and each chamber has a one-way valve to keep blood from flowing backward. One of these is the mitral valve and it can leak over time resulting in a heart murmur. Dogs as young as 4 years of age can develop a murmur from a leaking mitral valve.

Congestive heart failure develops, your dog has a chronic cough and lacks stamina. A veterinary cardiologist may need to be called in to recommend some kind of medical intervention. The vet will evaluate your pet's condition and lifestyle before making a recommendation.

Other health problems which the Cavalier might have to contend with will be luxating patella as well as eye issues.

Patellar Luxation:

This condition affects toy breeds, occuring when the kneecaps slip out of place. It can be severe enough to cause lameness in the dogs leg, but fortunately it can be managed with an anti-inflammatory or even surgery.

mudi puppies - health problemsThe Mudi does face several of the problems that medium to large dogs often face and some eye issues as well.

  • Hip and Elbow Dysplasia can cause arthritis and lameness.
  • Patellar Luxation (knee cap slippage) can also cause lameness.
  • Potential variety of eye issues.
  • Thyroiditis – an autoimmune deficiency.

Caring The Pet

Brushing:

cavalier king charles spaniel dogs - caringThe Cavalier Spaniel’s long silky coat will require brushing at least twice a week to remove loose hairs and to keep it healthy and shiny. This is one spaniel however, that won’t require trimming. However, because he loves to be playing outdoors, some owners do trim the dog’s feathers around the legs and paws.

Ear Checks:

As a dog with floppy ears, it will become essential to check his ears for wax build-up and moisture within the ears combined with dirt. This can lead to ear infections. Also the silky ears can be prone to matting. You can wash them gently with dog shampoo.

Dental Disease:

Smaller dogs like the Cavalier Spaniel are more likely to develop dental problems because of the structure of their skulls and jaws which are more compressed. Brush your dogs teeth 2 or 3 times a week with special canine tooth-paste and toothbrush.

Feeding the puppy

mudi dogs - caringThe Mudi needs a high quality, medium breed puppy dry food and should be fed 3 or 4 times a day for a total of 1 and ½ to 2 cups.

Feeding the adult

The adult should be fed at least twice a day with an adult medium breed high-quality dry dog food. Don’t overfeed as the breed can have a tendency toward obesity.

Points for Good Health

They have great stamina and agility.

Games and Exercises

This is a working dog and like most herding dogs, they need a job and a lot of activity. Long walks every day and either a large yard or visits to a dog park. Involve them in herding activities or Barn Hunt if you can. Playing is their way of working when they are not herding real animals. So, if you want this breed, be sure you have time for playing with them. They are great at agility, flyball, obedience, frisbee trials, tracking and of course herding

Comparison with other breeds

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  28. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison