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Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel board and train in Gloucester, MA

The AKC says the Cavalier combines the gentle attentiveness of a toy breed with the verve of a sporting spaniel. That pairing explains the two training topics this page covers: a soft dog that shuts down when training turns harsh, and a companion that can struggle when its people leave. Here is what a one- or two-week stay can do for each.

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Australian shepherd sitting attentively during training

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · reviewed by Gabriella Pope, Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist

Soft and keen

A Cavalier is quick to learn and quick to wilt, so its training runs on rewards and nothing harsher

The AKC describes the Cavalier as sweet, gentle and affectionate, very eager to please, smart and easy to train, and notes that the breed does well in obedience, rally and agility and makes a fine therapy dog. At 13 to 18 pounds, it scores five out of five on the AKC chart for affection with family and for getting along with other dogs, and four for trainability. VCA adds that positive reinforcement and gentle methods are best for the breed.

Soft is the word trainers use for a dog like this: one that reacts strongly to pressure, a stern voice or a confusing lesson. A soft dog that is corrected does not try harder; it stops offering anything. So a Cavalier's sessions are set up for success, with tiny steps, many rewards and a quick end on a win. Soft does not mean fragile, though. Built gently, confidence grows, and this toy still carries a sporting spaniel's nose and verve.

  • Sweet, gentle and eager to please, per the AKC
  • Gentle, reward-based methods, per VCA
  • Small steps, frequent rewards, sessions that end on a win
  • A sporting spaniel's nose inside a toy dog

Time apart

A stay can build the skills underneath being alone, but alone-time distress itself is treated at home

VCA describes the Cavalier as strongly attached to people, with limited tolerance for time alone, and says some individuals may show mild separation anxiety if left alone too often. The ASPCA lists the signs as barking, howling, chewing, digging, escape attempts and house soiling that happen when the dog is separated from its people, and names abrupt schedule changes, moves and changes in the household among the triggers. It also advises ruling out medical causes first.

A board and train surrounds a dog with people, so it cannot rehearse the moment that matters most, the front door closing with nobody home. What it can build is the groundwork: settling on a mat while the handler moves around, resting in a crate without fuss, and short stretches with a familiar person out of sight. The ASPCA's core rule for treatment, absences kept shorter than the time it takes the dog to get upset, is then carried out at home.

  • Trouble that appears only when the dog is alone points to separation distress
  • A vet check first, to rule out medical causes
  • A stay builds settling skills, not alone-time tolerance
  • Graded absences at home do the treating

Choosing the stay

Settling and leash basics fit into one week; the second week suits a Cavalier that follows its nose and forgets you

A Cavalier's one-week Foundation stay works on basic obedience and leash skills, place, stay and recall, impulse control, and crate and household manners, with daycare integration, enrichment, daily updates and a go-home lesson. Of those, place, crate manners and the recall carry the most weight. A dog that can lie on a mat while you cook and rest in a crate while you shower has the basic skills that alone-time training at home is built on.

Advanced doubles a Cavalier's stay to two weeks, adding distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality, confidence building, structured socialization and two scheduled coaching lessons. It suits the adolescent Cavalier that greets every passer-by and follows its nose. The AKC warns that Cavaliers should not be off leash, since they keep scenting and hunting instincts and may not come when called on an interesting trail, so recall work stays on a long line. Ask at the consult for the price of a Cavalier's stay and the youngest age we accept; we confirm both there.

Slips

Big goodbyes, scolding and never practicing short separations are the slips that undo a Cavalier's progress

Long, emotional goodbyes and excited homecomings make departures a bigger event than they need to be, so keep both calm and brief. Scolding is the second slip. The ASPCA says not to scold or punish a dog for separation-related behavior, because it can make the dog more upset and the problem worse, and the breed's gentle nature makes that doubly true. A soft dog punished for an accident learns to hide it, not to wait.

The third slip is never letting the dog practice. A Cavalier carried from room to room, or never left for five minutes while you are home, has no chance to learn that being apart ends well. Build tiny separations into the day: a baby gate across the kitchen door, a lick mat on the far side, and back in before the dog worries. If a crate seems to raise the dog's stress, the ASPCA suggests a gated room instead.

  • Quiet departures and calm returns
  • No scolding for accidents or chewing done while alone
  • Short daily separations while you are home
  • A gated room if the crate adds stress

At home after

The work continues in short absences at home, and Dogtown can cover the long days while it does

A Cavalier's go-home lesson, or the two coaching lessons that end Advanced, cover the settle, the crate routine and the long-line recall with a trainer watching. If alone time is still hard, private sessions with Gabriella Pope, from $94, can set up graded absences at home. Keep each absence shorter than the time it takes your Cavalier to get upset, and lengthen it only after many calm repetitions.

While graded absences are in progress, a full workday alone can undo them, so cover the long days. A half day of daycare in the small-dog group is $33 and a full day $42, after the free weekday evaluation between 6:30 and 9:30 AM. On the coast, the long line still matters: Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea admits licensed, vaccinated dogs from October 15 to April 14 at the time of writing, and a Cavalier should stay attached there. The Pup Van covers Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way.

  1. 01

    Settle the dog on its mat with a chew

  2. 02

    Step out of sight for a few seconds and come back calmly

  3. 03

    Repeat until the dog stays relaxed throughout

  4. 04

    Add the door, then the keys, then the car, one at a time

  5. 05

    Lengthen each absence only after many calm ones

  6. 06

    Cover long days with daycare while the plan builds

At Dogtown

Care around a Cavalier's training

Training, a suite at night, daycare to cover long days afterward and Academy days for steady practice.

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Is my Cavalier too sensitive for a week away?
Sensitive dogs can do well when the stay is gentle and predictable, and Cavaliers tend to enjoy people, which helps. The AKC calls the breed sweet and eager to please. Training is reward-based, with no corrections, and daily updates tell you how your dog is settling. If you have doubts, Canine Campus offers day training with your dog home each night.
Will board and train fix my Cavalier's separation anxiety?
Not on its own. Separation distress happens when the dog is alone at home, a situation that a stay full of people never recreates. A stay can build a settle, crate comfort and short separations from a familiar person. The treatment itself is graded absences at home, which private sessions from $94 can help you plan and pace.
Can my Cavalier be trusted off leash after training?
The AKC advises against it. Cavaliers keep scenting and hunting instincts and may not come when called once they find a trail or a creature to follow, and the AKC recommends a fenced yard. A stay builds a recall on a long line; keep using the line on beaches and trails, and save free running for fenced ground.
Why does my Cavalier suddenly dislike being touched around the head?
A change like that deserves a vet visit before any training. The AKC lists middle ear infections and a neurological condition called syringomyelia among the breed's health concerns, and pain can make handling unpleasant. Once your vet has checked the dog, gentle handling practice with plenty of rewards can help rebuild its comfort.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.

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