The Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel is an active, graceful, well-balanced toy spaniel, very gay and
free in action; fearless and sporting in character, yet at the same time
gentle and affectionate. It is this typical gay temperament, combined
with true elegance and royal appearance which are of paramount
importance in the breed. Natural appearance with no trimming, sculpting
or artificial alteration is essential to breed type.
|
|
| Breed Name |
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel |
| Origin |
United Kingdom |
| Group |
Toy |
|
Coat |
Silky, Free from Curl |
|
Height |
12" to 13" |
| Weight |
13 to 18 lbs |
| Temperament |
Friendly, A Bit Shy |
| Activity Level |
Low to Medium |
| Learning Rate |
Medium |
|
Litter Size |
N/A |
| Life Span |
9 to 14 Years |
|
|
Other Names |
Cavalier, Cavie |
If you are interested in an
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy:
See our
PUPPIES FOR SALE
or use our
FREE PUPPY FINDER program.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size - Height 12 to 13 inches at the withers; weight
proportionate to height, between 13 and 18 pounds. A small, well
balanced dog within these weights is desirable, but these are ideal
heights and weights and slight variations are permissible.
Proportion - The body approaches squareness, yet if measured from
point of shoulder to point of buttock, is slightly longer than the
height at the withers. The height from the withers to the elbow is
approximately equal to the height from the elbow to the ground.
Substance - Bone moderate in proportion to size. Weedy and coarse
specimens are to be equally penalized.
Head
Proportionate to size of dog, appearing neither too large nor too small
for the body. Expression - The sweet, gentle, melting
expression is an important breed characteristic. Eyes - Large,
round, but not prominent and set well apart; color a warm, very dark
brown; giving a lustrous, limpid look. Rims dark. There should be
cushioning under the eyes which contributes to the soft expression.
Faults - small, almond-shaped, prominent, or light eyes; white
surrounding ring. Ears - Set high, but not close, on top of the
head. Leather long with plenty of feathering and wide enough so that
when the dog is alert, the ears fan slightly forward to frame the face.
Skull - Slightly rounded, but without dome or peak; it should
appear flat because of the high placement of the ears. Stop is moderate,
neither filled nor deep. Muzzle - Full muzzle slightly tapered.
Length from base of stop to tip of nose about 1½ inches. Face well
filled below eyes. Any tendency towards snipiness undesirable. Nose
pigment uniformly black without flesh marks and nostrils well developed.
Lips well developed but not pendulous giving a clean finish.
Faults - Sharp or pointed muzzles. Bite - A perfect,
regular and complete scissors bite is preferred, i.e. the upper teeth
closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square into the jaws. Faults
- undershot bite, weak or crooked teeth, crooked jaws.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck - Fairly long, without throatiness, well enough
muscled to form a slight arch at the crest. Set smoothly into nicely
sloping shoulders to give an elegant look. Topline - Level both
when moving and standing. Body - Short-coupled with ribs well
spring but not barrelled. Chest moderately deep, extending to elbows
allowing ample heart room. Slightly less body at the flank than at the
last rib, but with no tucked-up appearance. Tail - Well set on,
carried happily but never much above the level of the back, and in
constant characteristic motion when the dog is in action. Docking is
optional. If docked, no more than one third to be removed.
Forequarters
Shoulders well laid back. Forelegs straight and
well under the dog with elbows close to the sides. Pasterns
strong and feet compact with well-cushioned pads. Dewclaws may be
removed.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters construction should come down from a good broad
pelvis, moderately muscled; stifles well turned and hocks well let down.
The hindlegs when viewed from the rear should parallel each other from
hock to heel. Faults - Cow or sickle hocks.
Coat
Of moderate length, silky, free from curl. Slight wave permissible.
Feathering on ears, chest, legs and tail should be long, and the
feathering on the feet is a feature of the breed. No trimming of the dog
is permitted. Specimens where the coat has been altered by trimming,
clipping, or by artificial means shall be so severly penalized as to be
effectively eliminated from competition. Hair growing between the
pads on the underside of the feet may be trimmed.
Color
Blenheim - Rich chestnut markings well broken up on a
clear, pearly white ground. The ears must be chestnut and the color
evenly spaced on the head and surrounding both eyes, with a white blaze
between the eyes and ears, in the center of which may be the lozenge or
"Blenheim spot." The lozenge is a unique and desirable, though not
essential, characteristic of the Blenheim. Tricolor - Jet black
markings well broken up on a clear, pearly white ground. The ears must
be black and the color evenly spaced on the head and surrounding both
eyes, with a white blaze between the eyes. Rich tan markings over the
eyes, on cheeks, inside ears and on underside of tail. Ruby -
Whole-colored rich red. Black and Tan - Jet black with rich,
bright tan markings over eyes, on cheeks, inside ears, on chest, legs,
and on underside of tail. Faults - Heavy ticking on Blenheims
or Tricolors, white marks on Rubies or Black and Tans.
Gait
Free moving and elegant in action, with good reach in front and sound,
driving rear action. When viewed from the side, the movement exhibits a
good length of stride, and viewed from front and rear it is straight and
true, resulting from straight-boned fronts and properly made and muscled
hindquarters.
Temperament
Gay, friendly, non-aggressive with no tendency towards nervousness
or shyness. Bad temper, shyness, and meanness are not to be
tolerated and are to be severely penalized as to effectively remove the
specimen from competition.If you are
interested in a
Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel Puppy:
See our
PUPPIES FOR SALE
or use our
FREE PUPPY FINDER program. |
