Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Active, graceful, well proportioned and sweet-faced.
Personality: Active, alert and agile.
Energy Level : Very Active. This dog is active and energetic, and needs daily exercise.
Good with children: Yes.
Good with other dogs: With supervision.
Grooming: Seasonal.
Life Expectancy : 13-16 years old.
Bark level: High.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
Although considered a Spaniel (which are typically super-agitated hunting dogs), the Cavalier was bred in the 1920s to be a companion dog. Super well selected, he is loving and obedient, being a very easy pet to deal with - even when you are not part of the family.
In Great Britain, its place of origin, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is considered a “optimized” recreation of the King Charles Spaniel. In the past, the breeds were considered one, but physical differences, mainly, caused the Cavalier to be registered in 1945 as a type apart from the "King Charles Spaniels".
It is believed that the “Toy Spaniels” often seen in the 18th century they were very similar to the Cavaliers we know today and it is possible that some of them today would be considered Cavaliers and not King Charles.
Country of Origin: Great Britain.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT: Impetuous, affectionate and absolutely fearless. Cheerful, friendly, not aggressive; without any tendency to nervousness.
HEAD:
CRANIAL REGION
Skull: Almost flat between the ears.
Stop: Little marked.
FACIAL REGION
Nose: Black, well developed and without spots.
Muzzle: The length from the base of the stop to the tip of the nose is approximately 3.8 cm. Well tapered. The face under the eyes is quite full. Any tendency to be pointy is undesirable.
Lips: Well developed without being pendulous.
Jaws and Teeth: Strong jaws with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite.
Eyes: Large, dark and round without being prominent; inserted far apart.
Ears: Long, set high, with abundant fringes.
NECK: Of moderate length and slightly arched.
TRUNK
Back: Level.
Loin: Short.
Chest: Moderate; ribs well sprung.
TAIL: Of length proportionate to the body; good insertion; Carried high, but never too high above the backline. Tail docking is optional; when operated, it should not be removed by more than a third.
MEMBERS
FOREQUARTERS: Moderately boned and straight.
Shoulders: Well sloping.
HINDQUARTERS: Medium boned.
Knees: Well articulated.
Hocks: No tendency towards cow or sickle hocks.
FEET: Compact, with good pads and well feathered.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Free and elegant in action, with plenty of drive in the hindquarters. Forequarters and hindquarters move parallel when viewed from the front or rear.
COAT
Hair: Long, silky, not curly. Slight waviness is allowed. Abundant fringes. Copies must be free of trimming.
COLOR: 1. Black and brown: Bright black with brown markings above the eyes, on the cheeks, inside the ears, on the chest, on the limbs and under the tail. The brown color should be bright. White marks are undesirable.
2. Ruby: Unicolor intense red. White marks are undesirable.
3. Blenheim: Bright brown markings, well distributed on a pearl white background. The markings are evenly divided on the head, leaving space between the ears for a much-loved diamond-shaped mark or spot (the breed's only characteristic).
4. Tricolor: Black and white, well distributed with brown markings above the eyes, on the cheeks, on the inside of the ears, inside the limbs and under the tail. Any other color or color combination is highly undesirable.
WEIGHT: 5.4 to 8 kg. A small, well-balanced dog within these weights is desirable . The skull should be flat and of moderate width, gradually decreasing in width towards the eyes and narrowing towards the muzzle.
FAULTS
Any deviation from this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well being of the dog.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.
• Atypical dogs.