Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed Standard

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A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.

To view photos of this breed please visit the Kennel Club Picture Library

 

General Appearance
Active, graceful and well balanced, with gentle expression.

Characteristics
Sporting, affectionate, absolutely fearless.

Temperament
Gay, friendly, non-aggressive; no tendency to nervousness.

Head and Skull
Skull almost flat between ears. Stop shallow. Length from base of stop to tip of nose about 3.8 cms (11/2 ins). Nostrils black and well developed without flesh marks, muzzle well tapered. Lips well developed but not pendulous. Face well filled below eyes. Any tendency to snipiness undesirable.

Eyes
Large, dark, round but not prominent; spaced well apart.

Ears
Long, set high, with plenty of feather.

Mouth
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck
Moderate length, slightly arched.

Forequarters
Chest moderate, shoulders well laid back; straight legs moderately boned.

Body
Short-coupled with good spring of rib. Level back.

Hindquarters
Legs with moderate bone; well turned stifle – no tendency to cowhocks or sickle-hocks.

Feet
Compact, cushioned and well feathered.

Tail
Length of tail in balance with body, well set on, carried happily but never much above the level of the back. Docking previously optional when no more than one-third was to be removed.

Gait/Movement
Free-moving and elegant in action, plenty of drive from behind. Forelegs and hindlegs move parallel when viewed from in front and behind.

Coat
Long, silky, free from curl. Slight wave permissible. Plenty of feathering. Totally free from trimming.

Colour
Colour Recognised colours are:
Black and Tan: raven black with tan markings above the eyes, on cheeks, inside ears, on chest and legs and underside of tail. Tan should be bright. White marks undesirable.
Ruby: whole coloured rich red. White markings undesirable.
Blenheim: rich chestnut markings well broken up, on pearly white ground. Markings evenly divided on head, leaving room between ears for much valued lozenge mark or spot (a unique characteristic of the breed).
Tricolour: black and white well spaced, broken up, with tan markings over eyes, cheeks, inside ears, inside legs, and on underside of tail.
Any other colour or combination of colours highly undesirable.

Size
Weight: 5.4-8.2 kgs (12-18 lbs). A small, well balanced dog well within these weights desirable.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - December 2007

Glossary of Canine Terms

Some links to health information and resources that may be relevant to this breed:

Veterinary screening schemes - The Kennel Club operates these with the British Veterinary Association.

DNA screening schemes - detect disease-causing mutations in a number of breeds.

Current Accredited Breeder Scheme health screening requirements and recommendations - for Kennel Club Accredited Breeders show what is required and recommended for the sire and dam of any litter of this breed bred by a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder.

Breed WatchBreed Watch - a tool aimed at dog show judges and exhibitors to highlight and tackle any current concerns in a breed

Health Test results Finder Tool - access results of any official KC health testing scheme for Kennel Club registered dogs

2004 Purebred Dog Health Survey Results - Individual summaries are available where the breed response rate was greater than 15%.

Recommended Reading

All the below publications are available to order from the Online Shop.

Breed Standards

Kennel Club Breed Standards

Kennel Club Breed Standards are available for most breeds indicating the qualities which competition judges normally take into account and the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve.

The Breed Standards can be purchased by group.

Breed Clubs and Societies

Find A Puppy

Search for Kennel Club registered Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies for sale in the UK

Find A Rescue

Search for Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rescue societies for adopting and re-homing rescue dogs

 
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