Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Picture Gallery

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breeders

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The Full Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Description

The Cavalier would like to be constantly by the side of his owner.
He plays very happily with children, but gently. The Cavalier does need regular exercise for good health and happiness.

Did you know?

The true purpose of this breed has always been that of a companion dog.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the number one toy dog in England.

So you want to own a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a happy dog that does well in either a city or country environment.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel interacts well with children.

Indicative Breed Standard

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 optional. If docked, no more than one-third 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

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.