Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Toy

Group:

Toy

Size:

small

Lifespan:

9 - 14 years

Exercise:

moderate

Grooming:

moderate

Trainability:

high

Watchdog ability:

moderate

Protection ability:

very low

Area of Origin:

England

Date of Origin:

1600’s

Other Names:

none

Original Function:

flushing small birds, lapdog

History

Developed from a cross between the King Charles and a Cocker Spaniel, the Cavalier differs greatly from its forebears. Its breeders were trying to reproduce a toy dog similar to those seen in portraits from the time of England's Charles II, who was said to dote on these small dogs. In the 1920's the American, Roswell Eldridge, offered prize money during a Cruft's Dog Show in London, to any person exhibiting King Charles Spaniels with long noses. He was looking for dogs similar to those appearing in Van Dyck's paintings of King Charles II and his spaniels. By the 1940's these dogs were classified as a separate breed and were given the prefix Cavalier, to differentiate them from their forebears.

Temperament

The Cavalier in many ways fits the bill as an ideal house pet. It is sweet, gentle, playful, willing to please, affectionate and quiet. It is amiable toward other dogs, pets and strangers. Outdoors, its spaniel heritage kicks in, and it loves to explore, sniff and chase. The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is an eager, affectionate tail-wagger. Lively, outgoing and sporty, these fearless lively little dogs want to please. They are intelligent enough to understand what you want and therefore are usually easy to train and respond well to gentle obedience training.

Upkeep

The Cavalier needs a fair amount of exercise every day, either in the form of a moderate walk on leash or a romp in a safe area. This is not a breed that should live outdoors. Its long coat needs brushing every other day.

Official Breed Standard

Characteristics:
Sporting, affectionate, absolutely fearless.

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

Head and Skull:
Skull almost flat between the ears. Stop shallow. Length from base of stop to tip about 3.8 cm. (1.5 inches). 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 and 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:
The length of the tail should be in balance with the body well set on, carried happily but never much above 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 and free from curl. A 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. The tan should be bright. White marks undesirable.
Ruby: Whole coloured rich red. White marks undesirable.
Blenheim: Rich chestnut marking well broken up on a pearly white ground. The markings should be evenly divided on the head, leaving room between the ears for the much valued lozenge mark or spot (a unique characteristic of the breed).
Tricolour: Black and white well spaced and broken up, with tan markings over the eyes, on cheeks, inside ears, inside legs, and on underside of tail. Any other colour or combination of colours highly undesirable.

Weight and Size:
Weight - 5.4 to 8.2 kg. (12-18 lbs). A small well-balanced dog well within these weights is 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 effects upon the health and welfare of the dog.

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