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AKC
Breed Standard Information
· information via akc.org
General
Appearance
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.
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.
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