Breed standard (CKCSC USA):
CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL
General
An active, graceful, well-balanced dog, very gay and free in
action. Appearance: fearless and sporting in character, yet
at the same time gentle and affectionate.
Head
The skull is lightly rounded, but without a dome or peak; it
should appear flat because of the high placement of the ears.
Eyes
Large, round and set well apart; color a warm, very
dark brown, giving a lustrous, limpid look. There should be
slight cushioning under the eyes, which contributes much to
the sweet, gentle expression characteristic of the
breed. Faults: Small, almond shaped,
prominent, or light eyes; white surrounding ring.
Nose
There should be a shallow stop, and the length from
the base of the stop to tip of nose should be at least 1 1/2
inches. Nostrils should be well developed and the pigment
uniformly black. Putty, or "dudley" noses, and
white patches on the nose are serious faults, as are small,
pinched nostrils.
Muzzle
Well tapered; mouth level; lips well
covering. Faults: Sharp, pointed or snipey
muzzle. Full or pendulous lips. Flesh marks, i.e. patches of
pink pigment showing through hair on muzzle.
Teeth
Strong and even, preferably meeting in a scissor bite,
although a level bite is permitted. Undershot mouths are
greatly to be discouraged; it should be emphasized, however,
that a slightly undershot bite in an otherwise well-balanced
head with the correct sweet expression should not be
penalized in favor of a level mouth with a plain or hard
expression. Faults: Weak or crooked teeth;
crooked jaws.
Ears
Set high, but not close, on top of the head.
Leather long, with plenty of silky feathering, and wide
enough so that when the dog is alert, the ears fan slightly
forward to frame the face.
Neck
Fairly long, without throatiness, well enough
muscled to form a slight arch at the crest. Set smoothly into
nicely sloping shoulders.
Shoulders
Sloping back gently with moderate angulation, to give the
characteristic look of top class and presence.
Body
Short-coupled with ribs well sprung but not barrelled. Chest
moderately deep, leaving ample heart room. Back level,
leading into strong, muscular hind quarters. Slightly less
body at the flank than at the last rib, but with no tucked-up
appearance.
Legs
Forelegs straight and well under the dog, bone moderate,
elbows close to the sides. Hind legs moderately muscled;
stifles well turned; hocks well let down. The hind legs
viewed from the rear, should parallel each other from the
hock to the heel. Pastern strong and feet compact with well
cushioned pads. The dog stands level on all four feet.
Faults: Loose elbow, crooked legs; stifles turned in or out;
cow hocks; stilted action; weak pasterns; open feet.
Tail
Set so as to be carried level with the back. Tail should be
in constant, characteristic motion when dog is in action.
Docking: Docking is optional,but whether or not the tail is
docked, it must balance the body. If docked, the tail must
not be cut too short; two-thirds is the absolute minimum to
be left on the body, and the tails of broken-colored dogs
should always be docked to leave a white tip.
Coat
Long and silky and very soft to the touch; free from curl,
though slight wave is permissible. Feathering on the ears,
legs and tail should belong, and the feathering on the feet
is a feature of the breed. Trimming:NO trimming of the dog is
permitted. However, it is permissible, often desirable, to
remove the hair growing between the pads and the underside of
the foot.
Size
Height 12 to 13 inches at the withers; weight, proportionate
to height, between 13 and 18 pounds. These are ideal heights
and weights; slight variations are permissible and a dog
should not be penalized only in comparison with one of equal
general appearance, type and quality. The weedy specimen is
as much to be penalized as the oversized one.
Colors
Blenheim
Rich chestnut markings well broken up on a pearly
white ground. The ears must be red and the color evenly
spaced on the head, with a wide white blaze between the ears,
in the center of which is the much desired lozenge (diamond),
or "Blenheim Spot". The lozenge is a unique and
highly desirable, though not essential, characteristic of the
Blenheim.
Tricolor
Jet black markings broken up on a pearly white ground; with
rich tan markings over the eyes, on the cheeks and on
underside of tail.
Ruby
Whole-colored rich red.
Black and Tan
Jet black with rich tan markings over the eyes, on cheeks,
inside ears, on chest, legs, and underside of tail.
Faults
White marks on whole-colored specimens; heavy ticking on
Blenheims or Tricolors. It is important to remember that a
dog can have one or more of the faults listed in the
Standard, in moderation, and still be an over-all typical
gay, elegant Cavalier. On the other hand, bad temper or
meanness are not to be tolerated and shall be considered
disqualifying faults. It is the typical gay temperament,
combined with true elegance and "royal" appearance,
which are of paramount importance in the breed.
Summary
The blueprint described in the Breed Standard is only
applicable if you are interested in showing. Otherwise,
markings and the less significant points are not going to
detract in any way from your Cavalier being a perfect and
healthy, loving, pet with a typical Cavalier temperament.
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