From


King Charles Spaniel

 

To

Cavalier

King Charles Spaniel

 

 

In the BBC Film ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’ much was made of the exaggeration of breed standards.   

 

Cavaliers, in fact have done the reverse!

 

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel of today is descended from the small Toy Spaniels seen in so many of the 16th, 17th and 18th Century paintings by the likes of Titian, Van Dyck, Lely, Stubbs, Gainsborough, Reynolds and Romney. These paintings show the small spaniel with a flat head, high set ears, almond eyes and a rather pointed nose

In the early days, there were no dog shows and no recognized breed standard, so both type and size varied. With little transport available, one can readily believe that breeding was carried out in a most haphazard way. By the mid-nineteenth century, England took up dog breeding and dog showing seriously. Many breeds were developed and others altered. This brought a new fashion to the Toy Spaniel - dogs with the completely flat face, undershot jaw, domed skull with long, low set ears and large, round frontal eyes of the modern King Charles Spaniel.. Due to this "new" fashion, the King Charles Spaniel of the "old type" as seen in the early paintings was almost extinct.

 

 

This is Ch. Ashtonmore Baritone from whom ALL modern day cavaliers are descended.

 

 

It was at this stage that an American, Roswell Eldridge began to search for foundation stock in England for Toy Spaniels that resembled those in the old paintings, including the painting by Sir Edwin Landseer, "The Cavalier's Dogs," but all he could find were the short faced "Charlies." He persisted, persuading the Kennel Club in 1926 to allow him to offer prizes for five years at Crufts Dog Show -- 25 pounds sterling for the best dog and 25 pounds sterling for the best bitch -- for the dogs of the Blenheim variety as seen in King Charles II's reign.

In 1928 a dog owned by Miss Mostyn Walker, "Ann's Son" was awarded the prize but unfortunately Roswell Eldridge died at age 70, only a month before Crufts in 1928, so he never saw the results of his challenge prizes. It was in the same year that a Club was founded and the title "Cavalier King Charles Spaniel" was chosen 

At the first meeting, held the second day of Crufts in 1928, the standard of the breed was drawn up and it was practically the same as it is today.

King Charles Spaniel 1800's

Modern Cavalier

In the BBC Film ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed’ much was made of the exaggeration of breed standards.   

Now read our breed standard. There is no exaggeration called for, in fact quite the opposite. We have highlighted some of the words in red to demonstrate the importance of temperament and soundness. The Cavalier is a true sporting spaniel, unexaggerated in any way. The word that constantly appears throughout the standard is MODERATE.

Breed Standard

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

Characteristics: Sporting, affectionate, absolutely fearless.

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

Head and Skull: Skull almost flat between ears. Stop shallow. Length from base of stop to tip of nose about l½ 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, set high, with plenty of feather.

Mouth: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the 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 cow hock 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.

Gait: Free moving and elegant in action, plenty of drive from behind. Fore and hind legs 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.

Colours: 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 most undesirable.
Weight and Size: Weight - twelve to eighteen pounds. 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.
© Reproduced by kind permission of the Kennel Club