Breed Standard
Breed Standard
The Cavalier King Charles has all-around beauty, regal grace, and their even temperament mark them as one of dogdom’s nobleman. A toy spaniel no more than 13 inches high, the Cavalier draws you in with his face: The sweet, gentle, melting expression emanating from large, round eyes is a breed hallmark. Another is the silky, richly colored coat that can be one of four distinct varieties. Cavalier King Charles may be aristocrats, but they gladly descend from their royal high horse for a backyard frolic or a squirrel chase. They get along nicely with children and other dogs. Adaptable, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels do equally well with active owners or homebodies—they can be upbeat athletes or shameless couch potatoes, depending on an owner’s lifestyle.
Historically the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was a lap dog and is small for a spaniel, with fully grown adults comparable in size to adolescents of other larger spaniel breeds. Breed standards state that height of a Cavalier should be between 12 to 13 inches (30 to 33 cm) with a proportionate weight between 13 to 18 pounds (5.9 to 8.2 kg). The tail is usually not docked, and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel should have a silky coat of moderate length. Standards state that it should be free from curl, although a slight wave is allowed. Feathering can grow on their ears, feet, legs and tail in adulthood. Standards require this be kept long, with the feathering on the feet a particularly important aspect of the breed's features.
