Breed Standard
As stated from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club USA website:
General
An active, graceful, well-balanced dog, very gay and free in action; fearless and sporting in character, yet at the same time gentle and affectionate.
Head
The skull is slightly 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 the ring.
Nose
There should be a shallow stop, and the length from base of 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 scissors 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 barreled. 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 hock to heel. Pasterns strong and feet compact with well-cushioned pads. The dog stands level on all four feet. Faults: loose elbows, 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 a slight wave is permissible. Feathering on ears, legs and tail should be long, and the feathering on the feet is a feature of the breed.
Trimming: NO trimming of the dog is permitted. However, it is permissible, and often desirable, to remove the hair growing between the pads on 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 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
The following colors are the only ones acceptable:
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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 valued lozenge (diamond), or "Blenheim Spot". The lozenge is a unique and highly desirable, though not essential, characteristic of the Blenheim. -
Tricolor
Jet black markings well-broken up on a pearly white ground; with 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 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.
Health Education
Below are resources and links for any topics you may be interested in learning.
Cavalier Health and Testing Recommendations - this is why we DNA and health test our cavaliers!
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Common DNA/Genetic Testing
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Dry Eye/Curly Coat (DE/CC): Autosomal recessive disorder. Causes abnormal tear production, frizzy hair, and abnormal foot pads with skin that can slough off (just to name a few).
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Episodic Falling (EF): Autosomal recessive disorder. Muscles become so tight that the dog falls to the ground, normally when excited or exercising.
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Muscular Dystrophy (MD): X-linked recessive gene. This causes progressive degeneration of muscle fibers with lack of stability usually seen at young ages.
​Common Phenotypic Testing
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HEART: Chronic, degenerative mitral valve disease or pulmonary and aortic stenosis and PDA. OFA requires examination be done by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist.
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EYES: Juvenile cataracts, retinal dysplasia or folds, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Examination should be done by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist.
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PATELLAR LUXATION: The patella, or kneecap, can move or pop out of place. Patellar luxation is examined by a certified veterinarian and given a grade based on severity. This can cause discomfort or pain. Surgery is an option.
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HIP DYSPLASIA: Canine Hip Dysplasia typically develops because of an abnormally developed hip joint or due to cartilage damage from a traumatic fracture. Over time, the cartilage loses its thickness and elasticity eventually resulting in pain. Environmental factors and caloric intake can affect the severity. OFA requires a veterinarian to send in x-rays for evaluation and grading.
Other disorders that can be found in Cavalier breed lines​
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Degenerative Myelopathy (DM): Autosomal recessive with Incomplete Penetrance. A progressive, non-painful paralysis of the hind limbs. Cavaliers who carry and don't carry the DM gene can go on to have DM later in life (8-11years old). There is no test, but a veterinarian must rule out other treatable conditions such as intervertebral disc disease first. The disease is uncommon in the cavalier breed, even though 37% of cavaliers are carriers and about 50% have both alleles which means that 87% of cavaliers have one or two of these genes and only 12% of cavaliers being clear. Similar symptoms could be the result of degenerative disks or syringomyelia. See Articles from The New Hampshire Veterinary Specialists.
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BACK: Back pain can be associated with CDDY/IVDD. CDDY is semi-dominant for height and a study showed 100% of cavaliers in the study have this gene, while IVDD is autosomal dominant giving the condition an incomplete penetrance. See UC Davis Article.
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EPILEPSY: Neurological disorder causing seizures. Grand mal seizures, petit mal, or "Fly Catcher's Syndrome". These can be inherited and seen in certain lines. It is diagnosed by ruling out other causes for seizures. All types of seizures may be treated with phenobarbital and/or potassium bromide if necessary.
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DEAFNESS: Congenital deafness is present at birth and uncommon in cavaliers. Some cavaliers have progressive deafness and become totally deaf by 6-8 years. This progressive hearing loss can be due to hereditary and non-hereditary, or environmental, causes.
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SYRINGOMYELIA ("SM"): SM can be caused by Chiari-like Malformation (CM), a problem associated with a short skull and overcrowded brain thus preventing cerebrospinal fluid from circulating freely down the spinal cord. The fluid is forced into a cavities or pockets causing syringomyelia (SM). The most common sign is "neck scratcher's disease" where the dog scratches its shoulder/neck/ear or air by head (with no evidence of skin or ear disease). "Some researchers estimate that as many as 95% of CKCSs may have Chiari-like malformation (CM or CLM), the skull bone malformation believed to be a part of the cause of syringomyelia, and that more than 50% of cavaliers may have SM." Cavalier Health. Signs are usually recognized between 6 months and 3 years; however, dogs of any age may begin showing symptoms. The only definitive way to diagnose syringomyelia and the associated skull malformation is by an expensive MRI scan only available at specialist veterinary centers.
Cavalier Health Website - Click Here
This website has an abundance of information regarding different health aspects for the cavalier breed.