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Official Standard of the English Toy Spaniel General Appearance: The English Toy Spaniel is a compact, cobby and essentially square toy dog possessed of a short-nosed, domed head, a merry and affectionate demeanor and a silky, flowing coat. His compact, sturdy body and charming temperament, together with his rounded head, lustrous dark eye, and well cushioned face, proclaim him a dog of distinction and character. The important characteristics of the breed are exemplified by the head. Size, Proportion, Substance: Size - The most desirable weight of an adult is eight to fourteen pounds. General symmetry and substance are more important than the actual weight; however, all other things being equal, the smaller sized dog is to be preferred. Proportion - Compact and essentially square in shape, built on cobby lines. Substance - Sturdy of frame, solidly constructed. Head: Head large in comparison to size, with a plush, chubby look, albeit with a degree of refinement which prevents it from being coarse. Expression - Soft and appealing, indicating an intelligent nature. Eyes - Large and very dark brown or black, set squarely on line with the nose, with little or no white showing. The eye rims should be black. Ears - Very long and set low and close to the head, fringed with heavy feathering. Skull - High and well domed; from the side, curves as far out over the eyes as possible. Stop - Deep and well-defined. Muzzle - Very short, with the nose well laid back and with well developed cushioning under the eyes. Jaw - Square, broad, and deep, and well turned up, with lips properly meeting to give a finished appearance. Nose - Large and jet black in color, with large, wide open nostrils. Bite - Slightly undershot; teeth not to show. A wry mouth should be penalized; a hanging tongue is extremely objectionable. Neck, Topline, Body: Neck - Moderate in length; nicely arched. Topline - Level. Body - Short, compact, square and deep, on cobby lines, with a broad back. Sturdy of frame, with good rib and deep brisket. Tail: The tail is docked to two to four inches in length and carried at or just slightly above the level of the back. The set of the tail is at the back's level. Many are born with a shorter or screw tail which is acceptable. The feather on the tail should be silky and from three to four inches in length, constituting a marked "flag" of a square shape. The tail and its carriage is an index of the breed's attitude and character. Forequarters: Shoulders well laid back; legs well boned and strong, dropping straight down from the elbow; strong in pastern. Feet, front and rear, are neat and compact; fused toes are often seen and are acceptable. Hindquarters: Rear legs are well muscled and nicely angulated to indicate strength, and parallel of hock. Coat: Profusely coated, heavy fringing on the ears, body, and on the chest, and with flowing feathering on both the front and hind legs, and feathering on the feet. The coat is straight or only slightly wavy, with a silken, glossy texture. Although the Blenheim and the Ruby rarely gain the length of coat and ears of the Prince Charles and King Charles, good coats and long ear fringes
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