JUDGING THE CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL
BY DR. JOHN V. IOIA
I had the great fortune to be a guest on May 2, 1997 at the first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel National Specialty, hosted by the ACKCSC in Plymouth Meeting, Penn- sylvania. The entry of 188 held many exceptional speci- mens, but what captivated me was the demeanor of the dogs. Partic- ularly in the Specials Class, all of the exhibits seemed to be wagging in unison. I had never experienced such a happy breed of dog. This simple trait of a “tail in constant motion” gives ample indication as to why the Cavalier is such a joy to own, breed, show, and judge. A judge will often be met by a sniff, a lick, dancing front paws or even a bit of chatter. We ask new judges not to dismiss this as ama- teur handling, but to understand it as a trait that breeders treasure and encourage.
In profile, the balance of the dog should be obvious, making an elegant picture from nose to end of tail in one flowing movement, with proud head carriage and good arch of neck, good reach, and making good use of the hindquarters.
“THE CAVALIER IS DEFINED BY ITS BEAUTIFUL HEAD AND ITS GENTLE, WELCOMING, AND AFFECTIONATE PERSONALITY.”
There are many excellent articles on judging this Royal Breed, and I struggled over what new approach to take. The Cavalier is defined by its beautiful head and its gentle, welcoming, and affec- tionate personality. Otherwise, it’s a fairly generic dog. The Cavalier should give a first impression of grace and ele- gance, gay temperament with royal dignity, and yet maintain the same fearlessness and sporting character of its larger cousins. The natural, silky coat must never appear trimmed or sculpted. The correct Cavalier is a small, well-balanced dog of 13-18 lbs. and 12"-13" height that approaches squareness, although the mea- surement from point of shoulder to point of buttock is slightly lon- ger than the height at the withers. Also, the distance from withers to elbow equals that from elbow to ground. Substance and bone are moderate and in proportion to size. A proper Cavalier should not be weedy, coarse, too large or too small. Be aware of size. There’s a tendency toward bigger dogs, which will make the correct-sized dog appear small, but in all things, quality is the bottom line.
Coming at you, the front legs should also be straight and true; they should not be out at the elbows or exhibit paddling. This is typical, happy Cavalier expression.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2021 | 303
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