JUDGING THE CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL
Some examples of typical Cavalier heads and expression: Left, a lovely young female head in repose; middle, a young female alert; right, an alert male. All demonstrate lovely heads.
“CORRECT HEAD TYPE IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THIS BREED AND MAKES ITS FIRST IMPRESSION. HERE IS WHERE KNOWLEDGE OF BREED HISTORY AND ORIGIN IS IMPORTANT. THE SHORT NOSE, DEEP STOP, AND GLOBULAR HEAD OF THE ENGLISH TOY SPANIEL IS THE ANTITHESIS OF THE CAVALIER. THE CAVALIER MUST HAVE A SOFT, MELTING EXPRESSION AND THIS IS THE RESULT OF A FLAT-APPEARING SKULL, THE FRONTAL PLACEMENT OF LARGE, ROUND EYES WITH SLIGHT CUSHIONING, FRAMED BY HIGH-SET EARS.”
to allow the head to be carried proudly. The neck should slope gracefully into well- laidback shoulders. Upright shoulders will promote a steeper head carriage, a short- ened stride, and an incorrect gait. There is a growing tendency toward upright shoul- ders and some shortened upper arms. A well-balanced dog should appear square, but is slightly longer than tall. The breed should never appear long and low nor should they be up on leg. Long backs/ short legs are becoming too common. The chest should be moderately deep and reach the elbows, with a slight swell. Cavaliers are short-coupled, meaning there is a short distance from the last rib to the hip or loin. Hindquarters should come down from a good, broad pelvis, very slightly sloped to give an attractive tail carriage. Topline is level... end of discussion. The tail is a projection of the spine and should be level with the topline, carried between two and four o’clock, with three o’clock being ideal. Please be aware that
Correct head type is an essential ele- ment of this breed and makes its first impression. Here is where knowledge of breed history and origin is important. The short nose, deep stop, and globular head of the English Toy Spaniel is the antithesis of the Cavalier. The Cavalier must have a soft, melting expression and this is the result of a flat-appearing skull, the frontal placement of large, round eyes with slight cushioning, framed by high-set ears. The eyes must be large, round, dark brown, lus- trous, and welcoming. Light eyes, promi- nent eyes or eyes surrounded by white are a serious fault as they detract from the expression. “All of the trust and gentleness of the Cavalier’s soul is communicated through its lustrous, limpid eyes.” Ears and ear set are very important and often misjudged. Ears should be set high and not too close together, with long leath- ers and silky hair. Cavaliers can “use” their ears when alert, stiffening the leathers and fanning them forward to frame the face.
This will also raise the ears to a straight line across the topskull. When at ease, the ears may relax and make an otherwise cor- rect skull appear rounded. The adage, “examine them on the table but judge them on the ground,” could never be truer. Don’t expect an exhibit to wag on the table—although they may. Use the table to check bites, ear leather, inspect layback of shoulder, and reinforce opinions made from observation on the ground. Approach the dog with a light heart and hand, cradle the head with both hands, gently check the bite, feel the topskull and origin of ear, ear leather, and move on to neck and shoulder. One more point; a scis- sors bite is preferred, but a level or slightly undershot bite in a young dog could be overlooked, as many correct by 18-24 months. And don’t make checking a bite a test of strength. A heavy hand has ruined many a good Toy dog. A perfect neck has a slight muscular arch at its crest and is of sufficient length
304 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2021
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