HEAD: The skull is slightly rounded, but without 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, limp look. There should be a slight cushioning under the eyes, which contributes much to the sweet, gentle expression characteristic of the breed.

NOSE: There should be a shallow stop and the length from the base of the stop to tip of nose should be at least one and a half inches. Nostrils should be well developed and the pigment uniformly black.

MUZZLE: Well tapered, mouth level, lips well covering.

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 is 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.

EARS: Set high, but not close, on top of the head. Leather long with plenty of 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 chest. Set smoothly into nicely sloping shoulders.

SHOULDERS: Sloping back gently with moderate angulation to give the characteristic look of top class and elegance.

BODY: Short coupled with the ribs well sprung, but not barreled. Chest moderately deep, leaving ample heart room. Back level leading into strong, muscular hindquarters. Slightly less body at the flank than at the rib, but with no tucked-up appearance.

TAIL: Set so as to be carried level with the back. Tail should be in constant characteristic motion when the dog is in action.

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 a 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 twelve to thirteen inches at the withers; weight proportionate to height, between thirteen and eighteen pounds. These are ideal heights and weights; slight variations are permissible, and a dog should be penalized only in comparison with one equal appearance, type and quality.

Recommended Reading: There's a very good book on the market on Cavaliers. It’s called "Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Today" by Sheila Smith. You can get a copy of this book at any book store and if they don't have it, they can order it for you. It's a hard cover and costs about $29.95, but it’s well worth it.

Keith Loehrer