Cavalier History.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel of today is the direct descendant of the small Toy Spaniels seen in so many of the pictures of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Toy Spaniels were quite common as pets of the Court ladies in Tudor times but in this country it was under the Stuarts that they were given the Royal title of King Charles Spaniels. History tells us that King Charles II was seldom seen without two or three or more at his heels.
As time went by, and with the coming of the Dutch Court of William III, Toy Spaniels went out of fashion, being replaced in popularity by the Pug dog with the little black page in attendance. We do not hear much about Toy Spaniels again until the 18th and 19th centuries. At that time the special strain of red and white Toy Spaniels bred at Blenheim Palace by the Dukes of Marlborough were well known for their sporting qualities, as well as for their claims as ladies' companions. In the early days there were no dog shows, and no recognised standard of points, so type and size were very varied. With little transport available, breeding was carried out in a haphazard fashion. In Queen Victoria's reign breeders started to hold shows and enthusiasts began to breed dogs seriously, and to a desired type. This brought a new fashion; dogs with a shorter face gradually evolving the flat face of the modern King Charles Spaniels. There were a lot of very able breeders at that stage, and they were successful in breeding dogs of the highest quality, with flat faces, high dome, and with very long ears set low. This type is still popular and a very lovely breed.
Then Mr Roswell Eldridge, an American and a great lover of Toy Spaniels, came over to England and was unpleasantly surprised to find that there were none of the little nosey spaniels left. He immediately set about trying to right this by offering prizes at Crufts for three years (it was later extended to five years) - £25 for the best dog and best bitch, for dogs of the variety seen in King Charles II's time. The following is a quotation taken from Cruft's catalogue: "As shown in the pictures of King Charles II's time, long face, no stop; flat skull, not inclined to be domed and with the spot in the centre of the skull."
The King Charles breeders did not take these classes very seriously. They had worked hard for years to do away with the long nose, so it was hardly a popular move. Gradually, as the big prizes came to an end, only a few enthusiasts were left to carry on the breeding experiment. Foremost amongst them was Mrs Hewitt Pitt. At the end of five years little had been achieved, as the Kennel Club considered that the dogs were not sufficiently numerous or standardised to merit a separate breed registration.
Breed Standard.
General Appearance: Active, graceful and well balanced, with gentle expression.
Characteristics: Sporting, affectionate, absolutely fearless.
Temperament: Gay, friendly, non-aggressive, no tendency towards nervousness.
Head and Skull: Skull almost flat between ears. Stop shallow. Length from base of stop to tip of nose about l½ inches. Nostrils black and well developed without flesh marks, muzzle well tapered. Lips well developed but not pendulous. Face well filled below eyes. Any tendency to snipiness undesirable.
Eyes: Large, dark, round but not prominent; spaced well apart.
Ears: Long, set high, with plenty of feather.
Mouth: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck: Moderate length, slightly arched.
Forequarters: Chest moderate, shoulders well laid back, straight legs moderately boned.
Body: Short-coupled with good spring of rib. Level back.
Hindquarters: Legs with moderate bone; well turned stifle - no tendency to cow hock or sickle hocks.
Feet: Compact, cushioned and well feathered.
Tail: Length of tail in balance with body, well set on, carried happily but never much above the level of the back. Docking optional. If docked no more than one-third to be removed.
Gait: Free moving and elegant in action, plenty of drive from behind. Fore and hind legs move parallel when viewed from in front and behind.
Coat: Long. silky, free from curl. Slight wave permissible. Plenty of feathering. Totally free from trimming.
Colours: Recognised colours are:
Black and Tan: Raven black with tan markings above the eyes, on cheeks, inside ears, on chest and legs and underside of tail. Tan should be bright. White marks undesirable.
Ruby: Whole coloured rich red. White markings undesirable.
Blenheim: Rich chestnut markings well broken up, on pearly white ground. Markings evenly divided on head, leaving room between ears much valued lozenge mark or spot (a unique characteristic of the breed).
Tricolour: Black and white well spaced, broken up, with tan markings over eyes, cheeks, inside ears, inside legs, and on underside of tail.
Any other colour or combination of colours most undesirable.
Weight and Size: Weight - twelve to eighteen pounds. A small well-balanced dog well within these weights desirable.
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
