ENGLISH TOY SPANIEL OR CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL THERE IS A DIFFERENCE
by Cindy Huggins
M any people are unable to rec- ognize the difference between King Charles Spaniels (Eng- lish Toy Spaniels) and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. They are two entirely different breeds, and apart from sharing the same coat colors, have totally separate breed stan- dards, characteristics, and identities. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as we know it today was not given of - ficial AKC recognition until 1996. The King Charles Spaniel or English Toy Spaniel, whose history has been documented since the 15th century, has its origins in the courts of Europe, and gained official AKC recognition in 1886. In 2006, only 161 English Toy Spaniel litters were registered with the AKC, while the litter reg - istration for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels exceeded 4,000. Themediaoften incorrectlydescribes most Cavalier King Charles Spaniels when they appear in the press as be - ing King Charles Spaniels; this only causes more confusion. It is very alarming for new owners when pre - senting their puppy to a veterinarian for examination to be told that their beautiful, well-reared King Charles Spaniel is an extremely bad specimen of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This has happened on several occa- sions, causing the purchaser much distress, and has led to threats of legal action against the breeder. Some of the reasons quoted have been: 1. Because the dog has a domed head, it most probably has hydrocephalus.
2. Because the dog has an under- shot jaw, it may need corrective surgery in the future. 3. Because the dog has fused nails and pads, it may need future surgery. All these reasons, i.e., domed skull, undershot jaw, and fused toes, are breed-specific to the King Charles Spaniel breed standard. GENERAL APPEARANCE The English Toy Spaniel is a compact, cobby, and essentially square Toy dog, whereas the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a well-balanced Toy Span - iel. The Cavalier approaches square- ness, yet if measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock, it is slightly longer than the height at the withers. The Cavalier should demon - strate a gay temperament combined with true elegance and a look of roy - alty. He must have a natural appear- ance, with no trimming, sculpting or artificial alteration of the dog or coat.
T op N otch T oys , A pril 2022 • 27
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