“THE IMPORTANCE OF COAT QUALITY should not be overlooked.”
rather than somewhere in the air. The imagined animal tracks up equally well with a driving rear. On the move the tail is carried happily, level or just above, a natural extension of the spine. The dog tracks straight com- ing and going. Well-set shoulders and a properly angulated rear will give a Cavalier reach and drive, but will also contribute to the proper Cavalier out- line both baiting and moving. When we view a Cavalier across the ring, we want to see the outline of a Cavalier, not an American Cocker or English Toy Spaniel. Focusing on correct make and shape has meant that as breeders we occa- sionally place beautiful dogs in pet homes because of a structural fault that we do not want to present in the ring or introduce into our breeding program. But we hope that we are coming closer to producing the ideal Cavalier (that we hold in our minds’ eye) by focusing on breeding dogs that are correct as well as pretty. The importance of coat quality should not be overlooked. Coat qual- ity is not an “extra.” It is an essential part of breed type. More coat is not automatically better; the coat should be straight and silky with moderate undercoat and furnishings. Through- out history breeds have begun by separating dogs based upon coat. Re- member that if you really diverge far off the correct Cavalier coat, at some point you have altered an essential characteristic of the breed. Erica & Rachel: Finally, we are both more than willing to personally men- tor anyone aspiring to judge Cavaliers or to simply hone their skills in under- standing breed type. It is important that those of us who are privileged to award points understand that Cava- liers are historically a very young breed and breed type may sometimes seem elusive. But the breed has made
in the eyes; large, dark, round eyes placed directly on the front of the dog’s face mimic that of a baby ani- mal. A Cavalier’s limpid, kind eyes should elicit a human response: the viewer’s heart melts. Ample cushioning under the eyes helps create the desired soft, sweet ex- pression. “Cushioning” does notmean over-done wrinkles or pendulous lips. Neither of those traits should ever be present in a correct Cavalier. Rather, “cushioning” refers to a slight amount of fat under the eyes which helps to soften the animal’s expression. Although drop of white in the corner of an eye should not be penalized, overwhelming white surrounding rings are a jolt to the senses and an anathema in a Cavalier. In a serious breeding program puppies displaying a distracting amount of white in the eye are never bred, but rather placed as pets in loving homes. To reiterate: a small amount of white in the eye is acceptable. A distracting amount of white is not. As breeders we are all judges. We are judging breeding stock, and “white of eye” is practically impossible to eliminate from the gene pool. Therefore, as a breeder-judge I will overlook a slight drop of white which does not affect the dog’s ex- pression. But I would never reward nor breed from an animal whose eyes exhibited a startled expression. The importance of a soft expression in this breed cannot be over-emphasized. Rachel: Soundness is also a part of proper breed type. Every breed has a defined structure and movement that is correct for that individual breed. A dog with proper breed structure will have the correct breed outline stand- ing and on the move. On the move the Cavalier reaches at least to his chin and preferably further; the furthest extension of the front legs should be where the legs touch the ground,
ERICA VENIER & RACHEL VENIER
Erica: I began breeding Shelties on a limited basis in 1974. Over the years the Shelties were replaced by Cava- liers and a handful of Norfolk Terriers for comic relief. In our rather small but precise breeding program my daughter Rachel and I have produced a line of specialty winning Cavaliers. We have won the ACKCSC National Specialty four times, three times with home bred dogs. We are enormously hard on ourselves. We take the re- sponsibility of breeding seriously and are determined to “first do no harm.” What is the most important thing for a novice to keep in mind when judg- ing? Please forgive us while we take this question and run! Erica: In the Cavalier I am most con- cerned with two things; I will address each individually as both aspects are integral to correct breed type. First, shape and balance. From a distance my imaginary dog should be easily recognized as a Cavalier. I visualize a moderate dog with ample bone in proportion to its size. Slightly longer than tall, standing over a lot of ground with a gentle transition of neck into well-angulated shoulders. Upper arm in equal proportion to the shoulder; front legs set well under the body for support and ease of move- ment. Solid top line, hard back and tail a gentle extension of the back. In this breed correct make and shape are easily recognized from a distance; as a judge I like to ask the dogs to trot into the ring and move to a far corner. This initial introduction gives me a quick glimpse into each animal’s shape and balance. Walking down the line the head should be a pleasure to look at, with large, dark, round eyes placed directly on the front of the skull. The essence of breed type in a Cavalier is reflected
48 • T op N otch T oys , D ecember 2019
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