A BETTER BREED STANDARD FOR THE KING CHARLES SPANIEL..
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Refined, he has had the very best education & upbringing, & must bark with a posh English accent.
CHARACTERISTICS: He is a right "Charlie" hence his nickname, he is hyperactive & a beautiful show dog, often acting like a wind up toy, must never stand still for more than three seconds. He has a brain of a genius, shown by his well-domed head.
TEMPERAMENT: Reserved when he wants to be, because of his background will only mix with aristocrats, and speciality judges, seems to tolerate other judges.
HEAD & SKULL: The "Charlie's" head is of great importance, without it the dog loses expression, and bumps into things. Dogs without heads should only be shown under all-rounders. Specialists tend to notice when they are missing. However the ones that have them must not resemble a frog, but must have a look of snobbery, with a 45° tilt to the nose.
EYES: Large, open & there should be two, both looking forwards, if they don't the dog should be trained to keep them closed. When open must express hunger at any opportunity. Glasses & contact lenses optional.
EARS: There should be two on opposing sides of the head, if both are on the same side the skull will look unbalanced. Allowed on top of head, only if the dog is excited or alert. An ear chewed by a kennel mate is allowed, provided it is neatly done. Dogs with no ears have a great difficulty hearing, in which case he should have been taught sign language.
MOUTH/BITE: Mouth very kissable, will only bite judges when justified, like not being given a place, or challenge. Tongue may show when chocolate dangled in front of him.
NECK: Between head & shoulder blades, without it the dog has great difficulty in transferring food from the mouth to the stomach & could suffer from malnutrition.
FOREQUARTERS: The two front legs must be shorter than the hind legs, or the dog will walk with a tilt. Dogs without legs have a mobility problem & judges tend to penalise them heavily.
HINDQUARTERS: On adult males either hind leg must be able to be 'lifted' proof of this would be to stand him next to a ring post or better still a grumpy steward. Bitches are allowed to move very close behind when in season.
BODY: Connects the front to the back end of the dog, the chest preferably at the front end. Dogs with no body should not be shown or bred from.
FEET: Found at the end of the legs, all four should never be on the ground at the same time, (this is a breed characteristic) & they should all face the same direction. If any feet are in the opposite direction, speciality judges will notice this when he moves, this fault is hard to correct.
TAIL: Long, medium or short, whatever the breeder's fancy, must be wagging at all times & must be located at the opposite end of the body to the head. It is most important to know the difference between the head & tail, especially at meal-times.
GAIT: "Charlies" do not gait, they do rather a pretty little dance, they sometimes resemble a rocking horse. It is important that they do a full twist at least six times on the triangle. For dogs who do not wish to go on a lead, a set of 4 wheels should be supplied by the ring steward prior to entering the ring.
COAT: Only worn in winter, & must display a "Harrods" label. Legs, ears & tail feathered.
COLOUR: Depends on the colour of the mud in the district.
SIZE/WEIGHT: Cuddly & well balanced. Weight depends on the owner. The owner who knows where the dog's head is when feeding will have heavier dogs than the ones fed at the other end.
FAULTS: The King Charles Spaniel