To determine if a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is purebred, you can observe several key characteristics related to its head, coat, and body structure.
1. Head Characteristics: A purebred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has a medium-sized head, slightly rounded and appearing flat on top. Its eyes are large, round, and dark brown with a clear and bright expression. The ears are set high, are long and wide, and hang down with abundant feathering, giving them an elegant and noble appearance.
2. Coat Characteristics: The Cavalier’s coat is of medium length, silky, and slightly wavy. Notably, long feathering is present on the ears, chest, legs, and tail. Coat colors include a rich chestnut with pearl-white patches, a deep black with pearl-white patches and tan markings on the cheeks, and a deep red with bright tan patches above the eyes, cheeks, ears, chest, legs, and under the tail.
3. Body Characteristics: A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has a medium-length neck with developed muscles and a slight arch. Its topline remains level in any stance. The body is compact and sturdy, with moderate chest depth. The legs are strong and powerful. The tail is set on at a moderate position, hanging naturally; characteristically, the tail does not move when the dog is in motion.
4. Gait Characteristics: When walking or running, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s front legs move freely, and its hind legs provide strong propulsion, giving the gait a solid and graceful appearance. From the side, its stride is appropriate, neither rushed nor lagging; viewed from the front and rear, the gait is straight without any excessive movements.
How Much Does a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Cost?
The price of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel varies based on its quality. Generally, a Cavalier with average characteristics ranges from $800 to $2000. A dog with slightly better characteristics may cost around $3000. Show-quality dogs or those descended from show lines can range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands. Among toy breeds in the UK, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the second most popular breed, only surpassed by the Yorkshire Terrier.