Page 37 - ShowSight Presents The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
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to maintain, with a minimum of groom- ing and NO trimming at all. His coat is flat and silky, does shed, but also enhances his very glamorous ‘finish.’
Health issues are of great importance to cavalier breeders around the world. Carol Williams, former President of the ACKC- SC, says that her biggest health concern is “...Mitral Valve Disease. According to our ACKCSC {Purdue} comprehensive health survey this was the #1 killer of Cavaliers. I hope we find a genetic marker for it.” MVD is a degenerative condition affecting the mitral valve of the heart, and its onset in the breed can be early or late. Sometimes the progression is slow, and not incompat- ible with long life. But at other times it pro- gresses rapidly and culminates in prema- ture death. Various medications have been found effective in treating this condition. Of recent years, a neurological disorder called Syringomyelia has been identified in growing numbers and is presently being studied. SM is a progressive neurological disease in which the normal flow of spinal fluid is impeded, resulting in a variety of neurological symptoms. Pioneering sur- gical techniques are being developed to aid the most severe of cases. Less affected dogs live full lives with only a few symp- toms such as neck scratching or head tilt.
Scientists have recently developed a blood test for Curly Coat/Dry Eye syndrome, so breeders are able to recognize those dogs that are unaffected but may be genetic car- riers-- and breed accordingly. Cavaliers are also sometimes subject to various eye con- ditions, hip dysplasia, and cancers of vari- ous forms. It is a testament to the sweet and appealing nature of this unique breed that it remains so popular despite its significant health concerns. Having mentioned them here, I must also say that there are many, many robust cavaliers that live well into their teens and enjoy a happy elder age.
Cavaliers in the USA are not only very fashionable companion pets, but also have become increasingly competitive in the show ring. Numbers required for a Major win have spiked markedly from the early days post AKC recognition. As the show ring is the place for breeders to display their best, so too it is often a reflection of the state of the breed at a given snapshot in time. According to long time breeder Darlene Petralia (Gray Stone Cavaliers) and others to whom I spoke, some of the troublesome issues that confront breeders today, in addition to health concerns, are those relating to imbalance in the cavalier, lack of bone, upright shoulders and lack of rear angulation. Short legs and long backs
can also be problematic. Jeanie Montford of Elvenhome Cavaliers in Sydney is an all-breeds judge who has officiated at the ACKCSC National and will be judging it for a second time at the 20th Anniver- sary show in 2014. She says that she hopes “...that judges in the show ring will not be looking for the best ‘show dog’ with flashy fast movement, dripping in coat and over- the-top attitude, but will always look for and reward the Cavalier which displays those breed characteristics that we treasure and which make it an ideal companion for young and old alike. In spite of its popu- larity I hope that breeders will be able to maintain the qualities that have made it so–its handy size, sturdy conformation, meltingly soft expression and its delightful temperament, amiable and loving.”
The Cavalier is truly a winning com- bination of several differing but similar breeds of dogs, bred together for genera- tions, but almost vanishing with the vaga- ries of the changing times. Fortuitously revived at the whim of a wealthy American in the early 20th century, they are now passionately adored by their many sup- porters. Indeed, the efforts of Charles I have come to a happy fruition. As Hugh Dalziel wrote in 1881 in the book Brit- ish Dogs, “The merry monarch did many more foolish things than take under his royal care and favor, and thereby raising to court, the beautiful toy spaniel which still bears his name.”
An earlier version of this piece was published in Dog World in 2006.
