Cavalier Talk

Bite: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppies have 28 primary (baby) teeth that begin to erupt around 4 weeks of age. Between 4 and 5 months of age a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy will get his permanent teeth pushing out the baby teeth. If baby teeth have trouble falling out you will need to see your veterinarian as retention can lead to misalignment. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s bite can take up to two years to settle into permanent position. A scissor bite at 8 weeks will usually remain a scissor bite in adulthood. An undershot bite will often correct itself, but an overshot bite will never correct itself.

For more information about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

Currently there are 4 screenings recommended for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels by OFA:

Hip Displasia: includes OFA evaluation, OVC evaluation, and PennHip evaluation

Eye Clearance: CERF evaluation. Initial CERF exam recommended at 8-12 weeks of age, follow up at 12 months of age, annually until 5 years of age, every 2 years until 9 years of age. For additional information please visit the CERF website by clicking the following link: Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF)

Patellar Luxation: OFA evaluation

Congenital Cardiac Database: OFA evaluation with examination performed by Board-Certified Cardiologist. Recommended annually.

For more information about Cavalier King Charles Spaniel health please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

UD: Utility Dog: The letters UD may be added after a dog’s registered name after it has been certified by three different judges as receiving qualify-ing scores in Utility classes at three licensed or member obedience trials.

UDX: Utility Dog Excellent: Dogs with UD titles must earn qualifying scores in both Open B and Utility B at 10 trials in order to add the UDX title after their registered names.

UK CH: United Kingdom Champion

W: Best of Winners

Walk-through - Handlers are permitted to walk the course, without a dog, prior to the start of the class to plan their strategy. The walk-through gives handlers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the signs and the course.

WB: Winners (Female)

WD: Winners Dog

Weedy: A dog that is lacking bone structure and body.

Well Broken Color: Parti-colors should have color well interspersed with white.

Well-let-down Hocks: Short hocks are correct hocks.

Well Sprung Ribs: Ribs are not flat or too rounded and feel more like a barrel. This structural feature can develpe with maturity.

Whole Colors: In the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed a whole color is either a Black & tan or a Ruby color.

For more definitions and abbreviations associated with the dog show world or information about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

Sickle Hocks: Hocks without much flexibility.

Snipey: A dog with a pointed muzzle without fill or padding.

Sound: A dog showing correct structure, temperament, and healthy.

Square: The dog’s height at the withers matches the length of the body.

Stacking: Setting up a dog in a free standing position.

Station - Location of a sign providing instructions regarding the exercise that is to be performed in rally.

Straight Stifle: The stifle is not properly bent and is lacking angulation.

Substance: A dog with good bone and muscle development.

For more abbreviations and definitions used in the dog world or information about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

Qualifying Score - In obedience and rally there is a minimum score that must be obtained in order to qualify for a passing score overall.

R: Reserve Winner

RA: Rally Advanced: The dogs must earn three qualifying scores under two different judges in order to receive a rally title.

RAE: Rally Advanced Excellent.

RE: Rally Excellent: The dogs must earn three qualifying scores under two different judges in order to receive a rally title.

RN: Rally Novice: The dogs must earn three qualifying scores under two different judges in order to receive a rally title.

RWD: Reserve Winners Dog

RWB: Reserve Winners (Female)

Rangy: A dog is long in the loin.

Roach: A dog will arch their back. Some standards call for a roached back. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel standard does not call for a roached back. The way a handler places a dog on the examining table can cause a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to look like they have a roached back even if they do not so be careful not to train this in accidently.

ROM: Reward of Merit: This title is given to a dam once she has had 5 offspring obtain their championship title. This title is given to a sire once he has had 10 offspring obtain their championship title. The dam and the sire do not have to be champions themselves to be awarded this title. This is one of the top titles that any Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can obtain.

For more abbreviations and definitions please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

Pace: The front and rear legs on the same side of the dog move forward concurrently.

Paddling: The front legs of a dog move in a circular motion when the dog moves forward.

Parti-colors: In the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed a Blenheim (chestnut red and white) and a Tri-color (black and white with tan points) are known as the parti-colors or broken colors can also be used.

Pigeon-Toed: Front feet face each other.

Pigment: Color of the nose, eyerims, and lips on a dog.

Proud Tail: High tail carraige. The tail carraige can be corrected with training.

For more information about dog world abbreviations/definitions or about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

Natural - Not artificial; free of affectation; what is customarily expected in the home or public places.

NOC: National Obedience Champion: The AKC awards this prestigious title annually to the dog that wins the AKC National Obedience Invitational. The letters NOC are placed before the dog’s AKC-registered name and become part of the dog’s permanent title.

OFA: Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. OFA is the top health registry used by breeders and scientists to help improve the quality of breeding through health certifications. This registry is open to the public. For more information please visit www.offa.org.

OH: Owner Handled

OTCH: Obedience Trial Champion: Dogs with UD titles must win 100 points and a first-place in Utility B and Open B, plus a third first-place win in either class, under three different judges.

For more dog world abbreviations or information about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

 IR CH: Ireland Champion

JR: Junior Handler

JW: Junior Warrant. Any Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that finishes their championship title before they reach 18 months of age will qualify for this additional title placed at the back of their registered name in the CKCSC, USA registry.

Leg - A term that is used frequently for a qualifying score in obedience, rally and agility.

Long Cast: Long in the loin and not cobby.

For more abbreviations used in the dog world please visit our website at www.cruisincavaliers.com

Furnishings: Fringe on the ears, legs, tail, undercarriage, and pants of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Gay Tail: Tail curls over the back when dog is in movement. Correct tail position can be trained.

Gently - With kindness, without harshness or roughness.

High in the Hock: Too much distance from the tip of the hocks to the ground.

Hyper-extended Hocks: The hock joint buckles forward causing the hock to bow during movement.

For more information about Dog World abbreviations or about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels please visit our website at http://www.cruisincavaliers.com/dog-world-abbreviations.htm

Dog: Male Dog

Dudley Nose: Nose is off-color from the standard black color. Usually a gray or brownish color and this is a fault.

Elbowing In: The elbows are so close to the body that the dog has no reach in their movement.

Elbowing Out: The elbows are rotating outward instead of being held tightly to the body during movement.

ENG CH: English Champion

For more dog world abbreviations please visit our website at http://www.cruisincavaliers.com/dog-world-abbreviations.htm