Weight: Not exceeding 10 lbs.
The color of this dog varies with his breed, there being four varieties:
A. The King Charles; B. Tri-color, or Prince Charles; C. Ruby; D.
Blenheim.
The King Charles is a rich glossy black, with deep tan spots over the
eyes and on the cheeks.
The Tri-color or Prince Charles should have the tan of the King Charles
with markings like the Blenheim in black instead of red, on a pearly
white ground, the ears and under the tail should be lined with tan, and
he has no “spot.”
The Ruby is a rich chestnut red and a few white hairs intermixed on his
chest carries great weight against him, as they do on the chest of the
King Charles.
The Blenheim must on no account be whole colored, but should have a
ground of pure pearly white, with bright, rich chestnut or Ruby
markings, evenly distributed in large patches, and should have a spot on
the forehead.
Strictly speaking this breed might, with some justice, be classed with
the Spanish breeds, as unquestionably the King Charles Spaniel
originally hailed from that country, but since the early part of the
seventeenth century certain families of the English nobility have
affected him and it is equally true to assign the production of the
other three varieties to their influence and breeding operations.
The King Charles’s compactness of shape almost rivals that of the Pug.
He has a broad back and wide chest. The head is well domed, and in good
specimens is semi-globular, and the skull should project over the eyes,
so as to nearly meet the upturned nose. The eyes are set wide apart, are
large and dark, with enormous pupils. The stop is well marked, some good
specimens exhibiting a hollow. The nose is short and well turned up and
should be both deep and wide with open nostrils. The ears must be long
so as to almost touch the ground, are set low on the head, and be
heavily feathered. The coat is long, silky, soft and wavy, but not
curly. In the Blenheim there should be a profuse mane. The feathering
should be well displayed on the ears and feet, and on the King Charles
the feathering is very long and profuse. The feathering on the tail
(which is cut to the length of three or four inches) should be silky,
forming a marked “flag” of a square shape, and must not be carried above
the level of the back.