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Dominant and Recessive Traits

Dominant Traits

Head: Low-set ears, long ears, long head, wide ear leather, dark eyes, correct bite, black nose, short face

Body: Sternum, deep chest, straight topline, high tail-set, good spring of rib, heavy bone, compact foot, short coat, weight, body height, poor shoulder angulation, short and choppy gait

Mental: Intelligence, shyness and/or dominant temperament

Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Black & Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Recessive Traits

Head: Large skull size, short ears, fine skull, light eyes, bulging eyes, overshot or undershot bite

Body: Good shoulder angulation, good stifle angulation, long and reaching gait, low tail-set, no feathering on tail, kinked tail, long coat, longer and straight legs (correlates with light bone)

Mental: Lack of intelligence, mild or non-aggressive temperament

Dominant and Recessive traits are found in any breed of dog and not just the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Before breeding both the male and female dog should be health tested for the recommended tests for their breed and should be at the minimum age recommended for health testing and breeding before the breeding takes place. Knowledge of ancestry health should also be considered along with structural qualities of both the male and female and if possible the structural qualities of the ancestry within the first three generations of the pedigree.

When breeders follow a strict code-of-ethics and fully health test their breeding stock as recommended by their breed they will face the unexpected dog that is clinically healthy with a perfectly normal appearance, but recessive health genes can also be found through testing that will result in a dog not being the best candidate for furthering the breed. Breeders put a lot of time and emotional attachment into their produced lines so it is always important to remember those breeders before you and hold true with your breeding practices as they did with theirs in order for improvement in the breed to occur.

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