I’m certain you’ll adore the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels’ smooth, non-curly, and occasionally slightly wavy coat.
Perhaps you’re feeling a little restricted in terms of coat color options, and you haven’t decided which one to go with.
There are four main recognized Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Colors. Blenheim, Ruby, Black & Tan and Tricolor. Choosing your favorite may prove a difficult decision.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are only available in four approved colors.
The Blenheim is the most common, while the black and tan is the unique and hence the most expensive color.
However, Cavaliers are also available in non-official colors and patterns like as white, tan, black and white, and merle.
Continue reading to discover about the four official Cavalier colors, as well as the five unique Cavalier coat colors and patterns.
Table of Contents
A Quick Overview about the Cavaliers Coat
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a popular toy breed that has a medium-length wavy coat.
They have unusual feathers on their paws, chest, and tail, which are longer than the rest of their fur.
Toy spaniel must be groomed on a regular basis to reduce shedding and maintain the coat looking good and clear of tangles.
The four Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Colors
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are typically available in four coat patterns.
Two of them are part-colors, and the other two are whole colors.
Each coat pattern provides them with a
unique character and overall appearance.
The four recognized colours are:
- Blenheim
- Ruby
- Black & Tan
- Tri Color
Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Blenheim Cavaliersshould have a pearly white base coat. This white coat should be broken up with rich chestnut markings evenly placed on their head.
A characteristic marking of the Blenheim Cavalier King Charles is a spot referred to as a lozenge mark, evenly located on the middle of their head.
Blenheim Cavaliers are Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with chestnut markings on a white background, the most popular of the four Cavalier colors.
The name is a tribute to Blenheim Palace, where the Duke of Marlborough raised this well-known breed.
These dogs’ heads are framed with chestnut colored ears. The chestnut coloring surrounds both eyes, but the muzzle is white, with a white blaze running up the nose to the top of the head.
A chestnut spot at the top of the head is a traditional characteristic of a Blenheim Cavalier.
Sarah Churchill, duch*ess of Marlborough, is said to have been left at home in Blenheim Palace with her spaniels while the Duke went out to war.
In her loneliness, she “worried” a chestnut fingerprint onto the top of her dog’s head, which became known as “duch*ess Thumb Print,” a Blenheim spaniel trait.
Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Ruby Cavaliershave the most basic of colorings.
Their coats should be a complete whole colored rich red.
It’s quite common to see very small white spots. Again this would be undesirable for a show dog.
Personally we think a little white marking looks rather cute.
The ruby cavalier, or chestnut, whole-colored coat on this breed is less popular since breeding has not been as intensely sought as it has been with the other, seemingly more expressive kinds.
These dogs have a solid ruby color all over their body, with the exception of a few minor white blemishes.
Black & Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Black and Tan Cavaliersshould have completely black coats, with tan markings.
The Tan highlightsshould be in the in the following places:
- Above their eyes
- On their cheeks
- Inside their ears
- On their chest
- On their legs
- Underside of their tale
White marks would be undesirable.
The Black and Tan particolored pups are thought to be the rarest of the AKC-accepted coat colors, however, some argue that the Tricolor is the rarest.
However, as the Tricolor has increased in popularity, more breeding has occurred. The Black and Tans have yet to garner such attention.
Puppies with a black body and tan highlights around the brows, cheekbones, behind their tails, and sometimes inside their ears and on their legs are known as black and tan.
If they have any white markings, it is considered a flaw in show dogs.
Tricolor Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Tricolor Cavalierscoats consist of three colors. Black, White and Tan.
Their coats should be primarily Black and White with Tan markings in the following places:
- Above their eyes
- On their cheeks
- Inside their ears
- Inside of their legs
- Underside of their tale
The second common coat pattern on these little dogs is Tricolor, which appropriately describes how three colors are mixed across the entire body of the dog.
Typically, white is the dominant color on the body, though black could be used rarely.
This dog has ruby or chestnut dots all over his black coat.
The ruby-colored brows on this type of pup are perhaps the nicest element of its coloring, making it appear more expressive than other kinds.
Choosing your favorite Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Colour
While other color variations may be undesirable for show dogs, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with your Cavalier if they don’t meet this standard.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels make excellent companion dogs. The only real decision you need to make is which color to choose. Perhaps you could get one of each?
We’d love to know which color you chose and why in the comments below.
5 Unofficial Colors of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The four colors indicated above are the most frequent coat colors for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, as well as the AKC’s preferred colors.
Other colors, while elusive, can still be discovered. These are some examples:
1. Black and White
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniels’ unofficial color is black and white.
In contrast to the official tricolor, which has black markings on a white background, the black & white Cavaliers have more black color with white mismarkings on the breast, face, and feet.
The majority of black and white Cavaliers have tan markings.
A black and white Cavalier without the distinctive tan spots seen on the Blenheim, black and tan, and tricolors is exceptionally rare.
2. White
Too much white on the coat of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is considered a flaw.
As a result, it is clear that an all-white Cavalier will not be considered pure.
A solid white coat in Cavaliers, as in many dog breeds, is explained by the absence of pigment cells.
Pigmentation, on the other hand, is more common on a white dog’s nose, muzzle, eyes, and toes.
As a result, when pigmentation is completely absent, the dog is white, which is extremely rare.
3. Tan
Tan color is a tint of the red pigment Pheomelanin in dogs.
A tan Cavalier symbolizes a very faded red with a weaker color intensity than the Ruby due to the interaction of genes that controls the intensity of the pigment.
Tan is solely a hair color in dogs, hence it is not reflected in their spots (eye, nose, muzzle, or nails).
The color of the spots is controlled by the black pigment Eumelanin.
4. Merle
Merle Cavaliers, like all dogs with the merle coat, have a coat pattern that is defined by uneven patches of faded color in both solid color and parti-coat types.
The Merle gene (M-locus) is an inherited hereditary partially dominant gene that causes the pattern.
Blue eyes or other unusual eye colors are also caused by the merle gene in affected dogs.
According to research, merle dogs have a variety of severe eye problems.
5. White Markings
The majority of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs are heterozygous for the Piebald gene, which is responsible for the parti-colors on Cavalier coats.
This means that the majority of Cavalier parents produce pups with varying degrees of white color and markings.
The face, back, toes, chest, and tail of a Cavalier frequently have white markings.
Cavaliers, on the other hand, regard any white marks that do not fit into the official Blenheim and Tricolors to be mismarkings or faults.
Our Thoughts
No matter what color pattern the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes in, they will find their way into your heart, whether they are flawless show dogs or affectionate companions.
A word of caution when selecting your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy: Don’t be fooled into thinking your Cavalier Spaniel puppy’s coat will remain consistent as he matures.
Cavalier King Charles puppies, like many other breeds, mature into their colors.
Blenheim puppies may be born with large areas of white in their coats and gradually develop freckles on their muzzles and chestnut-colored markings on their bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the rarest color for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?
Black & Turn
The rarest official color of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the Black & Turn.
Ruby is considered second in rarity. These two are the whole colors of the Cavalier coat.
Is there a difference between Cavalier King Charles and King Charles?
Many people are unable to recognise the difference between King Charles Spaniels and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
They are two entirely different breeds and apart from sharing the same coat colours, have totally separate breed standards, characteristics and identities.
Is it better to get a male or female King Charles Cavalier?
A female Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the best choice for younger children as they are more fragile and require a calmer dog.
However, if you want a dog that is still as energetic after the one-year period, get a male, as females tend to become calmer after their first year.
What’s bad about Cavalier King Charles?
More than most other breeds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels need a great deal of companionship and do not like being left alone for more than a few hours.
They are very dependent dogs – often too dependent. When they feel abandoned, they become anxious, which they express by chewing destructively and barking.
Do Cavalier King Charles spaniels bark a lot?
Generally speaking, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel doesn’t bark a lot.
They’re docile nature makes such behavior uncharacteristic for these dogs.
Of course, they are dogs so dog owners can expect these dogs to bark from time to time
Thanks to all our Twitter friends for submitting their photos. Remember you can follow us on Twitter @thespanielking
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