Basselier

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a graceful, elegant toy spaniel with a sweet, gentle expression that serves as an essential breed characteristic. Standing 12 to 13 inches at the shoulder and weighing 13 to 18 pounds, the Cavalier ranks among the larger toy breeds while maintaining a refined, compact appearance. The body is slightly longer than tall with a level topline, moderate bone structure, and an overall balance that reflects the breed's sporting spaniel heritage. The chest is moderately deep with well-sprung ribs, and the breed should appear neither cobby nor overly long in body. Despite being classified as a toy breed, Cavaliers retain the athletic capability of their spaniel ancestors and can display surprising stamina. The head is a hallmark of the breed, featuring a slightly rounded skull that appears flat due to the high ear placement, a moderate stop, and a full muzzle that tapers slightly without appearing pointed. The large, round eyes are warm dark brown with a lustrous, limpid quality, set well apart and surrounded by dark eye rims with cushioning below that contributes to the melting, sweet expression. The ears are set high on the head, long with abundant feathering, and wide enough to fan slightly forward when the dog is alert, framing the face beautifully. The nose is uniformly black with well-developed nostrils. The coat is one of the Cavalier's most attractive features: medium length, silky, and either straight or slightly wavy, though never curly. Feathering occurs on the ears, chest, legs, tail, and feet, with hair growing between the pads often trimmed. Four distinct color patterns are recognized: Blenheim featuring rich chestnut markings on a pearly white ground, often with a desirable lozenge-shaped spot on the crown; tricolor with jet black markings on white with tan points above the eyes, on cheeks, and under the tail; black and tan with raven black and mahogany tan markings; and ruby, a rich solid reddish-brown. The tail is carried happily but not much above the level of the back when moving.

The Basset Hound is a medium to large-sized scent hound with a distinctive low-slung, heavy-boned build that belies its considerable substance. Standing only 13 to 15 inches at the withers yet weighing between 40 and 65 pounds, this breed possesses a uniquely elongated body set on short, powerful legs. The short stature results from a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, which gives the breed its characteristic appearance. The body is long and full with well-sprung ribs, supported by large, heavy-boned legs with massive paws that point straight ahead or turn slightly outward. The chest is deep and full, providing ample lung capacity for extended tracking work. The breed displays remarkable bone density, being heavier in bone pound for pound than any other breed. The Basset Hound's head is one of its most recognizable features, being large and well-proportioned with a distinctively domed skull and prominent occipital bone. The face displays loose, elastic skin that forms deep wrinkles, particularly around the brow and eyes, contributing to the breed's trademark melancholy expression. The ears are extraordinarily long, set low on the head just below eye level, with leather soft enough to reach well beyond the muzzle tip. These pendulous ears serve a functional purpose, sweeping scents from the ground toward the powerful nose, which contains approximately 220 million scent receptors. The eyes are soft, sad, and slightly sunken, showing a prominent haw, and the flews of the upper lip hang substantially below the lower jaw. The coat is short, dense, and smooth with a hard texture that provides weather protection during outdoor tracking. Any recognized hound color is acceptable, though the most common pattern is tricolor consisting of black, white, and tan markings. Bicolored lemon and white combinations are also frequently seen, along with red and white variations. The tail, often called a stern, is long and tapering with a slight upward curve carried sabre-fashion when the dog is moving, featuring coarse hair on the underside. The white tip on many tails serves as a visible flag when the dog works in tall grass or dense cover.