Cavalier King Charles spaniel coat and sweater sizes

A Cavalier is an easy dog to fit and an easy dog to overdress. The shape is ordinary, the measurements sit in the middle of every chart, and the only real decisions are about the ears and the weather.

The numbers

The AKC standard gives 12 to 13 in at the shoulder and 13 to 18 lb. The breed charts put the chest at 18 in (Doggie Style Store) and in the "up to 20 in" sweater size at The Foggy Dog; the neck at 10 to 16 in (Doggie Style Store), which is wide, with most adults around 12 to 13; the back at 13 to 15 in. Those are coat makers' charts from measured dogs rather than a standard, and a Cavalier carrying a few extra pounds, which the breed does enthusiastically, tapes an inch or two over all of them.

Sizes from our charts

Worked out from the size charts on the product pages for the measurement range above. Your dog's own tape measurement is what decides it.

Jacket M on nearly every Cavalier (18.9 in chest; a heavy male goes L). Vest S (16 to 21 in), or M if the neck reads over 14. Heritage Turtleneck M for the lighter dogs, L for most, because the chart's M is 17.3 in and the breed starts there. The Fireside Cable-Knit ends at a 16.5 in chest and the trench at 16 lb with an 11.4 in neck; neither fits more than the smallest Cavalier, so neither is in the table's "yes" column.

The ears

Cavalier ears are long, feathered, and the first thing to get wet, muddy and tangled. No coat helps with that; a jacket collar sits below them, and a pullover passes over them. What a pullover should not do is drag them: open the collar wide, fold the ears back along the neck with one hand, and bring the collar over with the other. The Heritage's fold-down neck can be worn folded, which keeps the collar lower and clear of the ear leather.

After a wet walk, dry the ears first. The feathering holds water against the ear canal, and Cavaliers get ear infections more than most.

The coat, and the weather

A Cavalier's silky single coat with moderate feathering sheds a light shower and then soaks through; the dog is then wet to the skin with no undercoat to hold warmth. That is the case for the All-Weather Jacket on any walk longer than a dash: the shell keeps the back and sides dry, the lining keeps the chest warm, the zip runs up the chest so nothing goes over the ears, and the leash clips to the built-in harness. The back is cut short to free the hind legs; on a Cavalier it ends a few inches before the tail, and the feathered back legs will still come home wet.

In cold dry weather a healthy adult Cavalier needs nothing. An older one, or one with the heart trouble the breed carries, tires and chills sooner, and a Heritage Turtleneck in L for a slow winter walk is the kind thing. A sweater on a Cavalier in mild weather is a dog panting at the first corner.

The vest, for the half-wet days

The Quilted Vest S fits the whole breed with room to spare at the belly strap; it sheds drizzle, blocks wind with its high collar, has reflective trim, and weighs less than the jacket. For the months when it is damp but not raining, it is the piece a Cavalier wears most.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping. Ships in 1 to 2 business days and usually arrives 4 to 9 business days after that; 60 days to send a wrong size back (Shipping & Returns). The measuring guide shows the three measurements; on a Cavalier, the chest is measured behind the front legs, under the feathering.

Questions

Jacket M or L for a 17 lb Cavalier?

Measure. 18.9 in is the M's limit and a trim 17 lb Cavalier is usually under it; a heavy one is not.

Does the jacket press on the ears?

No. The collar sits at the base of the neck, under the ear leather. The ears lie over it.

Is the Fireside too small?

For almost all Cavaliers, yes: it stops at a 16.5 in chest. A petite female in winter coat might squeak into the XL; measure first.