Breeding suitability guide — Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
For breeders: which tests, which thresholds, which mating rules apply
1. Mandatory tests for parents
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD) requires these tests for breeding approval — they must be on file for every breeding animal.
| Test / condition | Scoring scheme | Passing result | Inheritance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curly Coat Dry Eye Syndrome (CC) | DNA test | clear or carrier (carriers only with a clear partner) | Autosomal recessive | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD) |
| Patellar Luxation (PL) | Physical examination | PL 0 | Polygenic | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD) |
| Heart disease | Physical examination | normal | Complex | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD) |
| Episodic Falling (EF) | DNA test | clear or carrier (carriers only with a clear partner) | Autosomal recessive | Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD) |
2. Mating rules
When one parent has a borderline result, the other parent must meet specific criteria.
Curly Coat Dry Eye Syndrome (CC)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD)Patellar Luxation (PL)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD)Heart disease
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD)Episodic Falling (EF)
See the mating rule in your club's regulation.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Deutschland e.V. (CCD)3. Recommended additional tests
Sensible additions for line planning.
| Test / condition | Scoring scheme | Passing result | Inheritance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) (BOAS) | Physical examination | clear | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Exposure keratopathy syndrome (exophthalmos, lagophthalmos, and/or macroblepharon) (EKS) | Eye examination | clear | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Corneal dystrophy (CD) | Eye examination | clear | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Cataract (HC) | Eye examination | clear | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Microphthalmia | — | clear | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) (PRA) | — | clear or carrier | Autosomal recessive | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Retinal Dysplasia (RD) | Eye examination | clear | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Hip dysplasia (HD) | X-ray | HD A–B | Polygenic | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Mitral valve dysplasia (MVD) | Ultrasound | normal | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
| Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM) (CM/SM) | X-ray | — | Complex | CIDD (Univ. PEI) |
4. HonestDog verification
- Upload a legible certificate (PDF or photo) per test in the breeder dashboard
- Certificate must show date, examining vet, and FCI/VDH logo
- Certificates older than 36 months are flagged as stale
- We extract the results from each upload using AI and check them for consistency with the dog's profile — the profile tile then shows 'verified'