CKCS United says the key to improving Cavalier health and genetic diversity isn’t outcrossing—it’s inclusion.
Heart disease. Syringomyelia. Genetic bottlenecks. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed is facing mounting health concerns, and experts across the dog world are sounding the alarm. But while many are looking outside the breed for solutions—through outcrossing or crossbreeding—CKCS United is taking a different approach: look within.
Their argument is simple but provocative: what if the genes needed to save the breed already exist—but have been excluded from the ring?
CKCS United, now formally recognized by the UKC as the CKCS State Club, is the first organization dedicated exclusively to representing chocolate and black Cavaliers—colors long dismissed as “non-standard” despite having roots in the breed’s early history. The club believes that reintroducing these colors responsibly is one of the most viable, ethical, and historically grounded ways to expand the gene pool without abandoning the breed’s identity.
“There’s growing panic in the breed community about the health crisis Cavaliers are facing,” a CKCS United spokesperson explains. “But the same people expressing concern are also clinging to a closed standard that excludes genetic variation. That’s not preservation. That’s stagnation.”
The club has already backed up its stance with action. CKCS United has partnered with canine geneticists to identify a/a black gene carriers within the breed—dogs once believed to no longer exist. This rare recessive gene, preserved through decades of like-colored breeding in quiet corners of the community, offers a path toward greater diversity without compromising breed integrity.
“In a time when other registries are looking to silkhounds, toy spaniel mixes, and speculative outcross programs, we’re offering something grounded in history, in science, and in the original Cavalier itself,” the spokesperson says.
The club’s members include breeders, researchers, and preservationists from across the globe, many of whom also own and show standard-colored Cavaliers. But the mission is clear: advocate for the rightful place of chocolates and blacks in the breed conversation—and in the show ring.
CKCS United has also seen early success on the ground. Black and chocolate Cavaliers have earned UKC Champion titles, placed nationally, and demonstrated structural quality on par with any other color. These wins offer a quiet but growing rebuttal to critics who claim non-standard color means non-standard quality.
“We’re not here to dilute the breed. We’re here to restore it,” the spokesperson says. “Our colors are not a threat. They’re an asset—one the breed can no longer afford to ignore.”
About CKCS United:
CKCS United is the only breed club dedicated to the preservation and promotion of chocolate and black Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Operating under the UKC as the CKCS State Club, the organization leads initiatives in breed education, genetic research, and conformation representation to ensure a healthier, more inclusive future for Cavaliers worldwide.
For media inquiries or further information, contact: info@ckcsunited.org www.ckcsunited.org
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