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The
Breed
Standard
...
General Appearance
The
Bichon Frise is a
small, sturdy, white powder puff of a
dog whose
merry temperament is evidenced by his
plumed
tail carried jauntily over the back and his
dark-eyed
inquisitive expression.
This is a breed that has no gross or incapacitating
exaggerations and therefore there is no inherent reason
for lack of
balance or unsound movement.
Any deviation from the ideal described in the standard
should be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
Structural faults common to all breeds are as
undesirable in the Bichon Frise as in any other breed,
even though such faults may not be specifically
mentioned in the standard.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size Dogs and bitches
9½
to 11½ inches are to be given primary preference. Only
where the comparative superiority of a specimen outside
this range clearly justifies it should greater latitude
be taken. In no case, however, should this latitude ever
extend over 12 inches or under 9 inches. The minimum
limits do not apply to puppies.
Proportion--The
body from the forward-most point of the chest to the
point of rump is
¼ longer than the height
at the
withers. The body from the withers to lowest point of
chest represents ½ the distance from withers to ground.
Substance--Compact and of medium bone throughout;
neither coarse nor fine.
Head
Expression--Soft,
dark-eyed, inquisitive, alert.
Eyes are round,
black or dark brown and are set in the skull to look
directly forward. An overly large or bulging eye is a
fault as is an almond shaped, obliquely set eye.
Halos,
the black or very dark brown skin surrounding the eyes,
are necessary as they accentuate the eye and enhance
expression. The eye rims themselves must be black.
Broken pigment, or total absence of pigment on the eye
rims produce a blank and staring expression, which is a
definite fault. Eyes of any color other than black or
dark brown are a very serious fault and must be severely
penalized. Ears are drop and are covered with
long flowing hair. When extended toward the nose, the
leathers reach approximately halfway the length of the
muzzle. They are set on slightly higher than eye level
and rather forward on the skull, so that when the dog is
alert they serve to frame the face. The
skull
is slightly rounded, allowing for a round and forward
looking eye. The
stop is slightly accentuated.
Muzzle--A
properly balanced head is three parts muzzle to five
parts skull, measured from the nose to the stop and from
the stop to the occiput. A line drawn between the
outside corners of the eyes and to the nose will create
a near equilateral triangle. There is a slight degree of
chiseling under the eyes, but not so much as to result
in a weak or snipey foreface. The
lower jaw is strong.
The nose is prominent and always black.
Lips
are black, fine, never drooping.
Bite is
scissors. A bite which is undershot or overshot should
be severely penalized. A crooked or out of line tooth is
permissible, however, missing teeth are to be severely
faulted.
Neck, Topline and Body
The arched
neck is long
and carried proudly behind an
erect head. It blends
smoothly into the shoulders. The length of neck from occiput
to withers is approximately 1/3 the distance from forechest to buttocks. The
topline is level except
for a slight, muscular arch over the loin.
Body--The
chest
is well developed and wide enough to allow free and
unrestricted movement of the front legs. The lowest
point of the chest extends at least to the elbow. The
rib cage
is moderately sprung and extends back to a short and
muscular loin. The
forechest is well
pronounced and protrudes slightly forward of the point
of shoulder. The
underline has a moderate tuck-up.
Tail
is well plumed, set on level with the topline and curved
gracefully over the back so that the hair of the tail
rests on the back. When the tail is extended toward the
head it reaches at least halfway to the withers. A low
tail set, a tail carried perpendicularly to the back, or
a tail which droops behind is to be severely penalized.
A corkscrew tail is a very serious fault.
Forequarters
Shoulders--The
shoulder blade, upper arm and
forearm are
approximately equal in length. The shoulders are
laid back to somewhat near a forty-five degree
angle. The upper arm
extends well back so the elbow is placed directly
below the withers when viewed from the side.
Legs
are of medium bone; straight, with no bow or curve
in the forearm or wrist. The
elbows
are held close to the body. The
pasterns
slope slightly from the vertical. The
dewclaws
may be removed. The feet
are tight and round,
resembling those of a cat and point directly
forward, turning neither in nor out.
Pads
are black. Nails
are kept short.
Hindquarters
The
hindquarters
are of medium bone, well angulated with
muscular thighs
and spaced moderately wide. The
upper and lower thigh
are nearly equal in length meeting at a
well
bent stifle joint.
The leg
from hock joint to foot
pad is
perpendicular to the ground.
Dewclaws
may be removed.
Paws are tight and
round with black pads.
Coat
The
texture of the coat is of utmost importance.
The undercoat is soft and dense, the outercoat of a coarser and curlier texture.
The combination of the two gives a soft but
substantial feel to the touch which is
similar to plush or velvet and when patted
springs back. When bathed and brushed, it
stands off the body, creating an overall
powder puff appearance. A wiry coat is not
desirable. A limp, silky coat, a coat that
lies down, or a lack of undercoat are very
serious faults.
Trimming--The
coat is trimmed to reveal the natural
outline of the body. It is rounded off from
any direction and never cut so short as to
create an overly trimmed or squared off
appearance. The furnishings of
the head, beard,
moustache, ears and
tail are left
longer. The longer head hair is trimmed to
create an overall rounded impression. The
topline is
trimmed to appear level. The coat is
long enough to maintain the powder puff look
which is characteristic of the breed.
Color
Color is white, may have shadings of
buff, cream or apricot around the ears
or on the body. Any color in excess of
10% of the entire coat of a mature
specimen is a fault and should be
penalized, but color of the accepted
shadings should not be faulted in
puppies.
Gait
Movement at a trot is free, precise
and effortless. In profile the
forelegs and hind legs extend
equally with an easy reach and drive
that maintain a steady topline. When
moving, the head and neck remain
somewhat erect and as speed
increases there is a very slight
convergence of legs toward the
center line. Moving away, the
hindquarters travel with moderate
width between them and the foot pads
can be seen. Coming and going, his
movement is precise and true.
Temperament
Gentle
mannered, sensitive, playful and
affectionate. A cheerful
attitude is the hallmark of the
breed and one should settle for
nothing less.
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