Bichon
Frise Breed
Non-Sporting
Group
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.
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Temperament
Gentle mannered, sensitive, playful and affectionate.
A cheerful attitude is the hallmark of the
breed and one should settle for nothing less.
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.
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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.
Thanks
to the American Kennel Club (AKC) for the
information
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