Bichon Frize
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
The Bichon Frize was brought to France from Italy during the Renaissance. As it resembled a very small Barbet, it was given the name "barbichon", abbreviated for "bichon". In the 17th and 18th centuries, many renowned painters portrayed these small dogs that accompanied kings, nobles and other notables. The breed came back into fashion with Napoleon III, and was known at that time as the "Ténériffe". It was then popularized, becoming well esteemed in both Belgium and France. It almost disappeared after the two world wars. It is thanks to the passion of some French and Belgian breeders that its population was able to be reconstituted
Country of Origin: France
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Small, happy dog, with lively and very loose movement, with curly white fur, curly type. Proud head bearing; the eyes are dark, lively and expressive. The tail is carried gracefully curved in line with the back.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Longer than tall, the length of the body (from shoulder to buttocks) is greater than the height at the withers. The body is rectangular. The ratio between the length of the skull and the length of the muzzle is 3 to 2. The depth of the chest is equal to the height measured from the ground to the elbows.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT: Companion dog that can be taken anywhere without problems, never nervous or barking, is very sociable with people and dogs, even if they don't know them. It has a great ability to adapt and is very attached to its masters.
HEAD : In good proportion to the body. The eyes and the nose are three black dots easily visible, in a white head.
CRANIAL REGION
skull : The skull is longer than the muzzle. It is not as wide as it is long and makes up 3/5 of the head length. Superciliary ridges are not as marked.
Stop : Marked, but little accentuated.
FACIAL REGION
Snout: Very broad at the base, not tapering towards the nose, forming 2/5 of the length of the head. The nose bridge is straight, without pointing down or sloping up.
Truffle: Rounded, black, with a fine and shiny texture.
Jaws and Teeth: The upper and lower jaws are wide, each with six evenly defined incisors. Scissor bite is preferred; pincer bite is tolerated. Preference will be given to a full set of teeth.
Eyes: Very dark, of medium size, somewhat round, not almond-shaped or protruding. They must not be placed obliquely. The pigmentation of the eyelid edges should be completely black. When the dog is looking straight ahead, the whites of the eyes should not be visible.
Ears : Drop down and well covered with abundant hair. They are connected above the eye line, forming an equilateral triangle, and hang vertically along the cheekbones. When they are pulled forward, the hide should reach at least the corner of the lips, and at most it should reach the middle of the muzzle. The ears are mobile, especially when something attracts the dog's attention.
NECK : Quite long, tall and proud. Round and thin close to the skull, gradually widening to fit harmoniously into the shoulders. Its length is approximately one third of the length of the trunk. no dewlap
TRUNK
Top Line: Straight.
Back: Horizontal, well muscled.
Loin: Broad, well muscled and slightly arched.
chest : Well developed, pronounced sternum, the false ribs are rounded and do not end sharply. Horizontally, it's quite deep
TAIL: Set moderately high, slightly below the dorsal line, it is carried high and gracefully curved in line with the spine, without being curled or tucked in. The end of the tail, regardless of the fur, does not touch the dog's back. The coat of the tail can fall under the back. The tail must not be carried hanging when the dog is in motion.
MEMBERS
PREVIOUS : Viewed from the front, the front legs are very straight and the bone is moderate.
Shoulders: Well inclined.
Arm: They form a good angle with the shoulders.
Elbows: close to the chest
Pasterns: Seen from the front are short and straight, slightly sloping when seen from the side.
HINDQUARTERS : The pelvis is wide. The hind legs are well muscled and, seen from behind, are parallel to each other. well upright
Knees: Well angled, neither turned in nor out.
Thighs: Broad and well muscled.
Hocks: Placed quite low and well marked.
Paws : Compact, round and well articulated, neither facing in nor out, pads should be black and nails should preferably be black.
DRIVE : Live, free, covering a lot of ground. When trotting, the head is carried high, the tail is well curved over the back. Rear legs have good handling. Members move in parallel planes.
COAT
By : Abundant coating. The fur of the outer coat forms a ripple in loose spiral waves (this is the curly structure). Soft, dense undercoat should be present. The coat is not flat, not stringy, not woolly, and not matted.
COLOR:
pure white
SIZE : Between 25 to 29 cm
FAULTS
Any deviation from the terms of this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well being of the dog.
SERIOUS FAULTS
• Temperament: A dog without self-confidence.
• Head: Pointed muzzle.
• Nose: Loss of pigmentation.
• Lips: Pink or partially depigmented, loose corners of the lips.
• Eyes: Clear, incomplete pigmentation of the eye contour, white visible in the eyes. The coat under the eyes should have no traces of tear secretions.
• Chest: Insufficiently developed.
• Tail: Curled, ringed, raised perpendicularly or hanging in motion.
• Limbs: Insufficient angulations.
• Coat: Insufficiently thick and/or incorrectly curled, causing the coat to be open or flattened.
• Color: Coloring in the coat (with the exception of specimens under 12 months of age).
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.
• Dentition: Lower or upper prognathism.
• Total depigmentation of the nose, edges of the lips and edges of the eyelids.
• Eyes: Small, almond shaped, prominent, very clear or squinted.
• Hair: Total absence of curly structure.
• Color: Any color other than white in the coat in specimens over the age of 12 months. • Size: Out of tolerances.
• General appearance: Any evidence of dwarfism.
• General build: Dog whose general configuration fits into a square.
GRADES
• Males must present both testicles, of normal appearance, well let down and accommodated in the scrotum.
• Only clinically and functionally healthy dogs with typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.