a simple guide:~~~

There has been times when as a championship show judge for my breed the Bichon Frisè, I have been called upon to judge other breeds in the toy group, at Open show level.

It is not unreasonable to expect a judge to recognise correct conformation, overall balance, and good movement in most breeds Overall condition can also be appreciated in a Bichon the same way as it is in the Cavalier. Poor grooming can be just as off-putting whether judging a Maltese or a Pekingese.

So with these thoughts in mind and recollection, (with a smile) of how many times I have been casually asked by the *variety judge*, "What should I be looking for in a bichon" ~~~ I thought a simple page to perhaps illustrate a few of the major breed points that may help our fellow judges and perhaps encourage them to seek out a more first hand demonstration or direct them to a *Good Book*.

The Breed Standard is included and I suggest you familiarise yourself with the breed characteristics as set by our Kennel Club.

General Appearance.

Well balanced dog of smart appearance, closely coated with handsome plume carried over the back. Natural white coat curling loosely. Head carriage proud and high.

Characteristics.

Gay ,happy, lively little dog.

Temperament

Friendly and outgoing.

Head and skull

Ratio of muzzle length to skull length 3:5. On a head of the correct width and length, lines drawn between the outer corners of the eyes and nose will create a near equilateral triangle. Whole head in balance with the body. Muzzle not thick, heavy or snipey. Cheeks flat, not very strongly muscled. Stop moderate but defined, hollow between the eyebrows just visible. Skull slightly rounded, not course with hair accentuating rounded appearance. Nose large round black, soft and shiny.

Eyes

Dark, round with black eye rims, surrounded by dark halos, consisting of well pigmented skin. forward looking, fairly large but not almond shaped, neither obliquely set nor protruding. Showing no white when looking forward. Alert, full of expression.

Ears

Hanging close to head, well covered with flowing hair longer than leathers, set on slightly higher that eye level and rather forward on the skull. Carried forward when dog alert, forward edge touching skull. Leather reaching halfway along muzzle.

Mouth

Jaws strong, with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Full dentition desirable. Lips fine, fairly tight and completely black.

Neck

Arched neck fairly long, about one third length of body. Carried high and proudly. Round and slim near head gradually broadening to fit smoothly into shoulders

Forequarters

Shoulders oblique, not prominent, equal in length to upper arm. Upper arm fits closely to body. Legs straight, perpendicular, when seen from front: not too finely boned. Pasterns short and straight viewed from front, very slightly sloping when viewed from side.

Body

Forechest well developed, deep brisket. Ribs well sprung, floating ribs not terminating abruptly. Loin broad, well muscled, slightly arched and well tucked up. Pelvis broad, croup slightly rounded. Length from withers to tailset should equal height from withers to ground.

Hindquarters.

Thighs broad and well rounded. Stifles well bent; hocks well angulated and metatarsals perpendicular.

Feet

Tight, rounded and well knuckled up. Pads black. Nails preferably black.

Tail

Normally carried raised and curved gracefully over the back but not tightly curled. Never docked. Carried in line with the backbone, only hair touching the back: tail itself not in contact. Set on level with topline, neither too high or too low. Corkscrew tail undesirable.

Gait/movement

Balanced and effortless with easy reach and drive maintaining a steady and level topline. Legs moving straight along the line of travel, with hind pads showing.

Coat

Fine silky, with soft corkscrew curls. Neither flat or corded, and measuring 7-10cm in length. The dog may be presented untrimmed or have the feet and muzzle slightly tidied up.

Colour

White, but cream or apricot markings acceptable up to 18 months. Under white coat, dark pigment desirable. Black blue or beige markings often found on the skin.

Size

Ideal height 23-28cm ( 9"-11") at the withers.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded in exact proportion to its degree.

Note

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Every characteristic is important but the head is usually the stumbling block for most non-specialist judges .If the halos around the eyes are weak and/or the eyes are too small the whole balance is lost and the expression takes on a mean look ~~~ quite alien to the bichons alert and friendly nature. The equilateral triangle and the ratio of 3:5 are the two major head points..

It is necessary to flatten the hair over the head to feel the width of skull. the back of the skull to the stop should be 3/5th to the 2/5th of the muzzle . The width of the skull behind the eyes should be just as wide as the 3/5 if there is sufficient width to the skull. Below is the correct ratio from above.

Quite often the muzzle is too long. The head can still be quite pretty, especially if the pigment is good and the eye large but it is wrong to overlook a long muzzle ~~~ the equilateral triangle is very important. Be sure the eyes are forward looking and round. there should be nothing poodle-like about the head at all. As in the diagram below, the whole balance is lost if the muzzle is slightly overlong, or the eyes set a little too closely.

Black pigment and dark eyes are essential ~~~ If you look for black skin anywhere that skin is showing, pads, lips halos, nose. Remember you are looking for a dog which is essentially black and white.

Overall balance distance between withers and tailset and the neck being about a third body length, is a minefield to assess. Bichon exhibitors have had years of practice when it comes to illusion armed with a good thick coat and a pair of scissors. Trust what you feel when going over the dog and then by watching him move. Head carriage will tell you more about how the bichon is made than when he is stacked and strung up in two inches of grass..

diagram of bichon uncoated, showing the square between shoulders , ground and tailset

The coat is all important. Have a good feel of it ~~~ not just the bit at the bottom of the neck and giving him a gentle pat on the back ~~~get your fingers right in ~~~ is there a hint of coarseness? ~~ Or is it really soft and silky?. It should be very soft but thick,~~~ thick enough to keep some kind of shape, but not so strong and dense that it doesn't move. This type of coat can seem like a bonus on the grooming table but it is not a breed characteristic. In the same way a thin scrappy, stained coat is also undesirable. The Bichon Frise is a white dog. Not white and brown with rusty patches on his face and legs.

Forgive some beige or honey coloured patches on a puppy or junior ~~ this will clear later.

There can still be evidence of the corkscrew curls. There can be curls in the tail feathering and when parting the coat, these corkscrews can still be seen in a well blow-dried coat if it is the correct type.

The tail is unique to our breed. A plume is an excellent description , carried gently over the back in line with the backbone and only the long hair touching the back. A tight tail will leave quite a dent in a good coat. An unhappy or nervous dog will drop his tail ~~~look for this on the move , especially when coming back towards you ~~the judge.~~~ If the tail is down penalise this heavily, Nothing is more important than an outgoing confident temperament in the Bichon Frise.

Whether you decide that a dark eye is more important to you than a black nose or the correct coat is up to you ~~all judges preferences differ. Your consideration of the overall size of the dog will probably be quite far down the list of priorities. Try however, to assess, not necessarily the inches tall at the withers a dog should be, but take heed of the overall bulk of the bichon. An 11 1/2 inch dog can still be acceptable if he is quite finely boned , well muscled and not coarse in any way. I would consider this dog far preferable to an 11 inch dog that was heavy, flabby and had bone like a cocker spaniel. Bichons are toys, they should be small , very pretty, alert and confident.

Movement is important when assessing this generally sound toy. The pronounced feel to the forechest and straight line down the fore leg provide the structure for a well moving dog with good reach and drive .Strong hindquarters with good angulation provide effortless movement without any hint of a shuffling hind action. A bichon should move steadily around the ring with his head held high, keeping a level topline and beautiful tail held over his back in a confident outgoing way.