FCI Standard for Bichon Frise

FCI Number: 215

FCI Group: Group 9 – Companion and Toy Dogs

Height:

• Male Bichon Frise: 9.1-11.8 inches (23.0-30.0 cm) at the shoulders
• Female Bichon Frise: 9.1-11.0 inches (23.0-28.0 cm) at the shoulders

Weight Range:

• Male Bichon Frise: 6.6-11.0 pounds (3.0-5.0 kg)
• Female Bichon Frise: 6.6-11.0 pounds (3.0-5.0 kg)

Head (Skull, Nose, Muzzle, Lips, Jaw/Teeth, Face, Eyes, Ears):

Skull: Appears flat to the touch but appears round due to the coat. The skull is longer than the muzzle.

Nose: Round, black, with markings, and smooth.

Muzzle: Must be thick and heavy, not long. Wrinkles between the eyebrows are slightly visible. Lips are thin, slanting but not as much as the Brussels Griffon, drooping and covering only the lower lip without appearing heavy or protruding. The lower lip should be black, not heavy, and should not expose or sag, nor should it protrude when the mouth is closed.

Jaw/Teeth: Normal bite, where the lower incisors touch just behind the upper incisors.

Face: Flat, not very strong.

Eyes: Black, as round as possible, not almond-shaped. Should not be too large, show any white, or protrude too much. Eyeballs should not be excessively prominent.

Ears: Hanging, covered with fine, curly long hair. When alert, they may lift forward, with the front edges touching the skull, not excessively apart. Ear cartilage should not extend towards the nose, and the length should be half the length of the muzzle. Ears are not as wide or thin as the Lion Dog.

Body (Neck, Chest, Ribs, Back, Forechest, Skin):

Neck: Long and carried high, with a round and slender near the skull, gradually widening and naturally joining the shoulders. Approximately one-third of the body length (for a male dog with a height of 27 cm, the ratio is 11 cm to 33 cm). The top of the shoulder blades is close to the withers, which is the bottom of the neck.

Loin: Wide and well-muscled, slightly arched.

Croup: Slightly round.

Chest: Well-developed with a gently rounded sternum, rounded ribs, not prominent. The chest is deep horizontally.

Belly: Naturally folds upward, with delicate and taut skin, giving it a nimble appearance.

Limbs (Forequarters, Shoulders, Upper Arms, Elbows, Forearms, Hindquarters, Thighs, Hocks, Joints and Hocks Nails):

Forequarters: When viewed from the front, the front legs are straight and gracefully boned.

Shoulders: Sloping and not protruding, appearing equal in length to the upper arms, approximately 10 cm.

Upper Arms: Not too far from the body.

Elbows: Not turned out.

Forearms: Short and straight when viewed from the front, slightly inclined when viewed from the side.

Hindquarters: Pelvis is wide.

Thighs: Wide and well-muscled, naturally sloping.

Hocks: The angle of the hock joint is slightly larger than that of the Lion Dog.

Feet: Strong and powerful. Ideally, nails are black, though this is challenging to achieve.

Tail:

Tail: Slightly lower than the back when raised, it is happily curved and aligned with the spine when raised, not curled. The tail should not be docked and should not touch the back, but the hanging coat may touch the back.

Gait/Movement:

Lively movement.

Disqualification Criteria for Bichon Frise:

Defects: Any deviation from the above points is considered a defect, and any dog showing obvious abnormalities in body or behavior is disqualified.

• Slightly protruding upper or lower jaw.
• Flat coat, wavy, rope-like, or too short.
• Pink nose.
• Lips too protruding to the extent that upper and lower incisors cannot touch when closed.
• Eye color other than black.
• Twisted or spiral-shaped tail.