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Stargazer Papillons
Information About
The American Kennel Club
(AKC)
and the Papillon AKC Breed Standard
The American Kennel Club (AKC) was established on September 17,
1884 by a group of twelve sportsmen. The AKC continues to be the largest
purebred dog registry in the United States and supports many types of events.
These events include: Conformation, Agility, Obedience, Tracking, Canine Good
Citizen, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Lure Coursing, Herding, Earthdog, and
Coonhound events. In 1998 there were almost 2 million dogs competing in
licensed and sanctioned events.
The Papillon was first represented in the American Kennel Club
(AKC) in 1935 and has become a popular dog in conformation and performance
events such as agility. It can currently be found in the "Toy Group".
The current AKC Papillon breed "standard" was accepted in 1991. A
"standard" is what a judge uses to compare the quality of the dogs that are
being examined and to determine which dog best represents the "perfect" dog.
The "standard" describes the perfect dog.
For more information about the American Kennel Club (AKC) visit their website at:
www.akc.org
Here is the AKC Papillon Breed Standard:
Papillon Breed Standard
Toy Group
General Appearance
The Papillon is a small, friendly, elegant toy dog of fine-boned structure,
light, dainty and of lively action; distinguished from other breeds by its
beautiful butterfly-like ears.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size - Height at withers, 8 to 11 inches. Fault - Over 11 inches.
Disqualification - Over 12 inches. Proportion - Body must be slightly longer
than the height at withers. It is not a cobby dog. Weight is in proportion to
height. Substance - Of fine-boned structure.
Head
Eyes dark, round, not bulging, of medium size and alert in expression. The inner
corners of the eyes are on line with the stop.
Eye rims black.
Ears - The ears
of either the erect or drop type should be large with rounded tips, and set on
the sides and toward the back of the head.
(1) Ears of the erect type are
carried obliquely and move like the spread wings of a butterfly. When alert,
each ear forms an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the head. The leather
should be of sufficient strength to maintain the erect position.
(2) Ears of the
drop type, known as the Phalene, are similar to the erect type, but are carried
drooping and must be completely down. Faults - Ears small, pointed, set too
high; one ear up, or ears partly down.
Skull - The head is small. The skull is of medium width and slightly rounded
between the ears. A well-defined stop is formed where the muzzle joins the
skull.
Muzzle - The muzzle is fine, abruptly thinner than the head, tapering to
the nose. The length of the muzzle from the tip of the nose to stop is
approximately one-third the length of the head from tip of nose to occiput.
Nose
black, small, rounded and slightly flat on top. The following fault shall be
severely penalized - Nose not black. Lips tight, thin and black.
Tongue must not
be visible when jaws are closed.
Bite - Teeth must meet in a scissors bite.
Faults - Overshot or undershot.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck of medium length. Topline - The backline is straight and level.
Body - The
chest is of medium depth with ribs well sprung. The belly is tucked up.
Tail
long, set high and carried well arched over the body. The tail is covered with a
long, flowing plume. The plume may hang to either side of the body.
Faults -
Low-set tail; one not arched over the back, or too short.
Forequarters
Shoulders well developed and laid back to allow freedom of movement. Forelegs
slender, fine-boned and must be straight. Removal of dewclaws on forelegs
optional. Front feet thin and elongated (hare-like), pointing neither in nor
out.
Hindquarters
Well developed and well angulated. The hind legs are slender, fine-boned, and
parallel when viewed from behind. Hocks inclined neither in nor out. Dewclaws,
if any, must be removed from hind legs. Hind feet thin and elongated
(hare-like), pointing neither in nor out.
Coat
Abundant, long, fine, silky, flowing, straight with resilient quality, flat on
back and sides of body. A profuse frill on chest. There is no undercoat. Hair
short and close on skull, muzzle, front of forelegs, and from hind feet to
hocks. Ears well fringed, with the inside covered with silken hair of medium
length. Backs of the forelegs are covered with feathers diminishing to the
pasterns. Hind legs are covered to the hocks with abundant breeches (culottes).
Tail is covered with a long, flowing plume. Hair on feet is short, but fine
tufts may appear over toes and grow beyond them, forming a point.
Color
Always parti-color or white with patches of any color(s). On the head, color(s)
other than white must cover both ears, back and front, and extend without
interruption from the ears over both eyes. A clearly defined white blaze and
noseband are preferred to a solidly marked head. Symmetry of facial markings is
desirable. The size, shape, placement, and presence or absence of patches of
color on the body are without importance. Among the colors there is no
preference, provided nose, eye rims and lips are well pigmented black.
The following faults shall be severely penalized -
Color other than white not
covering both ears, back and front, or not extending from the ears over both
eyes. A slight extension of the white collar onto the base of the ears, or a few
white hairs interspersed among the color, shall not be penalized, provided the
butterfly appearance is not sacrificed.
Disqualifications - An all white dog or
a dog with no white.
Gait
Free, quick, easy, graceful, not paddlefooted, or stiff in hip movements.
Temperament
Happy, alert and friendly. Neither shy nor aggressive.
Disqualifications
Height over 12 inches.
An all white dog or a dog with no white.
Approved June 10, 1991
Effective July 31, 1991
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