What does each club give for Height at the withers in the Bolognese?

FCI, Male: 27–30 cm; AKC, Male: 24.1–27.9 cm; UKC, Male: 26.7–30.5 cm; KC, Male: 27–30.5 cm; FCI, Female: 25–28 cm; AKC, Female: 22.9–26.7 cm; UKC, Female: 24.1–27.9 cm; KC, Female: 25.5–28 cm.

Bolognese breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC.

Size

Size
Measure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC
Height at the withers, male	27–30 cmunder 25 cmFaultover 33 cmFault	24.1–27.9 cmunder 22.9 cmFaultover 29.2 cmFault	26.7–30.5 cm	27–30.5 cm
Height at the withers, female	25–28 cmunder 22 cmFaultover 32 cmFault	22.9–26.7 cmunder 21.6 cmFaultover 27.9 cmFault	24.1–27.9 cm	25.5–28 cm
Weight	2.5–4 kg	under 4.5 kg	2.5–4.1 kg	No ruling
Height to length	1	1	1	1

Conformation

Conformation
Form	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC
BiteScissors bite	Standard (“Articulation of incisors as scissor bite”)	Standard (“Articulation of incisors as scissor bite”)	Standard (“strong, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite is preferred”)	Standard (“perfect, regular scissor bite”)
BiteLevel bite	Alternate (“pincer bite tolerated”)	Alternate (“level bite is tolerated”)	Alternate (“A level bite is permissible”)	No ruling
BiteUndershot	Fault (“Severe faults: Undershot”)	Disqualifying (“An undershot or overshot jaw is a disqualifying fault”)	Disqualifying (“Disqualification: Undershot bite”)	No ruling
BiteOvershot	No ruling	Disqualifying (“An undershot or overshot jaw is a disqualifying fault”)	No ruling	No ruling
DentitionFull dentition	Standard (“Teeth white evenly aligned, with strong and complete dentition”)	Standard (“White and evenly aligned with strong and complete definition”)	Standard (“A full complement of strong, white teeth”)	No ruling
DentitionMissing teeth	No ruling	Alternate (“P1 missing is tolerated”)	No ruling	No ruling
Ear carriageDrop (pendant)	Standard (“High set, they are long and hanging”)	Standard (“they are long and hanging but rather rigid at their base”)	Standard (“Set high on the head, long and hanging”)	No ruling
Ear setHigh	Standard (“EARS: High set”)	Standard (“Ears - High set”)	Standard (“Set high on the head”)	Standard (“Set on high, long, well coated”)
Eye shapeRound	Standard (“Eyelid opening is round”)	Standard (“The large, round eyes are ochre in color”)	Standard (“The eyes must be well open, large and round”)	Standard (“Large, round, dark with well-pigmented rims”)
StopPronounced	Standard (“Stop: Rather accentuated”)	Standard (“Stop - Rather accentuated”)	No ruling	No ruling
ToplineLevel	Standard (“Back: Straight”)	Standard (“The back is level to the loin”)	Standard (“The back is level to the loin”)	Standard (“Level back, loins slightly arched”)
Tail carriageCurled over the back	Standard (“Set in the line of the croup, carried curved over the back”)	No ruling	Standard (“carried curved over the back”)	Standard (“carried loosely and curved over back”)
Tail lengthNatural bobtail	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Disqualifications: Natural bob or a docked tail”)	No ruling
FeetOval	Standard (“Forefeet: Oval shaped”)	Standard (“Feet - Oval shaped”)	Standard (“Oval in shape; with well-cushioned, dark pads”)	Standard (“Oval, black nails and pads”)
HocksWell let down	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“moderate turn of stifle, hocks well let down”)
Neck lengthMedium	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Clean, medium length”)
DewlapNone (clean throat)	Standard (“NECK: Without dewlap”)	Standard (“is without a dewlap”)	Standard (“Same length as the head. Free from dewlap”)	No ruling

Cropping, docking and other procedures

Cropping, docking and other procedures
Procedure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC
Tail docking	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Disqualifications: Natural bob or a docked tail”)	No ruling
Dewclaw removal	No ruling	Alternate (“Dewclaws - Dewclaws may be removed”)	Alternate (“Dewclaws may be removed”)	No ruling

The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live.

Bolognese colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Bolognese color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Bolognese in White. Standard patterns: Solid.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
White	Standard (“Pure white”)	Standard (“White”)	Standard (“Pure white”)	Standard (“White without markings”)	Standard (“Pure white”)
Cream	Alternate (“very slight shades of ivory are not disqualifying”)	Disqualifying	Disqualifying	Not recognized	Alternate (“very slight shades of ivory are not disqualifying”)
Champagne	Disqualifying	Alternate (“a champagne tone on the ears until 18 months of age which is perfectly acceptable”)	Disqualifying	Not recognized	Disqualifying
Albino	Disqualifying	Disqualifying	Disqualifying (“Albinism”)	Not recognized	Disqualifying
Patterns
Solid	Standard (“Pure white”)	Standard (“Pure white”)	Standard (“Pure white”)	Standard (“White without markings”)	Standard (“Pure white”)

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Dark brown	Standard (“the iris of a dark ochre colour”)	Standard (“dark iris”)	Standard (“the iris is a dark ochre color”)	Standard (“Large, round, dark”)	Standard (“the iris of a dark ochre colour”)
Blue	Disqualifying (“Wall-eyed”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Wall-eyed”)

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“Large and must be black”)	Standard (“Nose is large and black”)	Standard (“Large and black”)	Standard (“Nose large, black”)	Standard (“Large, and must be black”)
Pink	Disqualifying (“Depigmentation of the nose”)	Disqualifying (“Complete lack of pigment of the nose”)	Disqualifying	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Depigmentation of the nose”)
Dudley	Disqualifying	Disqualifying	Disqualifying (“Dudley nose”)	No ruling	Disqualifying

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Alternate: Registrable with the club but not described by its breed standard, such as an AKC alternate color.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Not recognized: The club does not accept this color or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Bolognese's colors can change over its life.

Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

Published standards

Back to the Bolognese guide Grooming styles for the Bolognese