06/05/2026
FAULTS & DISQUALIFICATIONS — NO DOG IS PERFECT
As we come to the end of this breed standard series, I think it's important to talk about something that often gets misunderstood.
No dog is perfect. Not the top-winning dog in the country. Not the dog that just finished a championship. Not the dog sleeping on your couch. Every Chinese Crested has strengths, and every Chinese Crested has faults.
That's actually the entire reason breed standards exist. They're not meant to be a checklist that only a perfect dog can pass. They're a blueprint. A description of the ideal that breeders, judges, and exhibitors are working toward while preserving the things that make a Chinese Crested unmistakably a Chinese Crested.
The reality is that every dog falls somewhere short of that ideal. Maybe the eyes could be more almond-shaped. Maybe the movement could be a little cleaner. Maybe the coat texture isn't quite what we'd like. The question isn't whether faults exist. The question is how serious they are and whether they affect breed type, soundness, temperament, or overall quality.
This is also one of the few areas where the registries begin to differ in a meaningful way.
AKC and CKC take a fairly broad approach and don't list specific disqualifications for the breed. UKC is much more specific, disqualifying cryptorchid males, albino dogs, and dogs that exhibit viciousness or extreme shyness. FCI also takes a firmer stance on serious temperament issues and obvious physical or behavioral abnormalities.
But despite those differences, all of the registries are really trying to accomplish the same thing. They want judges looking at the whole dog rather than obsessing over one small imperfection.
Because let's be honest—if you've spent any time around dog people, you've probably heard someone point out a fault in a dog that won, and someone else point out a fault in the dog that lost. That's because judging isn't about finding a flawless dog. It's about deciding which dog, on that day, comes closest to the standard as a complete package.
And that brings us to what I think may be the most important lesson in this entire series. A fault doesn't automatically make a dog worthless. A dog can have a fault and still be a wonderful companion. A dog can have a fault and still enjoy success in the ring. A dog can have a fault and still contribute positively to a breeding program if its virtues outweigh its shortcomings. What matters is being honest about those faults.
Responsible breeders don't pretend they don't exist. They acknowledge them, evaluate them, and make breeding decisions that move the breed forward rather than backward.
At the same time, there are some things that simply shouldn't be ignored. Serious temperament problems, significant structural issues, cryptorchidism, and other serious hereditary concerns deserve careful consideration because they can affect not only the individual dog but future generations as well.
As we've worked through this series, we've talked about heads, eyes, ears, necks, toplines, tails, feet, movement, coat varieties, color, temperament, and the differences between registries around the world.
What strikes me most isn't where the standards disagree.
It's how much they agree. No matter which registry you read, they all describe the same elegant, affectionate, alert little companion that has charmed people for generations.
And that's really what breed standards are all about. They're not about perfection. They're about preservation.
Thank you to everyone who has followed along through this series. I hope it has encouraged you to look beyond ribbons, advertisements, and titles and spend time learning what truly defines our breed. Because preserving a breed starts with understanding it—and understanding it starts with the standard. ❤️
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