Official ICCF Breed Description
Brief Historical Overview
The Russian Salon Dog is one of the oldest decorative breeds in Russia, formed in the 19th–20th centuries. It was bred as a companion for life in urban apartments and noble salons. Breeders focused on miniature size, refined appearance, and a gentle, friendly temperament. The Russian Salon Dog combines elegance, intelligence, and devotion to people, making it popular among both the nobility and the middle class. The breed preserves the traditions of ornamental dogs and remains rare but highly valued for its beauty and docile character.
General Appearance
The Russian Salon Dog is a miniature, graceful dog with harmonious body proportions. It has a compact, slightly elongated body while maintaining lightness and graceful movement. The back is straight, the chest moderately deep, and the abdomen tucked up. The head is proportional to the body, with expressive eyes and neat ears. The limbs are straight and slender, with small, oval feet. The tail is of medium length, beautifully curved, and usually covered with long, silky hair. The overall silhouette gives an impression of refinement, elegance, and balance, emphasizing the breed’s ornamental type. The Russian Salon Dog is distinguished by its smooth lines, delicate build, and polished appearance, embodying the ideal of a charming miniature companion.
Important Proportions
The Russian Salon Dog is characterized by balanced and natural proportions. The body length slightly exceeds the height at the withers, giving both compactness and elegance. The head is proportionate, with smooth lines and a gentle transition to the muzzle. The muzzle length is approximately half the head’s length, maintaining correct balance. The neck is of medium length and connects gracefully to the body, ensuring freedom of movement and poise. The limbs are straight and proportional, with front and rear legs in harmony with the torso’s length. The tail is about two-thirds the body length, gracefully curved and completing the silhouette. All proportions emphasize lightness, refinement, and harmony, highlighting the breed’s elegant miniature form.
Behavior and Temperament
The Russian Salon Dog is friendly, intelligent, and lively, with a balanced temperament. Deeply attached to its owner, it shows affection and loyalty. It gets along well with children and other pets, showing no aggression. The breed is curious, playful, and responsive to training. It learns tricks easily and enjoys human interaction. Sensitive and intuitive, it reacts to its owner’s emotions and seeks companionship. Despite its small size, it is courageous and smart, eager to participate in family life. Its temperament combines activity and gentleness, making it perfect for home life and an excellent decorative and show dog.
Head
The head is small and well-proportioned, with smooth, soft lines. The skull is slightly rounded, and the forehead is moderately wide without sharp angles. The stop is gentle, and the nose is straight and well-shaped with distinct nostrils. The cheeks are soft and moderately defined, ensuring facial harmony. The muzzle is neat and slightly tapered, the lips smooth and tight, and the chin firm but not prominent. The overall head gives an impression of refinement, grace, and intelligence, accentuating the breed’s ornamental type. In profile, the head shows smooth, uninterrupted lines consistent with the breed’s miniature and elegant nature.
Facial Region
The facial region is neat and expressive, harmoniously integrated into the head’s overall shape. The muzzle is medium in length, slightly narrowing to the nose. The nose is small and proportional, with clearly defined nostrils. The cheeks are moderate, giving refinement without heaviness. The lips are tight and well-shaped, the chin straight and aligned, giving a composed expression. The face reflects friendliness, intelligence, and liveliness. All features should be balanced and symmetrical, maintaining the breed’s decorative and elegant type.
Eyes
The eyes are medium-sized, round, and well-set apart, with a gentle and lively expression. The color harmonizes with the coat — amber or hazel for light coats, dark brown for darker ones. The eyelids are tight, without folds or drooping, and the gaze is soft and friendly, reflecting the calm and affectionate nature of the breed.
Ears
The ears are medium-sized, triangular with rounded tips, set at or slightly above eye level, and lie close to the head. Covered with short, fine hair without tufts, they emphasize the dog’s attentiveness and lively expression, harmonizing with the elegant shape of the head.
Neck
The neck is of medium length, slender, and gracefully connects the head to the body. It is proportionate, neither short nor long, ensuring balance and elegance. The musculature is moderate, supporting the head and allowing free movement. The line of the neck is smooth and slightly arched, underlining the breed’s grace and refinement. In males, the neck is slightly stronger; in females, more delicate, but always balanced and harmonious.
Body
The body is compact and slightly elongated, with a straight back and smooth lines. The chest is moderately deep, giving the silhouette lightness and elegance. The abdomen is tucked up, the croup rounded but not heavy. The musculature is light, allowing agility and flexibility. The overall shape is harmonious, expressing refinement and proportion. The breed combines decorative appeal with natural movement and grace.
Tail
The tail is medium in length, proportional to the body, flexible, and gracefully curved. It continues the line of the back and adds completeness to the silhouette. Covered with long, silky hair, it moves freely and enhances the breed’s elegance. The tail should not be too short, thin, or heavy, maintaining harmony with the overall proportions.
Forequarters
The forelegs are straight, slender, and proportional to the body. The bone structure is fine yet strong, with moderate musculature ensuring mobility and elegance. The elbows are close to the body, and the feet are small, oval, and firm with compact toes. The proportions emphasize balance and refinement, combining decorative grace with stability.
Hindquarters
The hind legs are slightly longer than the forelegs, giving a gentle rise from the back to the loin. The bone structure is firm, musculature moderate, ensuring strength, agility, and elasticity. The legs are straight, the joints flexible, and the feet small and compact. The hindquarters contribute to a smooth, balanced gait and harmonious silhouette.
Gait and Movement
The movement is light, smooth, and graceful, reflecting elegance and miniatureness. The steps are confident and even, the back remains straight, and the silhouette balanced. The dog moves freely and easily, demonstrating flexibility and coordination. The gait expresses refinement and liveliness characteristic of ornamental breeds.
Coat
The coat is long, silky, soft, and shiny, evenly covering the body. It may be straight or slightly wavy, without harshness. The undercoat is fine and moderate, adding volume without heaviness. The hair lies smoothly, emphasizing the breed’s graceful outline. The coat should be elastic, glossy, and well-groomed. Harsh, sparse, or matted coats are faults. The coat underlines the breed’s elegance, refinement, and ornamental nature.
Acceptable Colors
All classic colors are acceptable — solid, spotted, brindle, bi-color, or tri-color. Color should be clean, even, and harmonious. Sharp transitions, facial striping, or patchiness are undesirable. The eye color must match the coat, enhancing the dog’s expression. Acceptable colors emphasize the breed’s charm and aesthetic balance.
Size
The Russian Salon Dog is miniature, with a compact and proportionate body. Height at the withers: females 20–24 cm, males 22–26 cm. Weight: 2–4 kg. The body is slightly elongated, lines smooth and elegant. All features — head, neck, legs, and tail — are balanced to reflect miniature elegance, ideal for home life and decorative presentation.
Faults
Faults include any deviations disrupting the breed’s harmony or ornamental type — overly large or stocky body, long or short muzzle, coarse head lines, incorrect ear set, deformed tail, sparse or harsh coat, or improper coloring. Behavioral issues such as aggression, shyness, or poor trainability are also faults.
Disqualifications
Serious deviations disqualify dogs from breeding or shows — coarse or heavy body type, incorrect muzzle length, asymmetrical head, malformed ears or tail, crooked limbs, or poor coat texture. Missing undercoat, matted or uneven hair, and unacceptable color patterns are disqualifying. Aggression, fearfulness, or genetic health defects also disqualify the dog, maintaining the breed’s harmony, health, and decorative character.
Important Notes
Evaluation focuses on harmony, proportions, and elegance. Special attention is given to head shape, ear position, body line, coat quality, and color. The dog’s temperament must match its type — friendly, active, trainable, and devoted. Aggression, fear, or disharmony are unacceptable. The Russian Salon Dog must demonstrate grace, refinement, and balance, combining ornamental beauty with natural vitality.
Conclusion
The Russian Salon Dog is a miniature decorative breed of graceful proportions, refined appearance, and affectionate temperament. Participation in exhibitions and breeding is allowed only for dogs registered with ICCF that meet the breed standard. Evaluation considers proportions, coat quality, expression, and temperament. The breed embodies elegance, charm, and devotion, representing the ideal of harmony, intelligence, and decorative beauty within the ICCF system.
