|
Guinea Pigs Standard For The Breed(s)
Below I have the Standard of Perfection, or Standard of the Breed for Cavies/Guinea Pigs, as per the American Cavy Breeders Association. You will notice that Show Guinea Pigs are probably larger than any you have seen before. Their shape is more like a Potato and their noses more 'blunt'. They are absolutely gorgeous and the Standard for each Breed is what Breeders should be striving for.
The contents of this page for Guinea Pigs Standard For The Breed(s) is still under construction. It is going to take me a while to type out each Standard, but I wanted an over view up and going on the website. Please check back often. Yes, I hope to add photos soon.
There are 13 Breeds of Cavies (Guinea Pigs) that are sanctioned by the American Cavy Breeders Association (ACBA)
Abyssinian - Coat is short, harsh, and wiry in texture. The rough hair spreads out from a tiny center forming distinct rosettes. There should be one rosette on each shoulder, two on each side of the saddle,
one on each hip, and one on each side of the rump, for a total of at least 10 rosettes. Other terms to describe this unique coat are: ruff/collar, rump ridge, mane, back ridge.
Abyssinian Satin – Has the same distinct coat of rosettes and ridges as the Abyssinian, but the coat should have a glowing satin sheen. The hair shafts are hollow, and each shaft should be through the entire coat, giving the high shine when light hits it.
American – Coat is short, smooth and silky. Has a Roman nose with ears that are shapely and slightly 'drooping' but not fallen.
American Stain – Similar to the American in appearance, however, the coat should be fine and dense,with a silky, soft texture with a high sheen. The hair shafts are hollow, and each hair shaft should be through the entire coat, giving the high shine when light hits it.
Coronet – A long-haired breed with a normal coat. Coat grows evenly from the back and sides, with the coronet or rosette radiating evenly from a clearly defined pinpoint center of its head. The rear
portion of the coronet blends into the mane with the front portion drooping over the eyes. Is not recognized by ACBA in Satin.
Peruvian – Coat grows from a part going down the cavy's entire back, with the hair growing over the head and down the back and even from short distance, it is difficult to tell the front from the back of the
animal.
Peruvian Satin – Has the same physical characteristics as the normal Peruvian, except there must be a lustrous sheen over the entire coat. The texture of the coat is also much silkier. The hair shafts are hollow, and each shaft should be through the entire coat, giving the high shine when light hits it.
Silkie – Long-haired breed with a broad head and a short Roman nose. The side and rear sweeps grow the same as on the Peruvian, however, the mane grows back from the head and over the back and therefore should not be parted.
Silkie Satin – Has the same physical characteristics as the normal Silkie, except for a lustrous sheen over the entire coat with a much silkier texture. The hair shafts are hollow, and each shaft should be through the entire coat, giving the high shine when light hits it.
Teddy (Rex) – The coat is to be extremely dense and “kinky,” with an ideal length of 3/4”. There are two separate textures in the Teddy's coat, with one being plush and the other harsh.
Teddy Satin – Similar to the Teddy in appearance, however, the coat is to have a luxurious and resilient texture. The hair shafts should hollow, reflecting the light to a high shine.
Texel – A long-haired breed, with a coat that grows corkscrews or curls (ringlets) 1/8”-3/4” in diameter. The coat should be soft, dense, and springy to the touch. The head resembles that of a Teddy and is the
only breed with a compact, cobby body. This Breed is not recognized as a Breed in a Satin.
White Crested – The standard is the same as the American Cavy except it must have a white crest. The crest is a rosette centered on a running line from the tip of the nose to the center of the ears, there is to
be no white anywhere else on the body. Is not recognized as a Breed by ACBA in a Satin.
OTHER GUINEA PIG BREEDS
Ridgeback - A short haired breed with a Ridge on the spine of Standing Hair, think Mohawk.
Skinny Pig - Hairless. They should be completely hairless, but most are not. Many have hair on their faces and that hair is Teddy/Rex type hair.
Wearwolf - This is a Skinny Pig with more hair, patches, most are dark colored and should have Red Eyes.
Lunkarya - The Lunkarya is a long-coated cavy with loose curls (not ringlets),frontal,cheek sweeps, and two rump rosettes.
TYPE–Points 15: Lunkaryas are to have a cobby body with well-developed shoulders, a strong midsection, and well-rounded,smooth hindquarters. Head to be broad with good width. Eyes to be large and bold.
COAT–Points 65: (Texture 25, Density 15, Structure 15, Head Furnishings; Cheek, Side, and Rear Sweeps 10).
Texture–Points 25: The texture of the coat is to be as harsh as possible giving it a good rise and elastic impression all over the body.
Density–Points 15: The density of the coat is to be even all around the body, from closest to the body and outwards to the tips.
Structure–Points 15: The coat is to have loose curls and waves, giving an unruly, tousled appearance. The belly coat should be dense and curly.
Head Furnishings; cheek, side, and rear sweeps–Points 10: The head furnishings are to cover the head when it is an adult forming a thick frontal. The coat on the head is shorter and with coarse wavy hairs standing straight out. The cheek sweeps which cover the cheeks and jawline should be pronounced and strong with hair all of one length. Two rump rosettes should be placed as far back as possible over the hips, lifting the coat toward the front of the animal. The coat of the sides should be even and harmonize with the overall length.
Faults–Additional rosettes, thin texture, lacking waviness, matted coat, breaks or gaps in the coat, uneven sweeps.
Disqualifications from Competition–No rump rosettes, totally straight coat with no curl or wave.
COLOR–Points 10: Color is to match the variety description. In marked varieties color points are to be divided equally – ½ the points
to color quality and ½ the points to markings.
CONDITION–Points 10: Per ARBA definition.
Eligible to be entered in all ARBA sanctioned shows as exhibition animals. May NOT compete for Best in Show
Swiss - Swiss Guinea Pigs are basically a Teddy with a Medium Length Coat.
Dalmatian - Some people consider the Dalmatian Coloring and Markings a Breed. But. These GP are shown under the Breed American.
Dutch - Some people consider the Dutch Markings on a GP a Breed, as with rabbits, however, according to the American Cavy Breeders Association, these GP are show under the American Breed, Dutch Coloring.
Crested - This Breed is the same, if you will, as a White Crested, only the Crests on the top of their heads do not have the white coloring.
Himalayan - The Himalyan, unlike the Rabbit Breed, is not considered a Breed unto it's self. These Siamese Cat marked GP are shown under the American Breed.
-- The Small Animal Fun Team
Fri, 24 Jul 2026 15:12:00 +0000
|
In the high plains of South Dakota, USA