Bows & Expressions
Bows
Shih Tzu, Maltese, and Yorkshire Terriers are allowed to wear bows in conformation shows and other events without fault. They must be of a file hexed to have a visible topknot.
Different bows are hexed for different breedfiles and may not work for other files. There are no rules regarding the colour/pattern of the bow. It is up to the owner to pick a bow that they feel complements their pet and shows it off well.
These bows can be downloaded at the Department of Petz Preservation.
Iola Bow
Suitable for the Iola Shih Tzu, Supernova Shih Tzu V1, Supernova Maltese, Supernova Yorkshire Terrier, and PDH Yorkshire Terrier (V1 and V2).
Iola Satin Bow
Suitable for the Iola Shih Tzu, Supernova Shih Tzu V1, Supernova Maltese, Supernova Yorkshire Terrier, and PDH Yorkshire Terrier (V1 and V2).
Supernova Standard Bow
Suitable for the Supernova Shih Tzu V2.
Supernova Fancy Bow
Suitable for the Supernova Shih Tzu V2.Expressions
An important factor in a pet's pose is the expression of its eyes. Different breeds pose with different expressions by default.
Dogz (except the PF Magic poodle) only throw "real" poses as a reaction to the camera. This means that under normal circumstances, all poses for them are achieved in the same way and have the same expression every time (with some variations). Catz on the other hand pose as a reaction to various things, and two cat breeds do not pose as a reaction to the camera, meaning these other ways are used. Different ways of getting a pose results in different expressions.
SCPs
SCP determines the 'base' personality of a pet. Each default PFM breed has a different SCP, which makes the breeds behave in different ways. For showing, this means that some breeds do not pose normally or naturally - for example, the poodle, siamese, and orange shorthair. As a result, community hexed breedfiles often use a different SCP - for instance, the SN Siamese uses the B&W Shorthair SCP, as the B&W Shorthair SCP means that these catz pose normally for the camera, but still keep their angry eyelids.
UKC follows PKC in that we allow people to freely swap the SCPs of breedfiles, as long as a file with that particular SCP has been accepted for that breed. Using the Siamese example again, because the SN Siamese has been accepted with a B&W Shorthair SCP, you can swap the SCP of the PFM Siamese to the B&W Shorthair SCP.
A guide for SCP-swapping petz can be found here, written by Amanda @ Cargo
Catz Poses & Expressions
The methods for posing catz are as follows:
- Camera: This is the standard way to elicit a pose in Petz - the clicking of the camera causes the pet to run through a set of behaviours, one of which is to pose. In Petz 3/4 you can "spam the spacebar" and continue to press the camera shutter throughout a behaviour (or if using the auto-save option, hold down the spacebar), but in Petz 5 each time you press it you cause the pet to try a new behaviour. Poodle, Siamese, and Orange Shorthair SCPs never pose using this method.
- Pumpkin/Spray: Spraying the pet with the water bottle or showing it the pumpkin can make it pose angrily as a fear/anger response. This is only accepted in Siamese and Alley Cat SCPs where posing via camera is impossible or difficult and where anger is an appropriate personality trait. SCP swapping to a B&W Shorthair SCP is another way to achieve an angry eyelidded pose. It is safe to assume that if a breed has a file with a B&W Shorthair SCP accepted, then angry eyelidded poses are accepted and considered appropriate for the breed.
- Door: When a cat exits the pet door, once it stops walking it may perform a behaviour, one of which is to pose with even eyelids. If you direct the cat to walk horizontally, you can align it.
- Perfume: Spraying with the Perfume or Love Potion causes catz to pose with a worried expression.
Below are some tables that detail what different expressions can be achieved in catz, and what is considered acceptable for them.
x means not accepted regardless of whether they can perform it or not.
- means the cat can't perform a pose using that method.
| Petz 3/4/5 SCP | Camera | Pumpkin/Spray | Door | Perfume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alley Cat | Angry | Angry | Even | Worried |
| B&W Shorthair | Angry | Angry | x | x |
| Calico | Various eyelid levels; even or uneven | x | x | x |
| Chinchilla Persian | Even to extremely sleepy | x | Even | x |
| Maine Coon | Wide | x | x | x |
| Persian | Slightly Sleepy | x | x | x |
| Orange Shorthair | - | - | Worried | Worried |
| Russian Blue | Even | x | Even | x |
| Siamese | - | Angry | Even | Worried |
| Tabby | Wide | x | x | x |
| Petz 5 SCP | Camera | Pumpkin/Spray | Door | Perfume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Lynx | Even | x | Even | x |
| Egyptian Mau | Even | x | Even | x |
| Honey Bear | Straight, slightly uneven | x | Even | x |
| Japanese Bobtail | Angry | Angry | x | x |
| Scottish Fold | Wide | x | x | x |
Dogz Poses & Expressions
Except for the Poodle SCP, all dog SCPs are posed using the camera, thus there are not varying methods to obtain a pose in dogz. There are, however, different eyelid positions, which are detailed in the table below:
| Petz 3/4/5 SCP | Eyelid Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bulldog | Slighty angry | - |
| Chihuahua | Slighty sleepy | - |
| Dachshund | Even | - |
| Dalmatian | Sleepy | May also perform "fish eye" - eyes much wider but eyelid still slanted, though look less sleepy |
| Great Dane | Slightly sleepy | - |
| Labrador | Slightly sleepy | - |
| Mutt | Slightly sleepy | Often unequal. More equal eyelids prefered but unevenness is allowed and unfaulted |
| Poodle | - | Does not perform a 'standard' pose; see notes on the Poodle SCP below |
| Scottie | Slightly sleepy | - |
| Sheepdog | Slightly sleepy | - |
| Petz 5 SCP | Eyelid Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| German Shepherd | Slighty angry | - |
| Golden Retriever | Sleepy | - |
| Jack Russell | Even | - |
| Papillon | Slighty sleepy | - |
| Pug | Slighty angry | - |
Poodle SCP
The Poodle SCP does not pose like normal dogz. To get a poodle to pose, a SCP change is required. Changing the SCP of a breed file will affect already registered petz and the SCP can be changed again after a pose has been achieved. It is acceptable to switch to a Dalmatian, Mutt, or Labrador SCP as we have accepted poodle files with these SCPs.
Varying expressions within SCPs
Some SCPs can have varying expressions as a normal part of their personality - this is most commonly seen in the Mutt, Calico and Chinchilla Persian, but can also be seen in other SCPs.The uneven eyelids in Calicoes and Mutts will vary from pose to pose, the general guideline is that even or slightly uneven eyelids is preferred over very uneven ones. As for variations in other SCPs, it is up to the judge to decide if they think it is flattering to the pet or not.
Calico posing with different amounts of eyelid showing. This same type of variation is seen in the mutt.
Chinchilla Persian posing with different expressions. These are naturally occuring ranges within the SCP.
Examples of varying amount of eyelid showing in two Dalmatian-based breed files, a SCP that usually poses with drooping 'sleepy' eyelids.
