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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Fund Summary
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The fund seeks long-term growth of capital.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.

Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination 2015-02-01
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 121.73% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 121.73%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. The one-year example and the first year of the three-, five- and ten-years examples are based on net operating expenses, which reflect the expense limitation by The Dreyfus Corporation. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategy
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of small-cap U.S. companies. The fund currently considers small-cap companies to be those with total market capitalizations that are equal to or less than the total market capitalization of the largest company included in the Russell 2000® Growth Index (the "Index"), the fund's benchmark index. As of December 31, 2013, the market capitalization of the largest company in the Index was approximately $5.27 billion. The portfolio managers employ a growth-oriented investment style in managing the fund's portfolio, which means the portfolio managers seek to identify those small-cap companies which are experiencing or are expected to experience rapid earnings or revenue growth. The portfolio managers focus on high quality companies and individual stock selection, instead of trying to predict which industries or sectors will perform best and select stocks by:


· Using fundamental research to identify and follow companies considered to have attractive characteristics, such as strong business and competitive positions, solid cash flows and balance sheets, high quality management and high sustainable growth; and


· Investing in a company when the portfolio managers' research indicates that the company will experience accelerating revenues and expanding operating margins, which may lead to rising estimate trends and favorable earnings surprises.


The fund's investment strategy may lead it to emphasize certain sectors, such as technology, health care, business services and communications.


The fund does not have any limitations regarding portfolio turnover. The fund may engage in short-term trading to try to achieve its objective and may have portfolio turnover rates significantly in excess of 100%. A portfolio turnover of 100% is equivalent to the fund buying and selling all of the securities in its portfolio once during the course of a year.

Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. It is not a complete investment program. The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.


· Risks of stock investing. Stocks generally fluctuate more in value than bonds and may decline significantly over short time periods. There is the chance that stock prices overall will decline because stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and falling prices. The market value of a stock may decline due to general weakness in the stock market or because of factors that affect the company or its particular industry.


· Small and midsize company risk. Small and midsize companies carry additional risks because the operating histories of these companies tend to be more limited, their earnings and revenues less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses), and their share prices more volatile than those of larger, more established companies. The shares of smaller companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the fund's ability to sell these securities.


· Growth stock risk. Investors often expect growth companies to increase their earnings at a certain rate. If these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately, even if earnings do increase. In addition, growth stocks may lack the dividend yield that may cushion stock prices in market downturns.


· Market sector risk. The fund may significantly overweight or underweight certain companies, industries or market sectors, which may cause the fund's performance to be more or less sensitive to developments affecting those companies, industries or sectors.


· Liquidity risk. When there is little or no active trading market for specific types of securities, it can become more difficult to sell the securities in a timely manner at or near their perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the fund's share price may fall dramatically.


· Portfolio turnover risk. The fund may engage in short-term trading, which could produce higher transaction costs and taxable distributions, and lower the fund's after-tax performance.

Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text] rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's Class I shares from year to year. The table compares the average annual total returns of the fund's shares to those of a broad measure of market performance. The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future. More recent performance information may be available at www.dreyfus.com.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.dreyfus.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Year-by-Year Total Returns as of 12/31 each year (%) Class I
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

Best Quarter
Q3, 2009: 16.06%
 Worst Quarter
Q4, 2008: -26.46%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 16.06%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (26.46%)
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax performance is shown only for Class I shares.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock

After-tax performance is shown only for Class I shares. After-tax performance of the fund's other share class will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.


For the fund's Class Y shares, periods prior to July 1, 2013 reflect the performance of the fund's Class I shares.

Caption rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/13)
Russell 2000® Growth Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 43.30%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 22.58%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.41%
Dreyfus/The Boston Company Small Cap Growth Fund - Class I
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.80%
Other expenses (including shareholder services fees) rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.24%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.04%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.09%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses (after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.95%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 97
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 322
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 565
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,263
Annual Return 2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 15.47%
Annual Return 2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 8.35%
Annual Return 2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 15.69%
Annual Return 2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 8.91%
Annual Return 2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (37.46%)
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 21.52%
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 23.22%
Annual Return 2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (1.83%)
Annual Return 2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 10.96%
Annual Return 2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 47.73%
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 47.73%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 19.23%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.04%
Dreyfus/The Boston Company Small Cap Growth Fund - Class I | After Taxes on Distributions
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 37.15%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 17.04%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 8.03%
Dreyfus/The Boston Company Small Cap Growth Fund - Class I | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 32.91%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 16.01%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 7.56%
Class Y
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.80%
Other expenses (including shareholder services fees) rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.27%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.07%
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.12%) [1]
Total annual fund operating expenses (after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement) rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.95%
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 97
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 328
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 578
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,295
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 47.75%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 19.23%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.04%
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jul. 01, 2013
[1] The Dreyfus Corporation has contractually agreed, until February 1, 2015, to waive receipt of its fees and/or assume the direct expenses of the fund so that the expenses of none of the classes (excluding taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, commitment fees on borrowings and extraordinary expenses) exceed .95%. On or after February 1, 2015, The Dreyfus Corporation may terminate this expense limitation at any time.