Label	Element	Value
Risk Return [Abstract]	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
ProspectusDate	rr_ProspectusDate	May 01, 2012
Quality Bond Portfolio (Prospectus Summary) | Quality Bond Portfolio
Risk Return [Abstract]	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return, Heading	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Fund Summary
Investment Objective, Heading	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
investment Objective, Primary	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The fund seeks to maximize total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income.
Expense, Heading	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses
Expense, Narrative	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. These figures do not reflect any fees or charges imposed by participating insurance companies under their Variable Annuity contracts (VA contracts) or Variable Life Insurance policies (VLI policies).
Operating Expenses, Caption	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover, Heading	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover	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. 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 379.94% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	379.94%
Expense Example, Heading	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example, Narrative	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The Example below 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. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not reflect fees and expenses incurred under VA contracts and VLI policies; if they were reflected, the figures in the Example would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Investment Strategy, Heading	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategy
Investment Strategy, Narrative	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	To pursue its goal, the fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in bonds. The fund's investments include corporate bonds, debentures, notes, mortgage-related securities, collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), asset-backed securities, convertible debt obligations, preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, municipal obligations and zero coupon bonds, that, when purchased, typically are  rated  A or better or are the unrated equivalent as determined by The Dreyfus Corporation, and securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or  its agencies or instrumentalities, including Treasury inflation-protection securities (TIPS). The fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in bonds issued by foreign issuers that are denominated in foreign currencies, and up to 20% of its net assets in bonds issued by foreign issuers whether denominated in U.S. dollars or in a foreign currency. The fund has no limit with respect to its portfolio maturity or duration.
Risk, Heading	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk, Narrative	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the 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. o Interest rate risk. Prices of bonds tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in rates will adversely affect bond prices and, accordingly, the fund's share price. The longer the effective maturity and duration of the fund's portfolio, the more the fund's share price is likely to react to interest rates. o Credit risk. Failure of an issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, or a decline or perception of a decline in the credit quality of a bond, can cause a bond's price to fall, potentially lowering the fund's share price. The lower a bond's credit rating, the greater the chance - in the rating agency's opinion - that the bond issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations. o Liquidity risk. When there is little or no active trading market for a security, the fund may not be able to sell the security in a timely manner at its perceived value, which could cause the fund's share price to fall. o Mortgage-related securities risk. Mortgage-related securities are complex derivative instruments, subject to credit, prepayment and extension risk, and may be more volatile and less liquid, and more difficult to price accurately, than more traditional debt securities. The fund is subject to the credit risk associated with these securities, including the market's perception of the creditworthiness of the issuing federal agency, as well as the credit quality of the underlying assets. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed as to the timely payment of interest and principal by a third party (such as a U.S. government agency or instrumentality with respect to government-related mortgage-backed securities) the market prices for such securities are not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Declining interest rates may result in the prepayment of higher yielding underlying mortgages and the reinvestment of proceeds at lower interest rates can reduce the fund's potential price gain in response to falling interest rates, reduce the fund's yield or cause the fund's share price to fall (prepayment risk). Rising interest rates may result in a drop in prepayments of the underlying mortgages, which would increase the fund's sensitivity to rising interest rates and its potential for price declines (extension risk). o Market risk. The market value of a security may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular company, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. A security's market value also may decline because of factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry, or factors that affect a particular company, such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the company's products or services. o Foreign investment risk. The fund's performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting investments in foreign issuers. Special risks associated with investments in foreign issuers include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, political and economic instability and differing auditing and legal standards.
Risk, Lose Money	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The fund's share price fluctuates, sometimes dramatically, which means you could lose money.
Risk, Not Insured Depository Institution	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit. It is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table, Heading	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance
Performance, Narrative	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund. 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 is no guarantee of future results. More recent performance information may be available at www.dreyfus.com. Performance information reflects the fund's expenses only and does not reflect the fees and charges imposed by participating insurance companies under their VA contracts or VLI policies. Because these fees and charges will reduce total return, policyowners should consider them when evaluating and comparing the fund's performance. Policyowners should consult the prospectus for their contract or policy for more information.
Performance, Information Illustrates Variability of Returns	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the fund.
Performance, Availability Website Address	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.dreyfus.com
Performance, Past Does Not Indicate Future	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The fund's past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Bar Chart, Heading	rr_BarChartHeading	Year-by-Year Total Returns as of 12/31 each year (%) -- Initial Shares
Bar Chart, Narrative	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart shows changes in the performance of the fund's Initial shares from year to year.
Bar Chart, Closing	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Best Quarter               Q3, 2009: 7.32%            Worst Quarter              Q2, 2004: -3.34%
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes	rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes	reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
Average Annual Returns, Caption	rr_AverageAnnualReturnCaption	Average Annual Total Returns (as of 12/31/11)
Quality Bond Portfolio (Prospectus Summary) | Quality Bond Portfolio | Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index
Risk Return [Abstract]	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Average Annual Returns, Label	rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel	Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.84%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.50%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.78%
Quality Bond Portfolio (Prospectus Summary) | Quality Bond Portfolio | Initial Shares
Risk Return [Abstract]	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.65%
Distribution and/or service (Rule 12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.79%
Expense Example, With Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	81
Expense Example, With Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	252
Expense Example, With Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	439
Expense Example, With Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	978
Annual Return 2002	rr_AnnualReturn2002	7.76%
Annual Return 2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	4.94%
Annual Return 2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	3.37%
Annual Return 2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	2.48%
Annual Return 2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	4.23%
Annual Return 2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	3.54%
Annual Return 2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(4.18%)
Annual Return 2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	14.96%
Annual Return 2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	8.38%
Annual Return 2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	7.04%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	7.32%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2004
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(3.34%)
Average Annual Returns, Label	rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel	Initial Shares
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.04%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.76%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.15%
Quality Bond Portfolio (Prospectus Summary) | Quality Bond Portfolio | Service Shares
Risk Return [Abstract]	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.65%
Distribution and/or service (Rule 12b-1) fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Total annual fund operating expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.04%
Expense Example, With Redemption, 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	106
Expense Example, With Redemption, 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	331
Expense Example, With Redemption, 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	574
Expense Example, With Redemption, 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,271
Average Annual Returns, Label	rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel	Service Shares
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.78%
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.50%
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.89%