Breed standard (dogs)
Encyclopedia
A breed standard in the dog fancy
is a set of guidelines covering specific externally observable qualities such as appearance, movement, and temperament for that dog breed
. Breed standards are not scientific documents, but are written for each breed by club
s of hobby
ists called breed club
s for their own specific requirements. Details and definitions within breed standards for a specific dog breed may vary from breed club to breed club and from country to country. Dog breed standards are similar in form and function to breed standard
s for other domesticated animals.
). In addition most breed standards include an historical section, describing the place of origin and the original work done by the breed or its ancestor types
.
However, breed standards do not include testing requirements for health, requirements for genetic testing, or requirements for specific types of training or work; breed standards are only intended to describe the breed's externally observable qualities. Breed clubs often make other requirements for health testing or work testing, but these are not covered in the breed standard itself.
, the whole of the characteristics that are typical of a breed. Breed type is outlined in the written breed standard for each breed, and the judge looks at the entered dogs for the ones that most perfectly resemble the judge's mental image of ideal breed type. Dogs are judged against the judge's mental ideal, not against each other. The goal of the conformation show is to identify breeding stock for the breed, and the breed standard is "the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve." Conformation shows are not intended for the examination of the entered dogs for fitness for purpose (such as hunting skill in a dog traditionally used for hunting), and while dogs may be excused by a judge for obvious lameness or illness, the dogs are not tested in the ring for genetic health or examined for the general health of the animal beyond externally observable appearance and behaviour as described in the breed standard.
Breed standards are not quantified, and are interpreted by the judge in a conformation show according to the judge's experience with the breed and the judge's personal taste. As judges are selected by the exhibitors whose dogs he or she is judging, errors in comprehension of the breed type and breed standard result in the judge not being invited to judge again, so the problem is self-correcting. In addition, breed clubs and national kennel clubs provide regular seminars for the training of judges in the details of the individual breed standards and how they are interpreted. Sports that rely on the judgement of one or more judges, rather than on a system of competitive scores without judges, are sometimes accused of being lesser sports.
Breed standards are written by individual breed club
s, and, if the breed club is a member of a national kennel club, the standard will go through a process of being approved by the national kennel club so that the members of the breed club can take part in the dog activities sponsored by the national kennel club. The national kennel club only directs the form of the breed standard, the breed standard itself is written by the breed club or clubs.
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale
is an international group which regulates breed standard formats so that dogs from member countries can compete in shows internationally. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale only approves standards, it does not write the standards; the breed standards for each breed are written by the country of origin (or a sponsoring country, in the case of some breeds). Individual national kennel clubs may still have their own variations in the details of the breed standard used in conformation shows within their own country.
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale, which organises international dog sports and events, including conformation shows, does have a basic outline for a breed standard format. However, not all national kennel clubs belong to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The American Kennel Club is the world's largest kennel club, and it does not belong to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, and does not use the international breed standard format.
Since the purpose of the standard is to assist those who show, live with, or work with the specific breed, lack of a consistent format between standards for different breeds has never been shown to cause any problems for fanciers of the individual breed. Breed standards are not scientific documents, and are not standardised throughout the world.
An example of breed standard variations from country to country is the American Kennel Club
standard for the Bull Terrier
, which states clearly that a level bite or a scissor bite is acceptable, and the Australian National Kennel Council
Bull Terrier standard, which only recognizes the scissor bite. Since an incorrect bite is a serious fault, breeders in one country might cull out puppies that would be acceptable for show in another country, alternately, some competitors might find their local champions unable to compete internationally. During the conformation show
at the 2004 Sydney Royal Easter Show
an unusually large number of protests against the judges’ decisions were lodged; it was felt by some owners that the international judges did not completely understand the commonly accepted breed standard interpretations of the Australian National Kennel Council. It is up to the exhibitor to know the rules of the governing body under which he or she is showing a dog.
of the breed, and dogs with major faults will not finish a kennel club conformation championship
.
Faults are described for each breed separately. Individual dog breed articles may cover what is considered a fault in that particular breed.
(UK), the oldest kennel club. There have been measures taken to regularise standards between the Kennel Club (UK), the Canadian Kennel Club, and the two main American clubs. An agreement at the 1981 World Congress of Kennel Clubs defined a standard format for breed standards across the major dog registries and a similar effort was made for breed registries in the United States at the Dog Registry Conference, held in October, 2006 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
s or dermoid sinus
in Rhodesian Ridgeback
s, volume puppy producers and breeders who are not members of the breed club cannot be compelled to contribute to research or to perform the tests. Breed standards can only be used to determine by appearance whether or not volume puppy producers and breeders who are not members of the breed club are breeding dogs that appear to be of the advertised breed.
Animal fancy
Animal fancy is a hobby involving the appreciation, promotion, or breeding of pet or domestic animals.Fancy may include ownership, showing, trialling and other competitions, breeding and judging. Hobbyists may simply collect specimens of the animal in appropriate enclosures, such as aquaria and...
is a set of guidelines covering specific externally observable qualities such as appearance, movement, and temperament for that dog breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
. Breed standards are not scientific documents, but are written for each breed by club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s of hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
ists called breed club
Breed club
Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered around a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of the association...
s for their own specific requirements. Details and definitions within breed standards for a specific dog breed may vary from breed club to breed club and from country to country. Dog breed standards are similar in form and function to breed standard
Breed standard
A breed standard in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed....
s for other domesticated animals.
Content and purpose
The breed standard for each breed of dog is distinct, giving a detailed "word picture" of the appearance and behaviour of an idealized dog of that breed. Included in the breed standard description are externally observable aspects of appearance and behaviour that are considered by the breed club to be the most important for the breed, and externally observable details of appearance or temperament that are considered by the breed club to be unacceptable (called faultsFault (dog)
The term fault is used in animal breed standards to describe an aspect of appearance or temperament that is considered detrimental to the breed type of the animal's breed. In dogs, faults have to do with the externally observable qualities of the dog such as appearance, movement, and temperament...
). In addition most breed standards include an historical section, describing the place of origin and the original work done by the breed or its ancestor types
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....
.
However, breed standards do not include testing requirements for health, requirements for genetic testing, or requirements for specific types of training or work; breed standards are only intended to describe the breed's externally observable qualities. Breed clubs often make other requirements for health testing or work testing, but these are not covered in the breed standard itself.
Breed standards and conformation shows
The basis of judging in conformation dog shows is breed typeBreed type
Breed type is the whole of the characteristics that are typical of a breed of domesticated animals. Breed type may include details of form or color that are not directly related to the economic value of the animal, and are usually defined in breed standards....
, the whole of the characteristics that are typical of a breed. Breed type is outlined in the written breed standard for each breed, and the judge looks at the entered dogs for the ones that most perfectly resemble the judge's mental image of ideal breed type. Dogs are judged against the judge's mental ideal, not against each other. The goal of the conformation show is to identify breeding stock for the breed, and the breed standard is "the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve." Conformation shows are not intended for the examination of the entered dogs for fitness for purpose (such as hunting skill in a dog traditionally used for hunting), and while dogs may be excused by a judge for obvious lameness or illness, the dogs are not tested in the ring for genetic health or examined for the general health of the animal beyond externally observable appearance and behaviour as described in the breed standard.
Breed standards are not quantified, and are interpreted by the judge in a conformation show according to the judge's experience with the breed and the judge's personal taste. As judges are selected by the exhibitors whose dogs he or she is judging, errors in comprehension of the breed type and breed standard result in the judge not being invited to judge again, so the problem is self-correcting. In addition, breed clubs and national kennel clubs provide regular seminars for the training of judges in the details of the individual breed standards and how they are interpreted. Sports that rely on the judgement of one or more judges, rather than on a system of competitive scores without judges, are sometimes accused of being lesser sports.
Breed standards are written by individual breed club
Breed club (dog)
A dog breed club is an association or club of fanciers of a single, specific breed of dog.Breed clubs define the breed with which the club is associated in a document called a breed standard, although there may be multiple breed clubs for the same breed, each defining the breed in a somewhat...
s, and, if the breed club is a member of a national kennel club, the standard will go through a process of being approved by the national kennel club so that the members of the breed club can take part in the dog activities sponsored by the national kennel club. The national kennel club only directs the form of the breed standard, the breed standard itself is written by the breed club or clubs.
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...
is an international group which regulates breed standard formats so that dogs from member countries can compete in shows internationally. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale only approves standards, it does not write the standards; the breed standards for each breed are written by the country of origin (or a sponsoring country, in the case of some breeds). Individual national kennel clubs may still have their own variations in the details of the breed standard used in conformation shows within their own country.
Formats and details
Each recognised breed of dog has a written standard, many of which have been developed and slowly changed over the last few hundred years. Some breeds were described by fanciers in a written breed standard in order to provide guidelines for breeders participating in the sport of conformation; other breed standards, such as those written by the Spanish veterinarian Manuel Marques in the 1930s, were written to provide a description of a native landrace breeds that were in danger of dying out. Since the origins and purposes of standards vary, the contents, teminology, and organisation of the information in a standard also varies.The Fédération Cynologique Internationale, which organises international dog sports and events, including conformation shows, does have a basic outline for a breed standard format. However, not all national kennel clubs belong to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The American Kennel Club is the world's largest kennel club, and it does not belong to the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, and does not use the international breed standard format.
Since the purpose of the standard is to assist those who show, live with, or work with the specific breed, lack of a consistent format between standards for different breeds has never been shown to cause any problems for fanciers of the individual breed. Breed standards are not scientific documents, and are not standardised throughout the world.
An example of breed standard variations from country to country is the American Kennel Club
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...
standard for the Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier
The Bull Terrier or English Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. They are known for their large, egg-shaped head, small triangular eyes, and "jaunty gait." Their temperament has been described as generally fun-loving, active and clownish...
, which states clearly that a level bite or a scissor bite is acceptable, and the Australian National Kennel Council
Australian National Kennel Council
The Australian National Kennel Council is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by individuals across Australia. It was formed in...
Bull Terrier standard, which only recognizes the scissor bite. Since an incorrect bite is a serious fault, breeders in one country might cull out puppies that would be acceptable for show in another country, alternately, some competitors might find their local champions unable to compete internationally. During the conformation show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
at the 2004 Sydney Royal Easter Show
Sydney Royal Easter Show
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, also known as the Royal Easter Show or simply The Show, is an annual show held in Sydney, Australia over two weeks around Easter.It is run by the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales and was first held in 1823...
an unusually large number of protests against the judges’ decisions were lodged; it was felt by some owners that the international judges did not completely understand the commonly accepted breed standard interpretations of the Australian National Kennel Council. It is up to the exhibitor to know the rules of the governing body under which he or she is showing a dog.
Faults
In breed standards, the term fault does not imply that a dog with a fault cannot be a good companion; it is merely an indication that dogs with faults should not be chosen for breeding unless the dog has desirable qualities that outweigh the fault. Faults may be minor, such as a color the breed club has decided is undesirable, or the fault may be major, such as structural problems that would prevent the dog from doing the work for which it was bred. Fault is used to describe an aspect of appearance or temperament that is considered by the breed club to be detrimental to the breed typeBreed type
Breed type is the whole of the characteristics that are typical of a breed of domesticated animals. Breed type may include details of form or color that are not directly related to the economic value of the animal, and are usually defined in breed standards....
of the breed, and dogs with major faults will not finish a kennel club conformation championship
Championship (dog)
Championships are awarded to dogs who have passed through a process of selection at dog shows. Traditionally, a championship was received at a conformation show, but championships are now offered for dogs who have attained a high degree of perfection in other dog sports as well.-The conformation...
.
Faults are described for each breed separately. Individual dog breed articles may cover what is considered a fault in that particular breed.
Organizing bodies
Although most dog fanciers show only in their own country, under the rules of one registry, international shows have increased in popularity. Efforts have been made by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale to ensure that breed clubs in its 84 member countries use the same descriptive language in their standards, using a basic outline approved by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale General Assembly in June 1987 in Jerusalem. The American Kennel Club, one of the largest in the world, does not belong to the FCI, nor does The Kennel ClubThe Kennel Club
The Kennel Club is a kennel club based in London and Aylesbury, United Kingdom.The Kennel Club registration system divides dogs into seven breed groups. The Kennel Club Groups are: Hound, Working, Terrier, Gundog, Pastoral, Utility and Toy...
(UK), the oldest kennel club. There have been measures taken to regularise standards between the Kennel Club (UK), the Canadian Kennel Club, and the two main American clubs. An agreement at the 1981 World Congress of Kennel Clubs defined a standard format for breed standards across the major dog registries and a similar effort was made for breed registries in the United States at the Dog Registry Conference, held in October, 2006 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Not covered by breed standards
Breed standards only cover externally observable characteristics of the dog, and even there breed clubs can be very contentious about the exact definition of details. The breed club for each breed may set additional requirements, ones covering qualities not covered by the breed standard, such as rules and guidelines for health testing and work testing. However, since breeders are free to leave and join (or form) another club if the breed club's requirements for breeding become too troublesome to them, there is no effective control over health and working qualities that are not described in the breed standard. Breed club members have no control over the quality, health, or fitness for work of dogs being bred by non-members. Even when breed clubs require health testing before breeding their dogs, and raise funds for research on specific disorders, such as syringomyeliaSyringomyelia
Syringomyelia is a generic term referring to a disorder in which a cyst or cavity forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, can expand and elongate over time, destroying the spinal cord. The damage may result in pain, paralysis, weakness, and stiffness in the back, shoulders, and...
in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a small breed of Spaniel-type dog, and is classed as a toy dog by most kennel clubs. It is one of the most popular breeds in the United Kingdom. Since 2000, it has been growing in popularity in the United States. It is a smaller breed of spaniel, and Cavalier...
s or dermoid sinus
Dermoid sinus
Dermoid sinus is a genetic, autosomal skin condition in dogs. It is also known as pilonidal sinus because it resembles pilonidal sinus in humans. However, unlike pilonidal sinus in humans, dermoid sinus in dogs is a neural tube defect. Dermoid sinus is sometimes also confused with dermoid cyst...
in Rhodesian Ridgeback
Rhodesian Ridgeback
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a dog breed developed in Southern Africa, where it was used to hunt Lions. This is most likely why this dog is known for its bravery...
s, volume puppy producers and breeders who are not members of the breed club cannot be compelled to contribute to research or to perform the tests. Breed standards can only be used to determine by appearance whether or not volume puppy producers and breeders who are not members of the breed club are breeding dogs that appear to be of the advertised breed.