A breed standard (also called bench 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.
Breed standards are devised by breed associations or breed clubs, not by individuals, and are written to reflect the use or purpose of the species and breed of the animal. Breed standards help define the ideal animal of a breed and provide goals for breeders in improving stock. In essence a breed standard is a blueprint for an animal fit for the function it was bred - i.e. herding, tracking etc. Breed standards are not scientific documents, and may vary from association to association, and from country to country, even for the same species and breed. There is no one format for breed standards across all species, and breed standards do change and are updated over time.
Read more about Breed Standard: Contents of A Breed Standard, Examples of Use, Regulation
Other articles related to "breed standard, breed standards, breed, standard, breeds, standards":
... have international governing bodies that attempt to regulate the terminology and format of breed standards internationally, but, even where such international ... The Federation Cynologique Internationale regulates breed standards for dogs internationally, but the largest dog registry, the American Kennel Club, does not belong to the international body and uses its own ...
... 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 ... Since the origins and purposes of standards vary, the contents, teminology, and organisation of the information in a standard also varies ...
... externally visible details of a dog's structure and appearance, as defined in detail by each dog breed's written breed standard ... A dog that conforms to most of the items of description in its individual breed standard is said to have good conformation ... animals ("Phenotypic variation among dog breeds, whether it be in size, shape, or behavior, is greater than for any other animal") ...
... The breed standard for each breed of dog details desirable and undesirable attributes of appearance and temperament for an individual breed ... Due to the great variability in dogs, there is no one standard of good conformation ... Breed standards are designed solely to describe the breed's history and purpose, temperament, and appearance ...
... Country Breed Registry Group Parent Breed Club Breed Standard Australia Australian National Kennel Council Gundogs ANKC Breed Standard Austria ...
Famous quotes containing the words standard and/or breed:
“[The Declaration of Independence] meant to set up a standard maxim for free society, which should be familiar to all, and revered by all; constantly looked to, constantly labored for, and even though never perfectly attained, constantly approximated, and thereby constantly spreading and deepening its influence, and augmenting the happiness and value of life to all people of all colors everywhere.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“The last of all the Romans, fare thee well.
It is impossible that ever Rome
Should breed thy fellow.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)