Breed standard (dogs)

A breed standard (also called bench standard) in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to insure that the animals produced by a breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed. It is also used in competition to judge a given animal against the hypothetical ideal specimen of that breed. This article refers to breed standards in dogs. For use in other animals, see Breed standard.

General

The standard for each breed is distinct, giving a detailed "word picture" [ [http://www.akc.org/about/glossary.cfm American Kennel Club Glossary] ] of the supposed ideal dog of that breed.The basis of conformation dog shows is the judging of dogs against the breed standard (not against each other), and it is "the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve." [http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/145 UThe Kennel Club (UK) website] Each standard differs in the importance given to details of appearance and temperament. Included in the description are the aspects of appearance and behaviour that are considered faults, and which aspects of appearance and temperament are to be given the most weight in the selection of show winners and breeding stock.

It is important to note that breed standards do not necessarily include criteria on fitness for purpose (ie hunting characteristics in a dog traditionally used for hunting) or general health of the animal beyond the cosmetic. A good example of this is the lack of regulation on congenital disorders found in certain species, for example the prevalence of syringomyelia in cavalier king charles spaniels or dermoid sinus in rhodesian ridgebacks.

Inconsistency of breed standards

Format

The form in which breed standards are written differs among the kennel clubs, but also differs from club to club within the same all-breed organizations. There is inconsistency in the amount of detail required to describe a particular characteristic, and sometimes even in the wording used for the characteristics.Fact|date=November 2007 The result is that breed standards are open to interpretation and to a judge’s individual taste. As judges are selected by the exhibitors whose dogs he or she is judging, errors in taste or interpretation result in the judge not being invited to judge again, so the problem is somewhat self-correcting.

Nomenclature

The naming of dog breeds is based on historical and geographic situations, which may make them seem inconsistent and capricious.

Faults versus variants

A further problem is that a deviation from the standard in one breed might result in a fault, where a similar deviation in another breed might be an acceptable variant; in a third breed the same deviation might be a disqualification, while in another breed that deviation might result in a breed separation. Since people seldom show dogs in more than one breed or group, this is not a problem for people who enjoy the sport. Breed standards are rarely more than a page or two long, and easy for even children in Junior Showmanship to learn. Judges are required to have many years of experience in breeds that they judge, so variations are not a serious problem for judges.

The ear shape is a case in point. In erect-eared breeds, an ear that does not stand straight up by the time the puppy is 6 months old is usually faulted. A German Shepherd Dog will be disqualified for a floppy or folded ear. In contrast, the Miniature Fox Terrier breed standard allows a variation where the ear is folded above the line of the skull. The Papillon with a "fully dropped ear" (not a folded or weak ear, which is a fault) is accepted equally with the erect-eared variant and is known as a Phalène, but under FCI rules the Phalène and the Papillon are considered different breeds. The Norwich and Norfolk terriers have differing ear shapes and are always considered separate breeds.

It must be borne in mind that ear characteristics are only one conformation point; this is multiplied by many dog attributes and variations thereon. For example, another common area of frustration is in the area of bite and teeth. A judge must be aware that some breed standards (usually for working dogs) allow for missing and broken teeth, others require that these are faulted. Working dog standards may also specify that scars are not to be penalized.

Different countries, different standards, different interpretations

In addition, the written standard may vary from country to country. An example is the American Kennel Club standard for the Bull Terrier, which states clearly that a level bite "or" a scissor bite is acceptable, but the Australian National Kennel Council Bull Terrier standard only recognizes the scissor bite. Since an incorrect bite is a serious flaw, breeders in one country might cull out puppies that would be acceptable for show in another country, alternately, international competitors might find their state or national champions marked down or disqualified in a foreign competition or by a foreign judge. 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 ANKC. It is up to the exhibitor to know the rules of the governing body under which he or she is showing a dog.

Conclusion

It can be seen that the task of judging is a difficult one. The breed judge must know the standard for one breed, the group judge for all the breeds in that group, and the amount of knowledge an all-breed judge must have is huge. Add in the fact that standards and their interpretations differ between nations, and the task seems monumental.

Organizing bodies for breed standards

Although most dog fanciers show only in their own country, under the rules of one registry, international shows have increased in popularity. Eforts have been made by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale to ensure that breed clubs in its 84 member countries use the same language in their standards, using a basic outline approved by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale General Assembly in June of 1987 in Jerusalem. The American Kennel Club, one of the largest in the world, does not belong to the FCI. 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 [ [http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/82/glossaryofterms.pdf pg 2] ] 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.

See also

* Breed type (dog)
* Conformation dog show

References