Breed Standards: How & Why?
In my other post, “What is a Breed? And Then…”, I cover what exactly a breed is and what it means for one to be endangered. In this post, I cover breed standards which are the very foundation of any dog breed.
To people who’ve gone their whole life getting their pets from stores, loved ones, or rescues — breed standards don’t really occur to them as something worth learning about. However, as you’re about to learn in this post, they are more than they seem, so now, let’s get into what it is and how it all started.
What Is It?
As I mentioned in the previous post, a breed standard is like a breeder’s blueprint — it covers structure, personality, and the overall look of a breed. Breed standards exist in domestic animals of all kinds (yes, even goldfish!) and are published by reputable organizations such as parent breed clubs (ex. The Poodle Club of America) and national breed clubs (ex. The Canadian Kennel Club).
International organizations don’t usually write breed standards but instead document the standards officialized and published by parent breed clubs like the Poodle Club of America. One international organization example is the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI). Think of it as the dog version of United Nations (UN), the UN doesn’t control the governments of every country that are part of it but they do work with all of them to work on their goals.
Breed standards are specific, but not so specific that every animal measures up to every specification. This is because it is up to interpretation and often times, preference. While this can have negative effects on a breed in cases such as flashy movement being rewarded over correct movement — breed standards allow a breed to be an open door to change and variability, while still maintaining a semblance of familiarity.
History
While we don’t know which (domestic) animal had the honor of sparking the first conformation show, we do know that the first ever breed standard (at least as far as modern ones) was written sometime in the 1800s, maybe a bit earlier. I managed to find records that show that one of the earliest conformation shows was by The Essex Agricultural Society in 1818 which was exclusively for cattle. Dogs, being some of the first domesticated animals, came later which took place on June 28–29, 1859 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. More on this in my new post, Conformation Shows: How & Why?
Before we had dog breeds as we know and love them today, we had “types” bred for all kinds of purposes like the ones mentioned in my previous post. Instead of something specific like a Flat Coated Retriever or Golden Retriever; Bloodhound or Greyhound, they (for example) simply had hounds, retrievers, and then village dogs (which are akin to feral cats that have zero breed-specific genetic markers). These types varied often deeply from the other even within similar jobs because they were bred according to what their owners or families needed. They were essentially more generic versions of the breeds we have today.
Eventually, the demand for consistency and the ability to easily recognize dogs of specific purposes (both orally and visually) came about — so different “types” split off into many different breeds such as what was called “The Shepherd’s Dog”, “collie”, and “sheepdog” into the (Rough/Smooth) Collie, Border Collie, Bearded Collie, etc.
I think the best way to explain the difference simply is to look at what we do when we go buy a burger. When we decide we want a burger, we (may) start simple at first: cheeseburger or hamburger? But then when we go to think about specifics, we start to think about more things we want from our cheese/hamburger such as size, flavor, toppings, sauces, and meat type (chicken, beef, plant-based, etc.)
After hundreds of years of breeding “types”, enthusiasts finally banded together starting in the late 1800s to form breed registries along with breed standards, where they started working on developing what nature handed to them with only one goal in mind: breed for the “perfect” dog.
What Is It For?
The great philosopher Plato theorized that all things around us in the natural world are imperfect versions of the ideal representations of these objects, generally known as “Platonic forms”. Breed standards were founded on this theory, and conformation shows along with it.
Conformation shows are animal-exclusive events hosted by the same organizations that publish/document breed standards and/or recognize animal breeds.
If you’ve seen Kitchen Nightmares (starring Gordon Ramsay), you’d know that in every episode he goes on to inspect the kitchen and the quality of the foods used in the recipes. In most cases where the meals are no good, the reason has always been because of the ingredients they ship in. When it comes to breeding animals, this same concept is important — and is the purpose of conformation shows (to evaluate “ingredient” quality and improve on that). It’s important to note that individuals are not supposed to be compared to each other, they’re supposed to be measured by how closely they conform to the standard of their breed, hence why shows are formerly known as conformation shows. I get into this more in the next post, Conformation Shows: How & Why?
While we have gone thousands of years of producing working animals without breed standards and conformation shows, structure and overall look has always been a strong consideration in breeding (at least for most breeds).
In order for people (specifically breeders and judges) to develop a better understanding of a breed standard, many organizations such as the Collie Club of America publish illustrated standards along with seminars that enthusiasts, breeders, and judges-to-be attend. Personally, my favorite illustrated standard that I’ve seen made so far would have to be The Bulldog Illustrated Standard because it’s easy to understand, the detailed drawings, and various examples.
Specific features like front assembly affects an animal’s movement and their ability to perform a specific purpose. In the anatomy guide by KUSA mentioned in the image above, this is explained throughout in detail such as with the shoulders, “The shoulder blade is a wide, flat bone with a prominent ridge running down the centre. The ridge helps to attach the muscles — the longer the shoulder blade the more muscle attachment, the shorter the blade, less muscle attachment. Unlike humans, the shoulder is not attached to the dog’s body at a joint. Instead, it is held in place by muscles and tendons. This anomaly allows the dog greater flexibility in its forequarter, which it may not have with a rigid joint, but it also leads to a great variety of possibilities in the position and angle of the front assembly. Obviously, sufficient muscling in this area is essential, otherwise movement will be affected. As a point of interest, musculature has a high heritability, so puppies are very likely to inherit their parent’s good or poor front assembly, which is why it is so difficult to breed out poor shoulder characteristics.”
“It takes both the left and right sides of the brain to put everything together. The right side is the creative side, the artistic side that sees the beauty, the symmetry, and the nuances of the breed. The left side interprets the standard in a more intellectual, logical way.” — Bullmastiff breeder-judge Helene Nietsch
Conclusion
In conclusion, breed standards serve as the blueprint for every breed that takes the efforts of many to write, publish, and uphold. Depending on the breed, they may undergo revisions, usually to improve wording or add to the standard. A breed standard offers a framework for breeders and judges, mixing together a bit of creativity with function and consistency in mind.
This topic has many nuances that are impossible for me to cover in a timely fashion, I plan to expand more on “types” and common misconceptions about breed standards in the future, so sit tight for that one.
If we are to hope for healthier pets and happier owners someday, I really cannot stress how important it is that we understand the work that goes into them and how it benefits not just us, but the animals too.
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Sources
- Mincy, Kilah. Personal interview. 07 May 2023.
- breed | Etymology of breed by etymonline
- BC Museum: Introduction to the 18th & 19th Centuries (bordercolliemuseum.org)
- About Breed Standards | The Kennel Club
- Cattle Show — Topsfield Fair Timeline (topsfieldfairhistory.org)
- Essex County Fair — Digital Commonwealth
- Purebred Dogs: What is a Breed Standard? — American Kennel Club (akc.org)
- Dalmatian History — Dalmatian Club of America
