How is a Breed Standard written?

Question

How many of you know how a written Standard for a purebred dog is actually created?

Who creates it?

Where do they get their descriptions?

Answer 1

LOL, everybody's starring this but nobody wants to answer.

I wanna see what the anti-standards, anti-showing, anti-purebred crowd have to say.....c'mon, show us your depth of knowledge!

Answer 2

The best answer I can give is that the official standard for purebred dogs is maintained by each breed's national club. They make sure the dogs are bred for the right body structure, temperament, and abilities that will enable them to perform whatever they were originally bred to do.

I would love to know the answers to those questions as well :)

And by the way..beautiful dog in your avatar! I have a husky and a lab, but can't upload their pics for some reason.

Answer 3

I have a very poor understanding of the whole issue. As do many of the people who watched last night's programme. ;)

It did raise a lot of questions though...

The answers your question -  I don't know. Like I said, I have a poor understanding, but I want to learn.

I do feel that "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" (and I'd guess that influenced your asking of this question) is worthy of discussion.

If conformation is to be used as a definition of responsible breeding, then it should face up to the allegations made within the programme.

The programme did show some aspects that were (or at least looked to me to be) morally indefensible.

Whilst there are many users of Y!A that just want their prejudices reinforced, I personally would like to use the programme as a platform for further learning.

ADD: If you've not seen the programme, it's available here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00...

Answer 4

great question.... I am a member of a national breed club and have worked on the "Breed Standard" committee.  

What BBC show?  Where  can I see it?  

Answer 5

Oopps, where's all the instant experts gone then?

Don't know about the AKC, but I do know that in the UK, when a new breed is imported, the breed club produces a breed standard, not just out of thin air but following that of the country of origin of the breed.

My own main breed's standard was translated straight from the Norwegian original, but it does have an extra colour in it, not accepted by the Norwegians.

A major overhaul was made of all breed standards by the Kennel Club, must be nearly 20 yrs ago. This was partly to "standardise" all standards - ours, for instance, made no mention of movement at all in the previous standard  - and partly to remove some statements which could lead to health problems in the breed. Breeds like the Chow & the Akita had standards which said something like "eyes - as small as possible". When the original standard was written, it was not realised that small eyes could lead to severe problems like entropian and even microphthlamia. Now the standard asked for medium sized eyes.

Breed standards are actually the property of the Kennel Club. Breed Clubs submit them but if they don't reach certain criteria, the KC will not accept them. Breed clubs can ask for a change in the standard but it's up to the Kennel Club whether it is accepted or not. These days if a clause that was possibly detrimental to the health of a dog was requested, it definitely wouldn't be accepted.

Which comes first? Well, if you were to invent a new breed today (heaven help us, NOT a "Poo"), you would first decide what the purpose of that dog was, then you would draw up a standard which would encompass all the points needed to make the Perfect Dog. Then you would start breediing, hopefully only keeping the dogs which were closest to you standard and breeding on from them. In around 50 yrs, you might not only have produced a reasonable example of your breed, but be able to produce puppies who were even in type and looked just like their Mums & Dads.

Answer 6

I sure don't know about all breeds, especially those whose only purpose is "companion" where as far as I know, looks are paramount, but with afghans, the dog came first.  There was a magnificent dog named Rudiki who was the epitome of the afghan hound and the people writing the standard wanted to preserve his ideal "type".  

Back then there were clearly 2 types of afghans, desert and mountain, but despite their differences in coat and structure with one being shorter and more compact and the desert-type being leggier and more like a greyhound, both could do their job - hunt.  

The standard was written to keep that.  Most afghans now are a joke given that the only emphasis by 95% of the breeders and judges is on coat.  The few who are the correct type will only win if they're also dripping in coat unless they're shown under breeder judges.

Answer 7

This goes back to when a particular breed was created for a purpose.  It is done with in a group of people having the same idea and goal in mind.  These groups later formed what we now call breed clubs.  Each breed has a Parent Breed club with the sole purpose as to keeping each dog with their breed of choice within the standard set by the parent club.  Those breed clubs are where the breed standard are established and then are set. This is then sent to a kennel club to be posted as the standard to be followed for each breed.  

ADD: Opps!  I just answered the question!  LOL  Not to hard of a one either.  ;)

ADD:  The breed came first a long time ago.  Once it was bred to the original creators liking and soundness and bred true then a standard was established for all to follow.

Now this doesn't mean improvement have happened since then but when those improvements have passed the breed clubs scrutiny then it is adjusted/incorporated into the standard.