Should some breed standards be rewritten?

Question

In your opinion, are there some breed standards that should be rewritten? Why or why not?

Can you site certain breeds?

Answer 1

No, the standards never change.If they do then they are not true breeds.{:>)

Answer 2

I've got to side with Kip's Mom on this... the standard is what is historically appropriate.  The breeds would all be better off if the judges would just READ and understand the standard and judge APPROPRIATELY.

Answer 3

The standards shouldn't be changed. They're called the 'standard' for a reason.

The problem is that every judge interprets any given breed's standard differently, and people will breed to win. For instance, half the Labradors you see winning don't meet the standard. The standard says they're supposed to be an athletic dog that appear able to function as a retrieving dog or hunt waterfowl for long hours on end. You look at most of the Labs winning, and they certainly don't look like they could climb back into a boat - they're big and chunky! But that's what's winning, so that's what people will breed for. The same thing happens in every breed.

A lot of the time, it's the judge's training that's flawed. Last year, at our breed's National Specialty Show, we attended a judge's seminar where we learned what new judges to our breed are being taught. Apparantly, they're being taught that Brittanys are supposed to be able to hunt all day, and that's pretty much it. Nothing else. So, new judges walk into the show ring and pretty much point at any dog that has a few scratches on its nose or a collar mark from a hunting collar. They have no idea how to really judge the breed and how to interpret the standard. Judges need to be trained to actually understand the standard of the breeds they're judging.

Answer 4

I think the standards should stay the way they are to discourage people from altering the breed from what it originally was.  Selective breeding for purposes of trying to create something "original or different" has caused a lot of genetic problems.  I think we should work to keep breeds as they were originally meant to be.

Answer 5

The only thing I would like to see changed for the breed standards are teh colors of some the dogs that should be allowed....Like the GSD, I think the blues are great looking dogs and their conformations are  very good, in fact, a lot of them are show conformation ready, but the color is not allowed...

I think the colors only should be changed some what...but dont mess with the conformation of the dog...that breed standard just needs to bred and keep the original standard as is.,,

if you mess with the breed standard conformation, it will run amuck

Answer 6

Breed standards should NEVER be adjusted by Animal Rightists or anyone that is not involved in the given breed. Not even those who "claim" to know what they are talking about because they have seen this or that as a veterinarian. Because they are not involved in the breeds they have only seen small samplings and not even OFA records are actual overall samplings. When breed standards need adjusting not only does nature take its course in doing so but those in the breed parent clubs also do because it is in both their and their dog's best interest. The nonsense that was televised by those who would like to rewrite breed standards was done so because of an underlying AGENDA, that of making all dogs revert back to the original wolf. It was a simple attack with NO real substantial statistics at all. The fact is that the human population also suffers from many of the very same things that canines do, and that happens without  breeding humans to a standard, and without breeding human to their relatives. Simply put the statistics are not available to support a claim that standards should be changed by anyone uninvolved. But further and more important is the fact that people have raised dogs that have been compatible with civilization for thousands of years. People will continue to do so whether Animal Rightists wish to interfere or not. Should animal rightists interfere to much changing standards rather than allowing those in breeds to do so mistakes will be made and those in dogs will simply breed to a more personal set of standards which in turn would have the opposite affect and cause a larger amount not to bring in new lines, doing ecaclty the opposite of the proclaimed intention. But of course the Animal Rightists know that, that is what they actually want. It is up to us to see through their end goals.

Answer 7

Im on the fence:

Yes: the dog breeds are changing

No: we should try to breed them as original as possible

Shelties for instance are growing larger, more and more puppies in litters are simply to big.

EDIT: standards have changed though on some breeds, for instances collies of the past once had differant standards for the head

Answer 8

In my opinion??  It's not the standards - it's the interpretation of the standards by the conformation judges.  

Answer 9

German Shepherd. The rear angulations is inapporiate and IS NOT historically correct! Over angulation causes the dog to lean forward and make that special little trot....PURE VANITY! This only applies toward american standards!

Dalmatians....should allow large patch dogs in the standard to increase the gene pool and decrease the amount of deaf dogs.

Most breed standards pertain to the breed history and shouldn't be changed.

I guess though more people are starting to not crop or dock so judges shouldn't give them a fault for that.