About, 2,400 years before the founding of the AKC, Plato聽invented the聽dog show. Well, not really, but kind of.聽The great philosopher theorized that all things around us in the聽natural聽world鈥攖he chair I鈥檓 sitting in, the keyboard I鈥檓 typing on鈥攁re but imperfect versions of the ideal representations of these objects that dwell聽in a higher realm of consciousness. These are generally known as聽鈥淧latonic forms,鈥� and it was the master鈥檚 opinion that only by聽contemplating these models of perfection could genuine knowledge be聽gained.
In a way, Plato was describing breed standards. Knowledge of any聽purebred dog, ring champion, or pet, begins with its standard, a聽written聽description of the ideal specimen of a breed. Standards describe perfect聽type, structure, gait, and temperament of the breed 鈥� the characteristics that allow the breed to perform the function for which it was bred.
Rarely does a dog measure up to聽every specification of its breed standard. Indeed, the standard is a conceptualization鈥攎uch like the Platonic forms鈥攖hat guides the聽imaginations of those seriously interested in the breeding, exhibition,聽and performance of purebred dogs.
Who Creates Breed Standards?
The official standard for each breed, and any revision thereof,聽originates聽with an AKC parent club, the national organization devoted聽to a聽particular breed. Parent-club members vote on the standard or revision,聽then the club submits it to the AKC Board of Directors for approval.聽Once approved, a standard becomes both the breeder鈥檚 鈥渂lueprint鈥� and聽the instrument used by dog-show judges to evaluate the breeder鈥檚 work.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not how cute a dog is that determines its quality鈥攊t鈥檚 how聽closely he聽conforms to his breed standard,鈥� German Pinscher breeder聽Dr. Laura Van聽Horn says. 鈥淔requently, there is inconsistency in the amount of detail聽used to describe a particular characteristic or in the wording used for聽particular characteristics. As a result, standards can be interpreted聽subjectively and judging decisions may be influenced by an individual聽judge鈥檚 preferences.鈥�
Standard Deviations
A parent club may use as many or as few words as deemed necessary to聽express the ideal dog. The , at 1,943 words,聽is a 鈥淢oby-Dick鈥� of breed standards; in contrast, the 226-word聽 is a veritable haiku, leaving lots of room聽for聽interpretation.
The number of words a standard devotes to each aspect of a breed is a聽reliable hint of what is considered essential to breed type. It鈥檚 no聽surprise, then, that more than a third of the Neapolitan Mastiff standard聽is taken up by a discussion of the breed鈥檚 massive head, described in the聽standard as 鈥渁stounding.鈥�
More important than the sheer number of words in a standard is the聽choice of words used. 鈥淭he use of qualifying words鈥攚hich occurs in聽almost all standards鈥攍eaves a wide latitude and is one of the reasons聽for聽the many differences of opinion as to what is ideal in any breed,鈥� all-breed judge Dorothy Macdonald says. 鈥淩emember, if there were complete聽unanimity we would not need judges鈥攖he computer could mail home the聽ribbons.鈥�
Some standards include a numeric point scale, attaching the most聽points聽to what fanciers consider vital to a breed鈥檚 essence. The Dalmatian聽standard, for instance, assigns 25 out of 100 points to 鈥渃olor聽and聽markings,鈥� and the distinctive ridge that gives the Rhodesian Ridgeback聽its name is worth a full 20 points.
Many, but not all, standards provide a list of imperfections聽so serious as聽to automatically disqualify a dog in the ring. Such disqualifications聽(鈥淒Qs,鈥� as fanciers say) are yet another good way to determine what聽is聽considered crucial to breed type. The Great Dane standard disqualifies聽specimens 鈥渦nder minimum height鈥濃�攚hat鈥檚 a Dane after all, if not big?聽But all breed standards, no matter the idiosyncrasies that make them聽unique, are word pictures depicting the perfect dog.
Bullmastiff聽breeder-judge Helene Nietsch says, how a breeder or judge interprets聽those words is crucial: 鈥淚t takes both the left and right sides聽of the brain聽to put everything together. The right side is the creative side, the artistic聽side that sees the beauty, the symmetry, and the nuances of the breed.聽The left side interprets the standard in a more intellectual, logical way.鈥澛燭he breeding of dogs is both an art and a science. Serious fanciers must聽think with both sides of the brain to produce dogs of beauty and聽functionality. A well-written breed standard makes it possible.
Why Are Breed Standards Important?
蜜桃视频 Conformation has existed for hundreds of years and was started as a way to evaluate breeding stock. Dogs are not being compared to each other; they鈥檙e being measured by how closely they聽conform聽to the standard of their particular breed. Why? Because the closer a dog鈥檚 appearance is to the breed鈥檚 standard, the better that dog鈥檚 ability will be to produce healthy, purpose-bred puppies that meet the standard.
It鈥檚 also the reason why mixed breeds and spayed or neutered purebreds are ineligible to compete in conformation. Responsible breeders breed dogs who have titles confirming that they adhere to the breed standard and/or are able to perform the duties for which they have been bred.