WIMARU REG'D STAFFORDS
"everything a Stafford should be"
Breed Standard - General
General
A Breed Standard is a set of guidelines covering specific externally observable qualities such as appearance, movement and temperament for the breed of dog. Breed standards are not scientific documents but are written for each breed by breed clubs for their own specific requirements. Details and definitions within breed standards for a specific dog breed may vary from breed club to breed club and from country to country. Dog breed standards are similar in form and function to breed standards for other domesticated animals.
Content and Purpose
The breed standard for each breed of dog is distinct, giving a detailed description of the appearance and behavior of an idealized dog of that breed. Included in the breed standard description are externally observable aspects of appearance and behavior that are considered by the breed club to be the most important for the breed and externally observable details of appearance or temperament that are considered by the breed club to be unacceptable, known as faults. In addition, most breed standards include an historical section describing the place of origin and the original work done by the breed or it's ancestor types.
Breed standards do not include testing requirements for health, genetic testing or specific types of training or work; breed standards are only intended to describe the breed's externally observable qualities. Breed clubs may make other requirements for health testing or work testing but these are not covered in the breed standard itself.
Breed Standards and Conformation Shows
The basis of judging in conformation dog shows is breed type, the whole of the characteristics that are typical of a breed. Breed type is outlined in the breed standard for each breed and the judge looks at the entered dogs for the ones that most perfectly resemble the judge's mental image of the ideal type. Dogs are judged against the judge's mental ideal, not against each other. The goal of the conformation show is to identify breeding stock for the breed and the breed standard is the standard or model which breeders endeavor to achieve. Conformation shows are not intended for the examination of the entered dogs for fitness for purpose and while dogs may be excused by a judge for obvious lameness or illness the dogs are not tested in the ring for genetic health or examined for the general health of the animal beyond externally observable appearance and behavior as described in the breed standard.
Breed standards are not quantified and are interpreted by the judge in a conformation show according to the judge's experience with the breed and the judge's personal taste. As judges are selected by the exhibitors whose dogs he or she is judging, errors in comprehension of breed type and breed standard result in the judge not being invited to judge again, so the problem is self-correcting. In addition, breed clubs, national kennel clubs and judge study groups provide regular seminars for the training of judges in the details of individual breed standards and how they are interpreted. Sports that rely on the judgment of one or more judges rather than on a system of competitive scores without judge are sometimes accused of being lesser sports.
Breed standards are written by individual breed clubs, and, if the breed club is a member of a national kennel club the standard will go through a process of being approved by the national kennel club so that the members of the breed club can take part in the dog activities sponsored by the national kennel club. The national kennel club only directs the form of the breed standard, the standard itself is written by the breed club or clubs.
The Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international group which regulates breed standard formats so that dogs from member countries can compete in shows internationally. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale only approves standards, it does not write the standards. The breed standards for each breed are written by the country of origin or a sponsoring country in the case of some breeds. Individual kennel clubs may still have their own variations in the details of the breed standard used in conformation shows within their own country.
