breed standards
Ideal specimen criteria
Breed standards are the official specifications defining the ideal characteristics of a dog, cat, or other purebred animal—covering physical traits like size, coat, coloring, and proportions, as well as temperament.
Kennel clubs and breed registries establish these standards, and judges at shows evaluate animals against them: The dog was disqualified for not meeting breed standards.
Breeders use standards as blueprints when selecting which animals to mate.
- purebredOf single breed ancestry
- weightMeasure of heaviness
- docilityReadiness to submit
- withersShrinks from dryness
- toplineOf highest prominence
pedigree · stud book · selective breeding · kennel clubs · genetic screening · disqualifications · alertness · conformation · eye color · AKC · hip dysplasia · sociability · body proportions · trainability · grooming · judging criteria · point system · type
- animal breedingbreeding, dog breeding, mating, gestation, crossbreeding
- breedingselective breeding, breeder, crossbreeding, mating, breeding pair
- dog showsdog shows, show ring, handler, show dog, show dogs
- farm referencesfarmer's almanac, almanac, planting guide, field manual, seed catalog
- livestock showsstock show, livestock show, livestock shows, showring, show ring
- selective breedingartificial selection, selective breeding, crossbreeding, inbreeding, linebreeding
breed standardsgenetic diversity
Allelic variation within populations
crossbreeding · hybrid vigor · outcrossing · heterozygosity · village dogs