Breed standard

As a breed standard or breed standard is referred to in the breeding of domestic animals and livestock defined and laid down, characteristic of breeding associations characteristics of a race that will be sought as a breeding goal. The breed standard refers primarily to the phenotype, but also indirectly on the genotype. His goal is to describe the appearance of an ideal representative of the breed depicted.

Breed standards exist only for domesticated species, such as domestic horse, domestic dog, domestic cat, breed poultry, domestic rabbits and fish.

Importance

There are various forms of animal exhibits for races of various species of domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits and household birds. On such exhibitions provide breeders and pet owners breed their animals a judge who rated them according to the stipulated in the respective breed standard criteria. Those animals whose phenotype is closest to the judge 's view, the standard will be awarded in such exhibitions.

Criticism

The one-sided fixation on phenotypic characteristics of health problems can occur during the breeding according to the specifications of a breed standard that are relevant to animal welfare part. Such practices are referred to as suffering animals bred and are prohibited by law in many countries. The film Pedigree Dogs Exposed treated cases where specified in the breed standard anatomical features hurt the dogs in question.