Editing Breed standard (section)

{{short description|Written description of what a breed should look like}}
[[File:Cane da presa - neapolitan mastiff - cane corso - 1946 - 1965.png|thumb|First [[Neapolitan Mastiff]] dog breed standard, 1946]]
In [[animal husbandry]] or [[animal fancy]], a '''breed standard''' is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a [[breed]].{{r|cabi|page=xix}} The description may include [[phenotype|physical]] or [[morphology (biology)|morphological]] detail, [[genotype|genetic criteria]], or criteria of athletic or productive performance.{{cn|date=December 2020}} It may also describe faults or deficiencies that would disqualify an animal from registration or from [[animal reproduction|reproduction]].{{r|cabi|page=xix}} The hypothetical ideal example may be called a "breed type".{{cn|date=December 2020}}

Breed standards are devised by breed associations or breed clubs, not by individuals, and are written to reflect the use or purpose of the species and breed of the animal. Breed standards help define the ideal animal of a breed and provide goals for breeders in improving stock.  In essence a breed standard is a blueprint for an animal fit for the function it was bred - i.e. herding, tracking etc.<ref name="overview">[http://www.alpacas-4-sale.com/breed_standard.htm A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ALPACA BREED TYPE AND STANDARDS, By Jude Anderson, Maggie Krieger, and Mike Safley, The Alpaca Library from Northwest Alpacas] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415004027/http://www.alpacas-4-sale.com/breed_standard.htm |date=April 15, 2009 }}</ref> Breed standards are not [[Science|scientific]] documents, and may vary from association to association, and from country to country, even for the same species and breed. There is no one format for breed standards across all species, and breed standards do change and are updated over time.<ref name="overview" />