Editing Breed standard (section)

== Contents of a breed standard ==
[[File:Boxer proportions.jpg|thumb|Body and head proportions, Boxer dog breed standard illustration]]
Breed standards cover the ''externally observable'' qualities of the animal such as ''appearance'', ''movement'', and ''temperament''. The exact format of the breed standard varies, as breed standards are not scientific documents and change as the needs of the members of the organization which authors them change. In general, a breed standard may include history of the breed, a narrative description of the breed, and details of the ideal externally observable structure and behavior for the breed. Certain deviations from the standard are considered ''faults''. A large degree of deviation from the breed standard, an excess of faults, or certain defined major faults, may indicate that the animal should not be bred, although its fitness for other uses may not be impeded by the faults. An animal that closely matches (conforms to) the breed standard for its species and breed is said to have good conformation.