EDUCATION CORNER

By Marti Anderson, PhD Education Chair 

THE STANDARD

Any discussion of education about a particular breed of dog should begin with ‘The Standard’ for that breed.

What is ‘the standard?’  The Standard is a written description, the official written description, of a particular breed.  It is supposed to paint a word picture of the ideal example of that breed.

Who writes the Standard?  This varies between the two major purebred dog registries – our UKC and the AKC.  In the UKC, the organization itself [UKC] owns the Standard, writes the standard and controls any changes or modifications to the Standard.  In the AKC, the ‘parent’ or ‘sponsoring’ club owns the wording of the Standard and is responsible for making any changes to it.  In the UKC, the National Association for a breed can recommend changes to the Standard.

There is a 3^rd organization that influences the Standards of many dog breeds, and that is the FCI – the International Federation of Dog Clubs.  The FCI sponsors large international shows but does not operate as a registry in the same way that UKC and AKC do.   The FCI has a uniform-format for its Standards and that format has recently been influential in some Standards.

Why is the Standard important?  Most people think that in a conformation show, the dogs in a particular class are judged against EACH other.  That is WRONG.  Each dog in a conformation show is supposed to be judged against the Standard for that breed.  So each dog is being judged compared to the ‘ideal’ for that breed.  The dogs should be placed according to how close to that ideal they come, in the opinion of the judge.

What if I don’t agree with the Standard?  Some of the phrases and some of the wording in each Standard is vague or general in nature.  Within the meanings of those phrases, breeders and exhibitors can and are encouraged to have their own opinions.  But the bottom line, the ‘truth – teller’ is the Standard. 

What is the Standard based on?  This is a good question.  Our Labrador Standard in the UKC reads like it is based on The Kennel Club Standard [that’s the one in England] in effect when the Labrador was recognized as a breed by the UKC.  Since the Labrador as a breed was first recognized in Great Britain and largely developed in Great Britain, that’s a great place to start for the Standard.  There have been few changes in the UKC Standard for the Labrador through the years.

Is the UKC Standard for the Labrador different than the AKC Standard?  Yes.  There are different disqualifications between the Standards.  That’s the major difference between them.  When you read the two Standards carefully, you will see that they are describing the same ‘ideal dog.’