Groups of visibly similar and closely related domestic dogs having characteristic traits that are maintained and selected by humans and which are bred from a foundation stock that is unknown is what is known as dog breeds.
“Dog breed” is a term that is used in reference to landraces and natural breeds, and appeared through time in reaction to certain environments that included humans, with minimal or no selective breeding done by humans. These particular breeds have no documentation and are recognized by appearance and usually by a working style. Some of the modern off springs of these natural breeds, that are documented, are known as ancient dog breeds.Dog breeds are groupings that are defined by breed clubs also referred to clubs of hobbyists. They are represented by an adequate amount of individuals to soundly transfer its precise attributes over generations.
Dogs that have the same breed have characteristics that are similar in behavior and appearance, usually because they come from a certain set of ancestors that had the same qualities. There are specific breeds that breed true and produce offspring that are very similar to their parents. An individual dog is recognized as a breed member through proof of its ancestry by using written records of ancestry or genetic analysis. Without this particular type of proof, there is no reliability in the identification of a specific dog breed. These records, which are known as stud books, can be maintained by organizations, clubs or individuals.Every dog breed has a list of characteristics that standardizes the breeds’ appearance and is written by the breed club or the founder of the breed and the list is known as a written Breed Standard.