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Abreed is a specific group of breedabledomestic animals havinghomogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneousbehavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the samespecies. In the literature, there exist several slightly deviating definitions.[2] Breeds are formed throughgenetic isolation and either naturaladaptation to the environment orselective breeding, or a combination of the two. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" toanimal husbandry and agriculture, no single, scientifically accepted definition of the term exists.[3]: 340 A breed is therefore not an objective or biologically verifiable classification but is instead aterm of art amongst groups of breeders who share a consensus around what qualities make some members of a given species members of a nameable subset.[4]
Another point of view is that a breed is consistent enough in type to be logically grouped together and when mated within the group produce the same type.[5] When bred together, individuals of the same breed pass on these predictable traits to their offspring, and this ability – known as "breeding true" – is a requirement for a breed.Plant breeds are more commonly known ascultivars. The offspring produced as a result of breeding animals of one breed with other animals of another breed are known ascrossbreeds or mixed breeds. Crosses between animal or plant variants above the level of breed/cultivar (i.e. between species,subspecies,botanicalvariety, even differentgenera) are referred to ashybrids.[6]
Thebreeder (or group of breeders) who initially establishes a breed does so byselecting individual animals from within agene pool that they see as having the necessary qualities needed to enhance the breed model they are aiming for. These animals are referred to asfoundation stock. Furthermore, the breeder mates the most desirable representatives of the breed from the breeder's point of view, aiming to pass such characteristics to theirprogeny. This process is known asselective breeding. A written description of desirable and undesirable breed representatives is referred to as abreed standard.
Breed specific characteristics, also known as breed traits, are inherited, andpurebred animals pass such traits fromgeneration to generation. Thus, all specimens of the same breed carry several genetic characteristics of the original foundation animal(s). In order to maintain the breed, a breeder would select those animals with the most desirable traits to achieve further maintenance and developing of such traits. At the same time, the breed would avoid animals carrying characteristics undesirable or not typical for the breed, including faults orgenetic defects. Thepopulation within the same breed should consist of a sufficient number of animals to maintain the breed within the specified parameters without the necessity of forcedinbreeding.
Domestic animal breeds commonly differ from country to country, and from nation to nation. Breeds originating in a certain country are known as "native breeds" of that country.
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