In the dog world you will often hear or read the phrase breed standard. The breed standard is the outline of how that specific breed should be built. A breed standard will describe size, coat, build, temperament, how it should move or its gait, the general appearance, and color, and bite. It will also indicate any faults that might be disqualifications in any specific breed. The standard is what breeders use when choosing their foundation (the beginning of your kennel) dogs. That is why it is important to carefully choose the kennel from which your dogs come.
Kennels that adhere to a breeds standard are better able to provide you with the right dogs to start with. Who comes up with these standards you might ask? The breed club for any particular breed does. AKC asks them about what the standard should be, the breeders come together with a current standard and they vote on any amendments or changes that they feel might be made. Most of the time its language versus any real changes to the structure of the dog, but this can happen to. Once it is voted on and ratified within the breed club it goes to AKC as their recognized standardfor that particular breed.