What is meant by “form follows function”?
When we say “form follows function” in a dog breeding context we mean that the most efficient physique for a particular breed purpose will, over time, be produced simply by mating dogs that successfully fulfil that purpose, with no need for breeders to hold theories about the relative lengths and angular relationships of bones of the skeleton, or to breed according with such theories. The most successful examples of dogs able to fulfil their purpose will automatically be the ones that are best adapted physically to that purpose. Novice breeders sometimes fall into the fallacy of believing that in order to breed a good working dog, it is necessary to practise canine engineering, attempting to construct a physical machine according to a plan or blueprint laid out in the breed standard. This amounts to an inversion of “form follows function” into “function should follow form.” In practice, the most critical factors in working dog performance are usually mental, behavioural, and metabolic;
