As Giselle said.... the breed standards don't need to change, the way people interpert the breed standards that needs to change!
While some breed standards do change or get modified at times -- its really the way people interpert the standards that changes the breeds over time. Thats why you have "families" or "lines" of dogs with different looks. As far as Collies are concerned there are a few lines I really love, or see often at shows, so when I see a dog, without knowing who the dog is I can pretty much tell what bloodline its from...
Now the things that changes a breed are fads... you get a stud dog that does a lot of winning and people think "that dog is winning alot, I should breed my bitch to him" and so you get the "popular stud dog syndrome".... everyone breeds to a big winning stud dog even if he doesnt' correctly meet the breed standard... but because of that the breed changes, since everyone and their brother are breeding their dogs them.
The biggest reason this is allowed to happen are the JUDGES at dog shows!!
IF the judges didn't award these dogs who don't correctly meet the standard, these big wins, they wouldn't become popular (because their winning record) and so people wouldn't be sending their dogs all across the country to breed to him..... or if the case of bitches, wouldn't be in demand for puppies out of that bitch.... most of the time these "fad" dogs who do a lot of winning, win not because of their merrits but because of who is on the other end of the leash...... a long with that, a good handler/groomer can make a bad dog look fantastic in the ring!!!
So yes.. the way breeders interpret the standards is a large part of it... but a lot of it is also because Judges are awarding incorrect dogs with big wins..... so if you want to correct it, judges need to judge to the STANDARD not to the fad of that time..... if judges didn't reward the "fads" of the time, people wouldn't breed them...
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