What is the primary purpose of animal breeding?

The primary purpose of animal breeding is to improve specific traits in livestock and companion animals. This selective breeding aims to produce animals that have desirable characteristics, which may include enhanced productivity, growth rates, disease resistance, behavior, or overall health. For example, breeding programs might focus on increasing milk production in dairy cattle or improving the temperament of dogs.

While the enhancement of aesthetic qualities might be a goal for some breeds of companion animals, it is not the main focus of animal breeding as a whole. Similarly, increasing the animal population does not necessarily correlate with the quality or fitness of the animals, as breeding efforts are more concentrated on the improvement of traits rather than sheer numbers. Ensuring animal survival is a broader concern that may involve breeding, but it primarily focuses on conservation and genetic diversity rather than the specific improvements that selective breeding seeks to achieve. Thus, focusing on specific traits is what distinguishes successful animal breeding practices.