A kennel club is an organization for canine affairs that concerns itself with the breeding, showing and promotion of more than one breed of dog. Kennel clubs became popular in the mid 19th century. All-encompassing kennel clubs are also referred to as 'all-breed clubs', although "all" means only those breeds that they have decided to recognize, and "breed" means purebred dogs, not including dog hybrids and crossbreeds or mixed-breed dogs. A club that handles only one breed is known as a breed club.
1901 poster advertising a dog show at the Mascoutah Kennel Club.
A dog show is an animal show, an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a breed show, is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.
Handlers set up their dogs for judging so that their stance is perfect when the judge views them; this is known as hand stacking.
Dogs may also be presented standing freely, in the so-called "self stack" or "free stack".
A handler prepares a Silky Terrier to be presented.
Winning dogs are awarded prizes by the judge.
