The Kennel Club (KC) is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also operates the national register of pedigree dogs in the United Kingdom and acts as a lobby group on issues involving dogs in the UK. To celebrate its 150th anniversary on 5 April 2023, King Charles III confirmed the club with a 'royal' prefix, however until the members of the KC have voted to change the trading title to include "Royal" it will remain the Kennel Club.
Sewallis Shirley, the founder of the Kennel Club
Charles Cruft, the founder of the Crufts dog show
Medical Detection Dogs attend the 2021 Discover Dogs convention at London Excel Centre.
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, one of the dog breeds featured in Pedigree Dogs Exposed
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.