Logo of The Kennel Club
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Abbreviation | KC |
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Formation | 1873 |
Type | Kennel club |
Headquarters | Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London W1J 8AB |
Region served
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United Kingdom |
Official language
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English |
Affiliations | The Kennel Club Charitable Trust |
Website | www |
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 act as governing body for 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. Its headquarters are located on Clarges Street in Mayfair, London, with business offices in Aylesbury.
The Kennel Club registration system divides dogs into seven breed groups. The Kennel Club Groups are: Hound, Working, Terrier, Gundog, Pastoral, Utility and Toy. As of 2011, the Kennel Club recognised 210 breeds of dog. This was increased to 211 breeds with the addition of the Turkish Kangal dog in 2013.
The Kennel Club licenses dog shows throughout the UK but the only dog show actually run by the KC is the Crufts conformation show. The show has been held since 1928 and attracts competitors from all over the world. Crufts is held every March at the NEC, Birmingham. The Kennel Club also holds the dog event Discover Dogs in London every November, featuring the Scruffts dog show for crossbreed and mixed-breed dogs.