by Stacy Kaaki

Created on: June 25, 2008

Breed Clubs are organizations dedicated to the breeding and welfare of a specific breed. These clubs differ from kennel clubs in that kennel clubs are open to purebred dogs of any breed and are not breed specific. There are both national breed clubs and local breed clubs.

By the time the first Westminster Dog Show was held in 1877, dog breed clubs had started to appear in many parts of the country. Most often, these breed clubs were formed by breeders with an interest in the preservation, breeding and exhibiting of a particular dog breed. They banded together to set a uniform standard for the breed and to keep track of breeding records and pedigrees. Eventually, most breed clubs left the function of registry and pedigree record-keeping to the major kennel clubs, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC).

National breed clubs are the parent clubs for each AKC-recognized breed, and are responsible for defining the "Breed Standard," or the standard of perfection against which all dogs of that breed are judged in conformation shows. National breed club members are involved in breed-specific research, legislation, and have usually been involved with the breed for many years. The club maintains a list of breeders, hosts seminars for breeder judges, and provides a list of local breed clubs affiliated with the national breed club.

Local breed clubs are established by groups of dedicated fanciers of a breed who share an interest in promoting the welfare of the breed as a whole. They host Specialty Shows and Fun Matches (practice shows) throughout the year. Local breed clubs are a great resource for breeder referral, breed rescue (adoptions), and providing information on conformation showing. They usually meet once a month to plan for the annual show and other events, attend to business, and share information.

Some breed clubs are not affiliated with the AKC. These would primarily be clubs dedicated to a particular breed which is not recognized as a breed by the AKC. An example would be the Dogo Canario, a breed originating in the Canary Islands, and just appearing in greater numbers in the United States. The Dogo Canario Club of America, Inc. is dedicated to the preservation of this breed. They are affiliated with the Federation Cynologique Internationale, which is an internationally accepted kennel club, with 84 member countries. The AKC has not yet approved the Dogo Canario as a recognized dog breed, but you can still find much information on this dog breed through its breed club.

There are different membership requirements for each breed club, but most will require that its members adhere to a Code of Ethics, and in some cases be sponsored by a member (or members) of the club.

Information on breed clubs has never been easier to find. The AKC has a list of national breed clubs for each of their recognized breeds. If the breed you are interested in is not recognized by the AKC, a quick internet search on your breed should pull up information on breed clubs for your particular breed. Their websites will have contact information for the club officers who can provide information on how to become a member of the breed club.

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