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Wherever dogs work for man or keep him company there are organizations set up to protect the interests of both animal and owner. These are Kennel Clubs - variously known as kennel unions, councils, dog clubs, and canine societies. Although the characters of these organizations, from the Australian National Kennel Council to the Federation cynologique internationale, differ somewhat, their functions are similar. Their duties include:
Recognizing breeds.
Each kennel club publishes a register of breeds that are eligible for prizes at dog competitions. Criteria for gaining official kennel club recognition vary greatly from country to country.
Maintaining Breed Registries.
Owners of pedigreed dogs file papers that delineate their dog's parentage. If the application is approved, the owner is issued a certificate of registration. It is often more difficult to register a dog than it is to register a baby.
Compiling stud books.
This record of the breeding particulars of a country's recognized brands traces ancestries from generations ago to the present.
Establishing Breed Standards.
These detailed descriptions of the ideal dog, breed by breed, are the basis for choosing winners at dog competitions.
Sponsoring Dog Shows and Trials.
Strict procedures and skilled judging at championship shows and outdoor competitions ensure that titles awarded are meritorious-and merited. Dogs awarded championship titles can command high stud fees, and considerable prices for their litters.
Approving of Judges.
Judges at any competition must be thoroughly knowledgeable about the breed or breeds they are judging. To qualify as a judge, an individual must generally attend training sessions, take a written or verbal examination, act as an observer at shows, and also judge at non-championship shows, such as open shows in Great Britain and sanction matches in Canada.
Each national kennel club accepts as members or affiliates canine clubs devoted to one or several breeds, which in turn sponsor their own competitions. Although most competitions under kennel club auspices are the championship (also called conformation) shows where a dog's appearance is paramount, outdoor competitions are increasingly popular. These test dogs’ kills at hunting (in field trials), at following scents (tracking), at following commands (obedience trials), at working (Herding trials), and in gamesmanship lure-coursing, agility, and scent hurdle-racing).
Here, only performance counts, and dogs are not examined for conformity to breed standards. | 