Kennel clubs sponsor and organize local, state and national dog shows.
Kennel club associations are often viewed by canine breeding professionals as the preferred groups to register and show their purebred dogs with -- to gain championship status. This status allows for a higher sale price of puppies -- due to the championship bloodlines. The American Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club are two of the most widely-known and respected associations in the dog world.
History
The United Kennel Club was established in 1898 and has been labeled the largest all-breed show across the globe, registering canines from all 50 U.S. states -- as well as 25 other countries, as of 2011. The show categories include agility, training, instinct and hunting ability; but they also strictly adhere to the physical characteristics of each breed.
The American Kennel Club was organized in 1884, and registers only dogs residing in the United States. The AKC has developed the oldest-running dog magazine named "The AKC Gazette."
Show Dogs
The UKC allows mixed-breed dogs to compete in the hunting, training and instinct categories of the dog shows, inviting mutts from all over the globe to show their skills; while the AKC only allows pure-bred entrants.
The AKC prohibits dogs of different breeds to compete against each other and places them into categories, with the exception of the miscellaneous category. Herding, working, toy, hound, terrier and non-sporting are a few of the common categories.
The UKC includes other categories such as the coon and squirrel hunts, dock jumping events, water races and weight pulls.
Formality of Events
The UKC is a less formal show -- permitting handlers, who also own their dogs -- to wear clothing such as jeans, T-shirts and hunting attire; while the AKC is more elite in their apparel. The handler showing in AKC should look professional in a suit and tie or women's business attire.
In addition to attire, UKC shows are commonly smaller and more close-knit, allowing handlers to show more than one specimen in different categories because of time allotments. The AKC, on the other hand, is time oriented and has a specific schedule which must be followed on show days. This schedule often requires dog owners to hire professional handlers to work with their prize dogs.
Point System
Each dog -- to reach the desired championship status -- must acquire a number of "points" by winning dog shows in categories, or by taking best of breed or best in show.
Fifteen points under three different judges, one of which must be a 3-point win, denotes an AKC championship; while the UKC requires 100 show points to be named a champion. The AKC gives points according to the number of competitors in the show ring while the UKC awards a standard number of points for the win.
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