The Kennel Club Timeline (1800s)

The Kennel Club was founded on 4 April 1873 by Mr Sewallis Evelyn Shirley MP, along with twelve other gentlemen. The purpose of The Kennel Club was to have a consistent set of rules for governing the popular new activities of dog showing and field trials, it was the first national kennel club in the world. This year we are celebrating 150 years of The Kennel Club; from 'Making a positive difference for dogs' to our new objective of 'Making a positive difference for dogs and their owners.'

1859

First modern conformation dog show held at Newcastle - Pointers and Setters. This is the first dog show recognised by The Kennel Club Stud book.

Quickly followed by First Birmingham Show which became the National Dog Show Society (Birmingham National) which is the oldest continually existing dog show in the world. Major shows develop in big cities – London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow etc.

1865

First field trial held at Southill – Pointers and Setters. This is the first field trial recognised by The Kennel Club Stud book.

1870

First National Dog Show at Crystal Palace is held. This will become The Kennel Club’s own directly managed show.   

1873

Mr Sewallis Shirley forms The Kennel Club with twelve other like-minded men, including the Rev. John (Jack) Russell. The Kennel Club was founded on 4th April. The purpose of The Kennel Club was to have a consistent set of rules for governing the popular new activities of dog showing and field trials. It was the first national Kennel Club in the world. 

The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) becomes The Kennel Club’s first Royal Patron. All reigning monarchs take this role thereafter. 

The Kennel Club’s first address is 2 Albert Mansions, Victoria Street. 

The Kennel Club holds its first show under its own name on 17th-20th June at The Crystal Palace, Sydenham with an entry of 975 dogs, divided into Sporting & Non-Sporting. The show was held at The Crystal Palace but moved to Olympia when The Crystal Palace burned down in 1936.

1874

The First Kennel Club Stud Book is founded, showing results from dog shows starting from 1859 and field trials from 1865. Pedigrees and details of breeders and owners were shown, where known. The Stud Book also contained The Kennel Club’s own rules for the Club itself, for conducting a dog show and for conduction a field trial. These rules emphasise fair play and canine health including vet checks at shows. Rules evolve rapidly over the next 30 years until 1904. First annual general meeting held on 1st December at The Great Western Hotel in Birmingham.

1877

The Kennel Club moves to 29A Pall Mall. First rules governing champion status.

1879

Rules about fraudulent and discreditable conduct and about registration introduced. Stewards appointed to help judges in the show ring.

1880

The Kennel Gazette is first published in April. It contains a register of dogs that is published monthly from that point and which, in time, becomes the Breed Record Supplement.  There is some resistance to the introduction of “universal” registration. Naming was required to avoid duplication – pedigree was not yet as important as it would later become.

1881

Sub-committee appointed to look into faking (altering the appearance of a dog through surgical and non-surgical means).

1883

The rules are extended to cover a number of health-based disqualifications (blindness, deafness lameness etc – if lameness is only temporary, proof of this much be given). The Kennel Club moves to 6 Cleveland Row. 

Associate members are first elected in March.

1885

Confirmation of rule that dogs can be disqualified from shows if they exhibit signed of mange or any other infectious disease.

1887

Sub-committee formed to work with breed clubs to fix breed standards. The breed standards remain under the control of the breed clubs, not The Kennel Club.

1888

Rules amended to prevent dogs disqualified on grounds of vet-certified infectious disease from receiving a Title.

1889

The Irish Terrier Club ban ear cropping within the breed stating that Irish Terriers with cropped ears born after 31 December would not be eligible to compete at their own club shows.

1890

Disinfection of the benches at The Kennel Club Show as a measure to prevent transmission of contagious diseases.

1891

Charles Cruft holds his first all-breed show – one among many major championship shows, but which will become The Kennel Club’s own directly managed show eventually.

1895

The Kennel Club moves to 17 Old Burlington Street. 

First field trials for Bloodhounds held by the Association of Bloodhound Breeders. 

Prince of Wales (Kennel Club Patron) writes that he considers ear cropping cruel, that he has never cropped his own dogs and that he is glad that the practice is falling out of favour. The RSPCA take a case against Henry Cooper for ear cropping his Toy Terrier. The judge said the defence – that cropping was traditionally justified for fighting purposes and that it improved the appearance of the dog – was not a valid defense. The Kennel Club banned cropping outright for all breeds – no dog born after 31st March (and no Irish Terriers born after 31 December 1889) could compete at a Kennel Club run or Kennel Club licenced show. 

1899

SE Shirley steps down as The Kennel Club Chairman and becomes The Kennel Club President.  

Mr John Sydney Turner becomes Chairman.

The Kennel Club accepted the formation of the Ladies’ Branch which existed until 1979 when full membership was offered to women. The Duchess of Newcastle was the first Chairman of the Ladies' Branch which existed until women were admitted to full membership in 1979. At this time, half of all exhibitors were women.