The 1800s
The Kennel Club was founded on 4 April 1873. From publishing of the first Kennel Gazette and The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) becoming the first royal patron of The Kennel Club.
Celebrating 150 years of The Kennel Club
We are celebrating 150 years of 'Making a positive difference for dogs' and how in the future we will be 'Making a positive difference for dogs and their owners'.
Making a positive difference for dogs and their owners
The Kennel Club was founded on 4 April 1873. Mr. Sewallis Evelyn Shirley, MP, founded the club with twelve other men. 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.'
Share your videos
This year we are celebrating an important anniversary, marking 150 years of helping dogs to live happy, healthy lives with responsible owners. We couldn't have made it to this incredible milestone without you - the people that share our love of dogs. As part of our celebrations, we're asking you to be part of a special 150 year anniversary video. We're looking for video submissions of you and your dogs that may feature in the video, which will be shared across our social channels.For full entry requirements and to submit your video you can find out more here.
Looking back on the past 150 years
The 1900s
The Kennel Club saw great success in the 1900s including the formation of The Kennel Club Charitable Trust and the acquirement of the Crufts dog show.
The 2000s
The Kennel Club continues to grow in the 2000s and has seen significant work carried out on the health and welfare of dogs, the development of the Assured Breeder scheme, the launch of an accredited training programme and the foundation of The Kennel Club Art Gallery.
Celebrate with us
150 years online dog show
The Kennel Club has witnessed and contributed to many exciting advancements in the world of dogs. Click below to see the full history.
150 years dog recipes
Celebrate 150 years of The Kennel Club with your dog by making them some of these delicious treats.
The Kennel Club 150 years exhibition
The exhibition will open to the public on Thursday 23 February 2023. Anyone wishing to book to see the exhibition can contact our Art Gallery directly.