A
kennel club (known as a
kennel council or
canine council in some countries) is an organization for
canine affairs that concerns itself with the
breeding,
showing and promotion of more than one
breed of dog. Kennel Clubs became popular in the mid 19th century and were founded on the principles of
eugenics. All-encompassing kennel clubs are also referred to as 'all-breed clubs', although "all" means only those breeds that they have decided to recognize, and "breed" means
purebred dogs, not including
dog hybrids and crossbreeds or
mixed-breed dogs. A club that handles only one breed is known as a
breed club.