Glossary

United Kennel Club

A US registry founded in 1898 that registers many working and hunting breeds and also runs sports, with its own breed groups and standards.

Also called: UKC, United Kennel Club, UKC registry

The United Kennel Club, or UKC, is a US dog registry founded in 1898. It registers purebred dogs worldwide and has its own breed standards. It has long been popular with owners of hunting, working and bully breeds, and it was an early registry for the American Pit Bull Terrier.

The UKC sorts its breeds into eight groups: Companion, Guardian, Gun Dog, Herding, Northern Breed, Scenthound, Sighthound and Pariah, and Terrier. This is different from the seven groups used by the American Kennel Club, so a breed can sit in a different group on each list. A breed recognised by one registry may not be recognised by the other.

The UKC runs conformation shows, sports and events such as coon hound and hunting tests, and tends to emphasise function over appearance. Like any kennel registry, registration records parentage, not health or quality.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Kennel registry An organisation that keeps records of dogs and their parentage, issues registration papers and pedigrees, and often runs shows and sports. Purebred A dog whose parents and ancestors belong to one recognised breed and are recorded in a registry, so its ancestry can be traced on paper. Breed standard The written description of an ideal dog of a breed, covering size, proportions, coat, colour, movement and temperament, used to judge dogs and guide breeding. Fédération Cynologique Internationale The international federation of national kennel clubs, based in Belgium, that recognises breeds worldwide and assigns each one to a country of origin.