The Main Dog Organizations in the World

These organizations verify pedigrees and make sure that all the judges are mutually recognized by their members.

Some of the main dog organizations in the world exist to make sure that pure breed standards are kept up. They also do a lot to promote healthy, responsible breeding. Their goal is to ensure the well-being of any dogs registered in their organizations.

Many of these organizations are also putting up a fight against pointless laws. They provide legal assistance and work with small and non-government organizations that are promoting dogs’ rights.

The main dog organizations in the world

These kinds of organizations are very necessary for their respective countries. They also support lots of positive programs that involve showing people how to be responsible dog owners. On top of that, they certify breeders and judges on an international level.

Féderation Cynologique Internationale (FCI)

The FCI is a French dog organization with international reach. They have 95 members (one per country) who publish their pedigrees and certify their judges. The FCI recognized 349 distinct breeds of dog in the world. Each one belongs to a specific country, in their system.

The countries that “own” a breed then give a detailed description of the ideal dog of that breed, in cooperation with the scientific norms from the FCI. Those norms are the reference point for judges in competitions in FCI-recognized countries. They also provide a reference point for breeders as they try to breed the best dogs.

All member countries do demonstrations for international compliance. That includes things like tests with work, hunting, agility, obedience, races, courses, and herding. The results then go to the FCI offices, where employees process them and integrate them into their standards.

Once a specific dog has won a certain amount of prizes, it becomes eligible for the FCI International Championship. There are categories in everything from beauty, show, work, agility, obedience, breed, and performance. 

American Kennel Club (AKC)

Bringing dog lovers together since 1884, the AKC is one of the biggest and most famous dog organizations in the world. For more than 130 years, it has been the main authority in the US for just about everything about dogs. It’s the single greatest resource any dog lover has in America.

Along with other affiliated organizations, they spread the idea of caring for dogs like members of the family. They also promote research to learn as much as we can about dog health and well-being. If that weren’t enough, they advocate for the rights of dogs and owners, and educate people about how to be responsible owners.

Of course, the goal of all dog organizations, whether the main ones or not, is to produce good dogs with sound minds and bodies. Even 130 years later, they’ve remained faithful to this quote from their founders, “Always remember: we are a service organization. The dogs are not here for us, we are here for the dogs.”

Canine Federation of Canada

Merville Landry (who introduced the Coton de Tulear to Canada) created the Canine Federation of Canada in 1989. She’s also self-published her book Dictionnaire de la Cynophilie. This organization uses the breed standards and rules as set out by the FCI.

That gives dog show lovers and the general public a chance to learn more about the wide variety of dogs in the world. The elite championships in Canada take place in the Maritimes and Quebec. These high-quality dog shows bring expert judges from all over the world.

European Guide Dog Federation

This organization focuses on making an impact on laws, politics, and breeder and trainer attitudes towards guide dogs. They also try to make sure that the people who need these dogs are able to access the places they need to in their daily lives. Their slogan is “Together we are stronger.”

Real Sociedad Canina de España (RSCE)

We also want to mention this Spanish organization while we’re at it. The objective of the RSCE, for over 100 years now, has been the conservation, spread, and improvement of purebred dogs in Spain.

They have a special focus on all breeds native to Spain. They also have a lot of experience, an amazing team of humans and volunteers, and a wide range of resources and tools at their disposal.