How To Become A National Breed Association

National Breed Associations hold the responsibility of being the guardians of their breed. It is a serious mission that should not be undertaken with frivolity. Forming a National Breed Association requires much deliberation, hard work, and exceptional organization. National Breed Associations must have a clearly defined goal and a unified long term vision for the breed, its enthusiasts, and the Association itself. Members of a National Breed Association should be able to articulate the Associations purpose and should be proud members of the organization. The requirements to become a National Breed Association endow an organization with dedication and breed experience, which will allow the organization to be a source of knowledge and insight to anyone looking for breed information.

National Breed Association Requirements

• Minimum of 100 years of collective experience among members. Members with experience should provide their resume to be included with the National Breed Associations application packet.
• Minimum of 200 UKC titles including but not limited to Champion titles, Hunt titles, and Performance titles. UKC numbers for dogs who have earned these titles should be provided with the National Breed Association Application packet.
• Minimum of 100 UKC Bred by Champions. These dogs are produced by members of the club but not necessarily owned by them. UKC numbers for these dogs should be included with the National Breed Association Application packet.
• Membership distributed nationally in a minimum of 25 different households.
• Membership must own a minimum of 150 UKC registered dogs of this breed. UKC numbers for these dogs should be included with the National Breed Association Application packet.
• Minimum of 5 breeders with documentation of breeding 3 generations of registered dogs of this breed. The dogs may be registered with any acceptable registry. Proof may be provided by submitting pedigrees for these dogs with the National Breed Association Application packet.
• Annual publication to be sent to the members and to UKC electronically or by mail.
• The Association must offer educational opportunities to members and the public.
• Must hold a National Event specifically for the breed every 1-2 years.
• A Code of Ethics in which all members must be held accountable. The Associations Code of Ethics must include that all breeding dogs owned by members must be UKC registered and all litters must be UKC Litter Registered whenever possible.
• When applying, Associations must present a resume complete with its mission statement, the reason why the Association is interested in becoming the National Association for this breed, and the Associations plan for growth.

Associations will be accepted under a provisional status for a maximum of five years. To be considered for a full national license and to obtain a National Charter with UKC, the Association must show continued growth in UKC registration and participation in UKC events. The growth of the Association can be presented to UKC in numbers of litters bred and registered, numbers of titles earned, and an outline of the Associations activities to promote growth and breed education since the Association was licensed under a provisional national status. This information should be updated and presented to UKC annually.

*Different requirements may be applied to an Association of a rare breed, as determined by UKC.