What is the Royal Kennel Club website?

Updated

royalkennelclub.com is the online home of the Royal Kennel Club, described on the site as the UK's largest organisation devoted to dog health, welfare and training. It is a practical hub rather than a single-purpose site: you can search breed information, look for a breeder or puppy, register a dog, read organisational reports, follow events, and get a pet insurance quote. It is most useful if you are researching a breed before buying, a breeder looking for a platform to present your litter, or an owner who needs registration and health-related guidance.

What you can do on the site

The homepage groups its main functions into a few clear areas:

  • Find a Breeder — a platform where breeders can showcase their breed, expertise and health tests in one place. The site invites breeders to join, so it serves both people seeking a puppy and breeders looking for suitable homes for a litter.
  • Breed directory — a long A–Z list of recognised breeds, from Affenpinscher and Afghan Hound through to working and pastoral breeds. Each entry is the starting point for breed-specific advice.
  • Dog registration — the site describes itself as the place to "register your dog," which is the entry point for owners whose dogs need to be recorded with the organisation.
  • Events — for example, IAF 2026, described as four days of agility action from 6–9 August, with highlights available to watch back.
  • Annual Report 2025 — a published account of the organisation's work and achievements from January to December 2025.
  • Exhibitions and culture — "Leaders of the Pack" showcases three centuries of women artists who turned dog portraiture into a profession, with tours available to book.
  • Pet Insurance — Royal Kennel Club Pet Insurance is described as a Which? Best Buy for Dog Insurance 2026, with a quote request route.

How to use it for a typical task

If your goal is to find a puppy responsibly, the practical path is:

  1. Start with the breed directory to identify the breed that fits your household, then read the breed-specific guidance.
  2. Use Find a Breeder to look for breeders who publish their breed, expertise and health testing information.
  3. Ask the breeder directly about health tests and how they match puppies to homes — the platform is designed to surface this information, but you still need to verify it in conversation.
  4. Once you have a dog, use the registration route described on the site.

The expected result is a shortlist of breeders you can contact with specific questions, rather than a list of anonymous adverts.

What to keep in mind

  • The site is a starting point for research and registration, not a marketplace guarantee. Health test claims should be confirmed with the breeder.
  • Pricing is only visible where the site itself presents it; the insurance section offers a quote rather than published premiums, and no prices are stated for registration or breeder listings on the pages described here.
  • Some content, such as event replays and exhibition tours, is time-bound — check dates before planning around it.

For anyone in the UK thinking about getting a dog, or already owning one, the site works best as a reference library plus a breeder-finding tool, with registration and insurance as the practical follow-on steps.