The Pursuit of Excellence: British Invention—and Reinvention—in the Dog World

Featured photo: Best in Show: Crufts 2025- Whippet – Int./Multi. Ch. Una Donna Che Conta Euw23. By Karl Donvil

The Pursuit of Excellence: British Invention—and Reinvention—in the Dog World

Reflecting on the Crufts 2025 statistics presented on Simon Parsons’ page (Beyond the Doghouse, “Facebook page”) I agreed with his observation that there seemed to be an increasing number of dogs from overseas in attendance. In fact, the number of foreign dogs competing was 3,952¹ (up from 2024 – 3,776 and 2023 – 3,457). The awards from Crufts also gave rise to some complex reflections. For instance, what does it mean when an English breed, (the Whippet) whelped in Italy (going back several generations) wins top honors in England? How is the dog world developing today in England and internationally?

The dog world originated in England when this island was the center of the British Empire, the country upon which the sun never set. The concept of breeding—continued and intentional selection for a specific result—was pioneered by the English gentleman farmer Robert Bakewell (1725–1795). The notion of dog breeds—a group of dogs conforming to a standard of points—was introduced by the English sportsman, writer, and editor John Henry Walsh (1818–1888). However, some of these new dog breeds represented a degree of “country-hopping,” to say that their country of origin—where the foundation dogs came from—is not necessarily the country that developed the breed. To develop a breed is to refine its phenotype and genotype so that all progeny closely resemble their ancestors in both appearance and abilities. This process involves maintaining detailed reproductive records in compliance with kennel club studbook requirements and, after years if not decades of this documentation, applying for recognition as a breed. The country in which this extensive project is undertaken by a group of dedicated breeders is called the country of patronage.

The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) website lists Breed Standards under Groups with no mention of origin or development, so we cannot see how many breeds it considers as belonging to the British Isles². However, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) dedicates significant attention to each country’s contributions and lists 65 breeds as originating in the British Isles.

Though this is more than any other member, it does not present the full picture since it does not consider the country of patronage. For example, China is recognized as the country of origin of the Pug, yet there is hardly a more ideal English pub companion than a Pug. This kind of incongruity is seldom discussed today, as it evokes a pre-politically correct era when England was the greatest colonial power on earth and occasionally brought dogs back from foreign lands. The first Pekingese introduced to Britain, for instance, was presented to Queen Victoria, who aptly named her Looty! However, if we set aside the political aspects of breed history and focus solely on cynology, we see that Great Britain’s role as the country of patronage extends the list of breeds they created³ to such exotic dogs as the Afghan Hound, Shih Tzu, Pekingese, Tibetan Spaniel, and Pug, among others. A different type of “country-hopping” still occurs today in a legitimate and consensual manner. The 2025 Crufts Reserve Best in Show (RBIS) chosen by Mrs. Patsy Hollings was a Tibetan Mastiff, bred in Russia, owned in Romania, and handled by Italians. I think we must conclude that dogs that are well bred gain recognition completely irrespective of borders, traditions, and breed heritage.

While Crufts is a show that can only be entered by qualified dogs, nearly every show dog in the UK seems to have been in attendance (circa 14,546 dogs, 78.6% of the total, entered from the UK). Foreigners arrived at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) from all corners of the globe with the cream of their kennels⁴. The proof is in the statistics: the percentage of awards was almost evenly divided between English participants and foreign visitors⁵ despite a considerable discrepancy in relative entry numbers of these two groups. While most dog show people in the UK can take a drive over to Birmingham, the best kennels from foreign lands attend this event with their best dogs. This desire to qualify and make the trip to Birmingham demonstrates the vibrancy of the show as a British institution—one of the longest-running⁶ and most storied dog shows in the world, still the stage where the dog world meets to show their stock, view their colleague’s results, and talk shop.

A total of 171 judges presided, with only 12 colleagues invited from abroad. Thus, the event reflects English judging practices and interpretations of the various breeds. It remains a premier national event, but not a nationalist one. As Tom Mather, the Crufts Chairman, stated: “We are delighted that the show continues to draw a large overseas entry, proving its worldwide appeal.” These numbers underscore the RKC’s commitment to increasing engagement with other countries⁷, but also its dedication to recognizing the best entries across all breeds—right through to the Best in Show (BIS) and RBIS awards, both of which were won by foreign dogs this year.

If the dog world is developing towards unprecedented fluidity, the United Kingdom remains the source and the epicenter. As demonstrated above, England has not only developed the majority of our breeds but also originated the very concept of animal breeds, artificial selection, breed clubs, standards, the studbook, kennel clubs, show regulations, championships, and the Best in Show award. England hosts several of the world’s most competitive dog shows and is home to some of the most esteemed judges. The Kennel Club is such a quintessentially British institution that, for the 150th anniversary of its founding, King Charles recognized it with a royal prefix—the Royal Kennel Club. Yet, the RKC does not rest on its laurels—it is in full-speed pursuit of excellence and willing to implement any necessary changes to achieve its objectives.

The RKC has broadened their mission, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all dogs. For many years, it has included events at Crufts for mixed-breed dogs and has organized an extensive range of campaigns and charitable initiatives to ensure the relevance of dogs in modern British society. In 2016, it established the International Agility Festival—open to all dogs—which has grown to be a major event, even before Agility attained its current popularity.

Following a thorough evaluation, including a study of best practices abroad, the RKC has revamped its judges’ training program. This initiative extends to the general public through its educational platform, the RKC Academy, which continues to expand. Prior to the Academy’s launch, the RKC had already produced introductory videos designed to prepare first-time dog show participants and assist new dog owners in training their pets. Additionally, its Young Kennel Club program fosters the participation of younger generations in the world of purebred dogs. Furthermore, Our Dogs newspaper, the longest-standing publication⁸ dedicated to reporting on Conformation showing and cynology—has recently expanded its presence in Europe and Asia, providing results, interviews, and live coverage of major dog shows. Judges from the British Isles are in high demand abroad. British kennels seem overly satisfied, if that is possible, with their own club since we rarely find them competing for awards overseas.

Today, the RKC is a limber institution, engaged in outreach both at home and abroad. It counters social media-driven dissatisfaction—prevalent in Europe—as well as activist movements critical of purebred dogs by maintaining a rigorous approach grounded in ethics, education, and continuous institutional development. This commitment, as well as its history, positions the RKC as the leading institution for the health and welfare of all dogs, and champion of the breeds so intertwined with human culture, ambitions, and pleasure. In short, the RKC invented the game, and it fully intends to continue reinventing it.

ENDNOTES:

1. 3,952 dogs from overseas – with France leading the way with 475 dogs, just ahead of Germany (407), Netherlands (376), and Italy (360). Other countries to attract entries of 150 dogs or more are: Ireland (327), Poland (259), Belgium (213), Spain (174), Czech Republic (218), and Sweden (168).
2. British Isles is a geographic reference to the entire archipelago, though not the Channel Islands.
3. And are responsible for today as curator of the Breed Standard.
4. The occasions to qualify for Crufts within the UK are many, while abroad it is only at Crufts qualifying shows, which are only once a year in each country, and dogs with International Champion titles.
5. Though the 3,952 visitors were far fewer than the total 31,074 dogs entered for Conformation showing, Crufts 2025.
6. Second only to Westminster.
7. As early as the 1891 show, The Czar of Russia and Grand Duke Nikolas entered 39 dogs.
8. Published since 1895.