Newsletter August 31st, 2012

In a nutshell, everything one needs to know about the Svenska Kennelklubben (Swedish canine organisation)

Background

Annika Klang

Svenska Kennelklubben (SKK) was founded in 1889 by Count Adolf Patrik Hamilton. He was also the president until his death in 1910. Count Hamilton gave his name to the Swedish breed, Hamiltonstövare (Hamilton hound). Sweden has in total twelve national breeds (nine are recognised by the FCI). In those days there were mostly hunting breeds that were registered. Later on, the toy and companion dogs became very popular amongst high status ladies.

Today

SKK is a modern democratic non-profit organisation working for dogs and dog owners in Sweden. We receive no state subsidy.

Our office has 70 employees in the outskirts of Stockholm divided into nine departments: member, show- and education, legal, economy/finance, IT, breeding- and health, registration, marketing- and communication and management. Leading the office on a daily basis is our managing director, Mr Ulf Uddman. Our president is Mr Nils Erik Åhmansson.

SKK is the natural body to which proposed measures are referred for consideration from the government when it comes to dogs. By experience we know that being one step ahead in what we do is a good way of running the kennel club.

SKK initiated and realised The 1st International Workshop on Enhancement of Genetic Health in Purebred Dogs in the beginning of June.

We have started within the Nordic Kennel Union to try to harmonise Breed Specific Instructions (BSI).

Quality assurance of dog shows is high on the priority list to which considerable time is devoted.

Some figures

Our organisation consists of 305,000 members. We register about 58,000 puppies each year. 70 % of all dogs that are born are registered with SKK, 10 % are purebreds but not registered, 20 % mixed breeds. More than 80 % of the approximately 730,000 dogs in Sweden are insured. Turn-over for the organisation is about 13 million €/year.

At our shows, trials and competitions we have more than 300,000 entries of which about 50 % is to shows. Our biggest yearly international show takes place in Stockholm in December with around 8,000 entries. SKK registers approximately 50,000 veterinary results every year (hip, elbow, eye, DNA-tests, heart, etc.) as part of the work to ensure healthy dogs. All information can be found at our websites kennet.skk.se/hunddata/ and kennet.skk.se/avelsdata/.

Organisation chart

SKK have a General Assembly every second year. The General Committee have about five meetings every year as do the other committees appointed by the General Committee.

Further on we have:

25 regional clubs (geographically divided) 220 breed clubs in total 1,000 clubs (including local clubs).
Publications: Hundsport (magazine for all members, edited 10 times/year), Hundsport Special (magazine for all active breeders, edited 4 times/year).
Website: www.skk.se y www.köpahund.se a site for people looking to buy a puppy.

SKK Museum and Library

SKK has a museum and a library on its premises. In 2004, the General Committee founded an academy, Svenska Kynologiska Akademin (Swedish Cynology Academy) with the aim to administer and care for the Swedish cynologic heritage.

The Academy meets three times a year
The Academy organises exhibitions with special themes
The latest exhibition was a celebration to Svenska Stövarklubben that celebrates 100 years as a club this year (The Swedish Hound Club)
Their latest project concern dogs in public art
They buy items at auctions that are related to our cynological history and preferably Swedish paintings, sculptures, figurines, etc. The museum consists of hundreds of items that have been donated or bought.
Link http://www.skk.se/om-skk/svenska-kynologiska-akademin/

The library consists of over 5,000 volumes, not only in Swedish but English, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish and Russian. We have a librarian employed to care for the library. We have a computerised system to register all books. The same system applies as for the museum when it comes to purchasing new volumes, it is the Academy who suggests new purchases, but we also receive gifts and inherit books from members, etc.

Some examples from our wide range of books some more valuable than others:

Svenska Kennelklubben 100 år, 1889-1998 (livre du centenaire du SKK)
Hundraser i Sverige, Åsa Lindholm, Ulla Barvefjord, 2007
Svenska hundraser ett kulturarv, Åsa Lindholm, 2008
All världens hundraser, Renée Willes, 2003
Dogs of all nations, part 1 and 2, van Bylandt, 1994 réimpression de l’original datant de 1904
The Sportsman´s Cabinet, part 1 and 2, 1803
The German Shepherd Dog in Word & Picture, Stephantz v, 1923
The Pointer and his Predecessors, Arkwright William, 1902
Dogs: their history and development, part 1 and 2, Ash Edward C, 1927
Dictionnaire vétérinaire, et des animaux domestiques, Buchoz Pierre Joseph, 1770-74

The library is very popular amongst researchers and clubs that want to write jubilee books or just want to learn more about their breed. To visit the library and the museum you have to make an appointment. Altogether we have a few hundred visitors per year at the library and the museum.

If you are in Stockholm and would like to visit the SKK office, museum and library do not hesitate to give us a call!

Annika Klang, Swedish Kennel Club