The Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Club (GSVKC) has been a part of the Sierra Vista community since early 1972. It started life as a group of people training and giving obedience classes, calling themselves the Coronado Kennel Club. The fledging club moved quickly to gain recognition by the American Kennel Club (AKC), changing its name to the Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Club.  GSVKC held its first AKC sanctioned Match on November 6, 1973. The sanctioned matches continued until the GSVKC was licensed by the AKC and held its first Conformation Show and Obedience Trial on May 3, 1986. In 2014, GSVKC became a member of the AKC, and began sending a delegate to AKC quarterly meetings to have a voice and vote in shaping AKC policy. 

​

Our membership is diverse and consists of dog enthusiasts who work together in enjoying all aspects of showing purebred dogs, as well as participating in dog companion and performance activities. Our members include accomplished trainers, judges, exhibitors, breeders, and authors, as well as owners of companion dogs, therapy dogs and service dogs. The GSVKC is devoted to advancing the sport of purebred dogs. To this end we hold dog shows, obedience trials, matches, and Canine Good Citizen tests. We also provide informative presentations at our general meetings encouraging responsible pet ownership and sponsor an annual scholarship for Cochise County high school seniors interested in pursuing an animal health care degree. Our members abide by a Code of Ethics which expects them to set the example for responsible dog ownership, keep their dogs’ health foremost while producing dogs of sound health and temperament in their breeding programs, and conduct themselves at all times in a manner that will reflect credit upon our club and the AKC. While pure bred dogs have been the focus of GSVKC, the AKC has opened many of the activities such as obedience trials, agility trials, and the Canine Good Citizen tests to the All-American Dog (AKA mixed breed dogs).

​

The GSVKC holds 2 days of conformation, obedience, and rally with the Tucson Kennel Club in the fall. Our shows this year are 18-21 November 2022 at the Pima County Fair Grounds, Tucson. The GSVKC show dates are Sunday and Monday, November 20 and 21. We also hold our match and Canine Good Citizen test in Sierra Vista; the past few years this match has been held in conjunction with the All About Animals celebration at Veterans’ Memorial Park. In addition to the dog shows, our members are involved in breeder referral and pure-bred rescue services. We frequently hold informal conformation training classes on Saturday mornings at the Palominas Elementary School, providing owners and their dogs an opportunity to practice AKC conformation and obedience for the AKC performance events.

​

The Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Club welcomes new members who have an interest in purebred, mixed breed, and rescued dogs. Many of the AKC performance venues are now open to mixed breeds, allowing all owners and their dogs to participate in the fun. If you are a dog enthusiast and would like to meet with other like-minded dog lovers, and support Club activities, we invite you to check out our Membership Page and become part of this active club. Our club meets on the third Tuesday of the month in the Garden Place Suites at 7:00 PM. If you have an interest in dogs, whether it’s showing conformation or in the performance events, please come and join us.