Société Royale Saint-Hubert (SRSH): Belgium’s National Kennel Club
In the heart of Brussels, in the municipality of Schaerbeek, sits the headquarters of the Société Royale Saint-Hubert (SRSH) — known in Dutch as the Koninklijke Maatschappij Sint-Hubertus (KMSH) — the organization that has quietly shaped Belgian dog breeding and canine sport for more than 140 years. Founded in 1882, SRSH is widely regarded as the oldest and most prestigious canine institution in Belgium, and its influence stretches far beyond national borders: it was one of the founding members of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the body that today coordinates purebred dog standards across more than 98 countries.
For anyone in Belgium raising, showing, or working with a purebred dog, SRSH is the invisible infrastructure behind almost every official milestone — from the puppy’s first pedigree certificate to eligibility for international competition.
The Role of SRSH in Belgian Dog Culture
SRSH operates as the umbrella organization recognized by the FCI as Belgium’s sole national kennel club. It does not train dogs or run kennels itself; instead, it maintains the official stud book, certifies pedigrees, sets breed standards in line with FCI guidelines, and authorizes the hundreds of conformation shows, working trials, and companion-dog events held across the country every year. According to SRSH’s own published figures, the organization delivers an average of roughly 25,000 pedigrees per year and keeps records on the activity of around 2,500 amateur and professional breeders nationwide.
SRSH also authorizes close to 1,000 canine events annually throughout Belgium, organized in partnership with more than 400 affiliated regional and breed clubs — from small local companionship trials to internationally rated championship shows.
What Société Royale Saint-Hubert Does
| Function | With SRSH Registration | Without SRSH Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Pedigree & stud book | Puppy is entered in the L.O.S.H. (Livre des Origines Saint-Hubert), the official Belgian stud book opened in 1883, with a verifiable lineage | No official pedigree; ancestry cannot be proven or recognized internationally |
| Show & trial eligibility | Dog can enter SRSH/FCI-sanctioned conformation shows and working trials held in Belgium and abroad | Excluded from FCI-affiliated shows and most organized competitions |
| International recognition | Titles and results are recognized across FCI’s member countries through the federation SRSH helped found in 1911 | No international standing; results are not portable outside informal circles |
| Breeder oversight | Breeder activity is monitored and pedigrees are traceable, supporting responsible breeding practices | No independent verification of breeding claims |
3 Real-World Scenarios
- A first-time litter registration by a breeder in Liège: a hobby breeder whelps a litter of Bouvier des Flandres puppies and applies to SRSH to have the litter entered into the L.O.S.H. stud book so each puppy leaves with a verifiable, FCI-recognized pedigree.
- A handler preparing for an international FCI show: an owner in Antwerp who wants to enter a conformation show in a neighboring FCI country needs an SRSH-issued pedigree and registration history before the dog is accepted at the show gate.
- A regional club organizing a working trial: a companion-dog club affiliated with SRSH in Ghent applies for authorization to hold an official trial, one of the roughly 1,000 canine events SRSH authorizes across Belgium each year.
2 Belgium Kennel Facts
- SRSH was one of the founding national kennel clubs of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, established in Paris on May 22, 1911, alongside clubs from Germany, Austria, France, and the Netherlands — and after the FCI was disbanded during World War I, it was SRSH together with France’s Société Centrale Canine that re-established the federation on April 10, 1921.
- SRSH opened its own stud book, the L.O.S.H. (Livre des Origines Saint-Hubert), in 1883 — just one year after the society itself was founded — making it one of the oldest continuously maintained purebred dog registries in Europe.
10 FAQs
What is the Société Royale Saint-Hubert (SRSH)?
Where is SRSH headquartered?
What does SRSH do for dog breeders?
Is SRSH affiliated with the FCI?
What is the L.O.S.H.?
How many clubs are affiliated with SRSH?
How many events does SRSH authorize each year?
Do I need SRSH registration to show my dog internationally?
Does SRSH register mixed-breed dogs?
Where can I find official information about SRSH?
Österreichischer Kynologenverband (ÖKV): Austria’s National Kennel Club
