The following NZKC Rules and Regulations are available as PDF documents:

NZKC Constitution (Rules)

Show regulations
   - Summary of Show Regulation Changes - September 2024
Agility Regulations
   - Summary of Agility Regulation Changes - July 2024
Dog Training Regulations
Registration Regulations
   - Summary of Registration Regulation Changes - September 2024
Hoopers Regulations
   - Summary of Hoopers Regulation Changes - July 2024

Dogs NZ 10 Year Strategy 2021-2030

Dogs New Zealand Code of Conduct - Dispensation requests, please email health@dogsnz.org.nz 


Regulations
These can be mechanical procedures that allow the Rules to be implemented.
They are altered at any time by the Executive Council. Conference can only recommend a regulation change to the Executive Council.

Show Regulations
These set out in detail the rules for running shows and include:

• Criteria for obtaining a show date
• Judges and judging appointments
• Schedule requirements
• Classes
• Entries, timetables, judging order and catalogues
• Rules governing exhibition and exhibitors
• Challenges and champions
• Open shows and ribbon parades
• Objections to a dog
• Matches, working gundogs and whippet racing

Agility Regulations
These set out all matters relating to Agility:

• Classification of societies
• Functions and responsibilities of the Agility committee
• Definition of Agility Fixtures
• Judges and judging standards
• Specifications of Agility Equipment

Dog Training Regulations
All matters relating to Obedience, Rally-O, Companion Dog Trials and Working Trials:

• Classification of societies
• Regions and Regions affairs
• Functions and responsibilities of the Dog Obedience committee
• Definition of tests and trials
• Judges and judging standards

Registration Regulations
These set out the conditions for the registration of dogs including:

• Recognition and classification of breed
• The register and the registration of dogs
• Kennel Name
• Transfers, endorsements, leases, imports and exports
• Setting of registry fees

Changing Regulations or New Zealand Kennel Club Policy
This is done by convincing the Executive Council that your idea is justified. It can be done in several ways.

A recommendation can be made to the Annual Conference of Delegates. This is the same procedure as presenting a remit. A recommendation is in the form of a direction to Executive Council and need not be in Regulation format.
Presenting a Discussion Paper to Annual Conference. Designed to stimulate discussion on general policy on a subject of interest rather than a specific direction to the Executive Council.
Having your club approach the Executive Council.
Making your own approach to the Executive Council.

For any matter to be considered by the Executive Council it MUST be in writing and sent to the Director/Secretary. Correspondence sent to Executive Councillors directly is not placed on the agenda. This does not mean that you should not lobby councillors or send them copies of matters you want raised. In fact you should discuss your proposals informally with Councillors if this is appropriate for the topic.

To be successful, a topic should be sent to the Director/Secretary at least two weeks prior to a Council meeting and it will be circulated in the mail out prior to the meeting and the Executive Council will be better able to consider it.

Rules
Rules set out the powers and limits of a club's activities and define the process of the constitutional arrangements of the club. If an activity is not defined in the Rules then the club cannot perform them nor have any control over them without amending the rules to provide for that activity. Also where the rules set out procedures for a process or sets criteria for an activity, then these must be followed.

Change of Rules
These are made by way of remit to our Annual Conference of Delegates. Remits can be sponsored by any Affiliated or Associated Club, any recognised club with the approval of the Executive Council or the Executive Council.

A remit must be in the form of a Rule change and be correctly worded. No rule can directly contradict another without deleting the existing rule it conflicts with.

The date for the conference is set five years in advance. Formal notices are sent out in February each year and remits close in mid April. The club is obliged to post out remits one month prior to the conference and this is done in the form of a year book that also contains the president's report, financial statements, any proposed fee changes, candidates for election, recommendations, discussion papers, lists of officers, and annual statistics. Most rule changes require a two-thirds majority of those voting to gain approval.

Presenting your Remit
This will be done by the delegates of the sponsoring club. This means that in the case of an associated club your delegate must be briefed on the topic and preferably be given a statement to present to the conference.

A rule can only be altered if the Annual Conference of Delegates approves it in the manner laid down in the club's rules. It is therefore very important that any rule change is correctly worded to do what is required to approve or prohibit any activity.

Attending Conference
If you want to be involved in national affairs, then it is necessary to attend conference. To have speaking rights at conference you must be a delegate. This means that you must Represent an Affiliated All Breeds Society. This involves you joining the club, working on the committee and gaining sufficient experience to be elected one of their delegates to the Annual Conference of Delegates.

Represent an Associated Club. Each year an election is conducted amongst local Associated clubs for delegates to represent them at Annual conference. Nominations are called shortly after the conference for the next year. The election is conducted later in the year and the delegate announced in December.

Be elected a Zone Representative for your Zone. This requires active participation in Zone affairs representing your club at zone meetings.