The American Kennel Club is an association of breeders of purebred dogs. It is in the United States. The club was founded in 1886. It is one of three such associations. The others are the Federation Cynologique Internationale, and the British Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club has a defined set of dog breeds, which it classifies into groups. While the breeds are pretty standard among the three associations, the classification into groups is not.