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Title details for Show Dog by Josh Dean - Available

Show Dog

The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred

by Josh Dean
ebook
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Show Dog is the story of a lovable Australian Shepherd, Jack, on his novice tour through the exciting world of professional dog showing.
Following Jack from his first competitions in local school gymnasiums all the way to the great granddaddy of them all, the Westminster Dog Show, veteran journalist Josh Dean shines a warm, steady light on the trials that Jack and his plucky, dedicated owners come to face, and uses their story to explore the larger histories of dog shows themselves—the fascinating and sometimes bizarre history of purebred dogs, and our complex, heartfelt relationships to the pets we grow to love.
"A wonderful, charming look at the sport of dogs and dog shows and an absolute must read for anyone looking to get involved." —Pat Hastings, AKC Judge and author of Tricks of the Trade
"A hilarious chronicle of blow-dried poodles, diva trainers and egregious canine puns. Above all, though, this is an irresistible story about the wondrous bond between humans and animals." —New York Times bestselling author Mark Adams
"Filled with heart and humor, bringing to life extravagant characters, pampered pooches, and over-the-top humans without falling prey to tired stereotypes. That's because it's not really about animal beauty pageants; it's about the unyielding bond between people and dogs and what they'll do to make each other happy." —New York Times bestselling author Jim Gorant
"Fascinating and funny . . . as I was sucked into the story of Jack the show dog, I began to understand the subtleties of the sport, the amazing talents of these animals, and the affecting human-and canine-drama behind the show." —New York Times bestselling author John Hodgman

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 21, 2023

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780062098924

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780062098924
      • File size: 7003 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      January 15, 2012
      A lighthearted account of a year in the life of a show dog. Dog shows may appear inscrutable to the outsider due to the amount of time and money devoted to promoting and showing animals that, to an untrained eye, appear equally attractive. Former Men's Journal editor Dean's major achievement is his effective demystification of this world. The author demonstrates to readers how easily one can become invested, emotionally and financially, in the success of a show dog. The author focuses on Jack, an Australian shepherd who enjoyed early success in the ring. However, when readers meet him, he is struggling to fulfill his potential. Dean also profiles Jack's entourage--including his fretful but proud owner, Kimberly, his tough but effective handler, Heather, and many other strong personalities who inhabit the dog-show community--and ably explains the motivation behind dog shows: the recognition of dogs who are nearly flawless representations of the exacting standards of their breed. This recognition helps keep these breeds alive, but, writes the author, it also leads to cheating and overbreeding. Unfortunately, the author doesn't seriously examine these problems, and he only mentions--but never develops--his provocative theory that dog-show judges are so influenced by the decisions made by other judges that once a dog gets on a winning streak, few judges want to be the one to break it. Light on investigative journalism, this book will be an amiable companion for those looking for a sympathetic and educational look at the dog-show community.

      COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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