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Show Dog: The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred
Show Dog: The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred
Show Dog: The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred
Ebook684 pages7 hours

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

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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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
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 7, 2012
ISBN9780062098924

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Reviews for Show Dog

Rating: 3.4230769999999997 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

13 ratings2 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Started off interesting, then got tedious, as every single dog show was recounted. There is a lot of behind the scenes information, such as how judges come to choose Best in Show, and tips and tricks to make your dog look better in the ring (powder, hairspray), but this book was a bit too long for my taste. The idea that showing your dog costs lots of money and returns almost nothing except notoriety and breeding contracts was emphasized, as was the personalities of both the people and the dogs they show. I think what made the book so dull is that there were not enough cute dog stories, and too much chatter about why the dog, Jack, wasn't winning enough.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book. It is a fascinating look at dog shows from the inside, and brought back some memories of my (very) brief time in that world. I love the dog show world and I'd like to be part of it again, but I really hated showing. In any case, it was a fun book and one I'd recommend to anyone interested in know how dog shows really work.

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Show Dog - Josh Dean

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