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

ByspendingayearalongsiderisingstarJack,achampionAustralianShepherd,andhisfriends,magazinejournalistJoshDeanripsbackthecurtainonthedogshowworld,providingnotjustahilariousandoftentouchingportraitofacolorfulsubcultureonlyslightlyexaggeratedinthefilm"BestinShow",butalsoarevealinglookatourloveaffairwiththeworld'smostdoteduponandtinkeredwithanimalspecies,examiningthecolossalarrayofdogtypesandhumanswholovethem.Byandlarge,thebookfollowsJackashegrowsoverthecourseofayear(throughWestminster,inFebruaryof2011)fromstill-improvingadolescenttoseasonedadultshowdog.Wegettoknowhimandthepeoplearoundhim,toexperiencewhatit'sliketoownashowdog,andtotrainone.Andattheendofeverydaywecometoappreciatehimforwhatheis,aloveableandintelligenthousepet-albeitonewithahighlyunusualacumen.SupplementingJack'sstoryisthehistoryandsociologyofthiseccentricandfascinatingsubcultureofbreedersanddogshowfanciers.Deanexploresthehistoryofbreedingandofdogshows,andallthemanyrelatedpeculiarities:judging,training,naming,promoting,hairstyling,kennelowning,RVdriving,hotelfinding,treatselecting,andmore.