The Dog Show

by VivianRussell (Photographer), Molly Russell (Photographer)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2004

  $3.26

  Dog shows have never been more popular. In the many title competitive events held by the American Kennel Club there are over two million entries. In the UK, Crufts attracts 20,000 competitors and over 120,000 spectators. It is estimated that one in every two urban households has a pet dog. This book celebrates the long love affair between people and their dogs by taking you on a tour of the dog show circuit. The photographs capture the polished pedigree championships of Crufts and the European Dog Show in Paris, as well as the gritty realism of the Alternative Dog Show in the East End of London, whose banner proudly announces that The best dog is the one you take home . The book also takes us to an outdoor dog show in the French seaside town of Dieppe and rural dog shows throughout England. The entry form for Scruffts in Yorkshire specifies that the entrants must be well cared for, loving and with a great personality . When all this is put together, what emerges is a feast of character, eccentricity and humour. Rich in social and cultural contrasts and juxtapositions, this book illustrates the tender and tactile relationships between people and their dogs and proves once again, that a dog really is man's best friend