Synopsis

Delightful. Town & Country Extraordinary…Tomlinsons book is a gem. Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Moving…Really broke me. The Washington Post This book wants to lick your face. Let it. Kirkus Reviews Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Tomlinson explores the bond between dogs and their people in this irresistibly appealing, inside account of the Westminster Dog Show that follows one dog on his quest to become a champion.Tommy Tomlinson was watching a dog show on television a few years ago when he had a sudden thought: Are those dogs happy? How about pet dogsare they happy? Those questions sparked a quest to venture inside the dog-show world, in search of a deeper understanding of the longtime relationship between dogs and humans, and here, in Dogland he shares his surprising, entertaining, and moving adventures. Spending three years on the road, Tomlinson goes behind the scenes at more than one hundred competitions across the country, from Midwestern fairgrounds to Madison Square Garden. Along the way he is licked, sniffed, and rubbed up against by dogs of nearly every size, shape, and breed. Like a real-life version of the classic mockumentary Best in Show, Dogland follows one champion show doga Samoyed named Strikeras well as his handler, Laura King, and his devoted entourage of breeders and owners as he competes in the 2022 Westminster Dog Show. Strikers whole career has been leading up to this moment. As Tomlinson writes, picking a top show dog is like drafting an NFL quarterback when theyre still in elementary school. Now Striker has made it to the Super Bowl. Tomlinson takes us on the long road to glory, bringing the dog-show circuit to life as teams scramble from town to town in search of championship ribbons. (Striker and his crew travel in a custom-built RV named after Betty White.) Tomlinsons limitless curiosity about people and dogs reaches far beyond the show tents and into the ordinary lives of dogs. We hear from experts who have discovered new insights into how dogs and humans formed their bondand how that bond has changed over the centuries. We discover the fascinating origins of different dog breeds, learn about the elaborate breed standards that determine an ideal show dog, and consider the health issues that can arise in purebred dogs. We also meet dog lovers who applaud every dog, regardless of breed, simply for being themselves, such as WeRateDogs, the social media phenomenon with millions of followers, all for posts celebrating the day-to-day goofiness in most dog owners lives. A big ol slobbering smooch of optimism, laughter, and happiness (Joe Posnanski) Dogland takes us on a rollicking tour through the rituals, tricks, and wonders of the dog-show worldand reveals what matters most for the happiness of dogs and dog lovers everywhere.

About The Author

Tommy Tomlinson is the author ofThe Elephant in the Room, a memoir about being overweight in America. Hes the host of the podcast SouthBound in partnership with WFAE, Charlottes NPR station. He has written for publications includingEsquire,ESPN the Magazine,Sports Illustrated,Forbes,Garden & Gun, and many others. He spent twenty-three years as a reporter and local columnist for theCharlotte Observer, where he was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in commentary. His stories have been chosen twice for theBest American Sports Writingseries (2012 and 2015) and he also appears in the anthologyAmericas Best Newspaper Writing. He teaches magazine writing at Wake Forest University and has taught at colleges, workshops, and conferences across the country. He also has a Substack calledThe Writing Shed. Tommy and his wife, Alix Felsing, live in Charlotte with Alixs mom and a cat.

This is a standard paperback/soft cover version.