http://dogbreedinfos.com/category/cavalier-king-charles
As the years pass, it seems as if dogs become more and more "humanized". By "humanized", I am referring to how owners of pets have domesticated pets further and further. It is now not even shocking when I see dogs with designer leashes, trendy clothes, and even sometimes in a baby carriage (seriously!). With science and interbreeding becoming more and more advanced, we are seeing hybrid dogs of all types with the perfected qualities from each breed. For example, we now see king charles cavalier spaniels (shown above) bred with poodles to get "cavadoodles" that are as sweet as cavaliers but don't shed because they have the coat of a poodle. In this way, we see breeders and pet owners trying to make these cute, innocent puppies perfect (defined by popular demand, of course).
http://vista-california.olx.com/cavalier-king-charles-spaniels-iid-12317778
Personally, I am obsessed with my dog and don't mind showing everyone how obsessed I am. But does this relationship with dogs become too much and too competitive? Is it now a matter of how expensive your dog was and how perfectly your dog is a hybrid so he has no flaws? Is it too much to dress a dog up in clothes? It's interesting and compelling to think of the multitudes of dog breeds that we have today in this way.
For other dog lovers, here are some pictures :) Ali
lawblog.legalmatch.com
pricelesspuppies.net
Ali, I totally understand what you are saying about pets, and how people use them as a form to show status and compete with each other. People seem to either pride themselves on how purebred their dog is, "She is from a long line of Bulldogs whose father competed in the Westminster Dog Show" or by how it is a mutt from a shelter with an interesting back story, "He was found in the water after Hurricane Katrina, his family abandoned him, but how he has a great home with us". These two polar opposite views seem to fit the general mold for pet owners. Not only do people now want the newest accessories for the pet, but the pet itself needs to be of value (either with an interesting story or high worth).
ReplyDeleteBecause of this we have seen new breeds popping up like the labradoodle and the puggle. Even other wild animals are being domesticated for our use. You can now even by online a domesticated fox from Russia.
This obsession with our pets has been taken to an entirely new level. Since we pride ourselves in our pets, we seem to have the need for every thing about them to be perfect, interesting and unique.
I agree with your blog post Ali. I think that sometimes dog owners take their obsession with their dog to a whole different level. There is one thing with being in love with your dog, but there is another issue when it comes to using your dog as a form of status. I think this relates to techonology as well everyone wants to have the next best thing, and keep up on status when it comes to things such as the new Iphone or Ipad, but you should have your pet just because you love them, what ever happened to man's best friend?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with your blog post. Unfortunately, my dog is a victim of this humanization. She has a University of Michigan sweater. But she actually enjoys wearing it, so don't worry it's not abuse.
ReplyDeleteBut as for the interbreeding, it does seem wrong to me. People are mixing different types of dogs together to get the one that works best for them. However, we don't know if mixing these dogs is in the best interest for the dogs themselves. Is interbreeding even healthy?
It seems like we can literally customize everything these days. From NikeID sneakers to iphone cases to salad creation restaurants, we get to pick and choose our favorites in almost every category of life. With interbreeding, we're just expanding it to dogs now.