A provocative look at the ìcult of pedigreeî and an entertaining social history of purebred dogs
So-called ìpurebredsî are the mainstay of the dog industry, and expert Michael Brandow argues that these arenít markers of time-honored traditions but rather commercial inventions of the nineteenth century that were marketed as status symbols to a growing middle class. Combining social history and consumer studies with sharp commentary, this book reveals the sordid history of the dog industry and shows how our brand-name pets pay the price with devastatingly poor health.
ìA Matter of Breeding addresses a critical but often ignored ethical issue--dog pedigrees. Brandow exposes the underbelly of the dog fancy industry, showing what outrageous lengths humans have gone to--shaping dogs into almost unimaginable shapes and sizes--in order to increase their own social status. This book is not only incredibly important but is a delightful read with fascinating insights into the history and psychology of the pure bred dog world.î --Alan M. Beck, Sc.D., Professor and Director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University
ìMichael Brandowís A Matter of Breeding is at once a keenly observed memoir of his days as a New York City dog walker, a thoroughly researched history of purebred dogs, and an often biting social critique of people, their dogs, and the world they have made for each other.î --Mark Derr, author of How the Dog Became the Dog
From the Trade Paperback edition.îì