Dogland by Tommy Tomlinson

Barb and Kooch gave this book to Josh and I for Christmas because we love dogs now. Dogland is less about dogs in general and more about the very specific dog-centered world of dog shows. It's accessible, funny, does not take itself too seriously, and a fun read. It's also meaningful because it affirmed to me one of the things I work hard to hold true as I continue with my dog-loving life: there are many ways to love a dog and a good life for a dog can mean many different things and look many different ways. 

Tomlinson is an outsider to dog shows and writes the book for an audience of other outsiders: we get a history, vocabulary 101, and some of the more outrageous (for an outsider) aspects of dog shows (like sperm collection) are described with humor and lightheartedness. There are plenty of serious moments, too, and the passages that stick with me include Tomlinson reminiscing about late nights with his own beloved dog, his critique of "breed standards" that dock a dog's tail (the most expressive parts of their bodies) and one dog/handler duo's tearful goodbye at the end of the book. 

Maybe I'm too caught up in the semantics of my graduate training as a sex educator, but my primary objection to this book is that Tomlinson often describes dogs as "having sex." Do dogs have sex or do they mate? Human sex is often defined as a mind/body experience that often centers connection with both a partner and one's own body, but is that what dogs are doing, too? Or are dogs fulfilling an evolutionary, instinctual need hardwired into their psyches for the perpetuation of the species? I lean towards the later and can forgive Tomlinson for his colloquial language. Not every dog owner knows all and that's part of being a good person in the dog world; what works for me and my dog may not work for you and yours and that's just fine. They are all good dogs and we are all trying our best to do right by them. 

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