Show Dog

My sister-in-law Paula (participates in dog Obedience shows) sent me this splendid photo she took of a Springer Spaniel getting ready for a show (conformation). His ears are wrapped to keep them in spiffy condition prior to his/her time in the ring. She recently read and recommends the book, Show Dog: The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred, by Josh Dean described on Amazon.com below. The book gets great reviews.

By spending a year alongside rising star Jack, a champion Australian shepherd, and his canine and human friends, magazine journalist Josh Dean yanks back the curtain on the dog show world, providing not just a hilarious and often touching portrait of a colorful subculture only slightly exaggerated in the film Best in Show, but also a revealing look at our love affair with the world's most doted-upon and tinkered-with animal species, examining the colossal array of dog types and humans who love them. 

The book follows Jack as he matures over the course of a year, from still-improving adolescent to seasoned adult show dog. We get to know him and the people around him—his owner, his handler, his breeder—to experience what it's like to own a show dog and to train one. And we come to appreciate him for what he is, a lovable and intelligent house pet—albeit one with a highly unusual occupation.
Along the way, Dean takes a close look at the eccentric and fascinating world of breeders and dog show fanciers—exploring the history and science of purebred dog breeding and the evolution of canine perfection via dog show culture, with that pursuit's many related peculiarities: judging, training, naming, promoting, hairstyling, kennel-owning, RV-driving, hotel-finding, treat-selecting, and more. 

Here's a longer view of the springer showing that he's not just about colorful ear wrap. He's a beauty!