# Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show - Hardcover

by **Tommy Tomlinson** (Author)

**"Extraordinary...Tomlinson's book is a gem." --_Minneapolis Star Tribune \*_** **"Moving...Really broke me." --_Washington Post_** **_\*_ "Delightful." --_Town & Country_** **_\*_** **"This book wants to lick your face. Let it." --_Kirkus Reviews_**

**From Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Tomlinson comes an inside account of the Westminster Dog Show that follows one dog on his quest to become a champion--and explores the bond between dogs and their people.**

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 dogs--are they happy? Those questions sparked a quest to venture inside the dog-show world, in search of a deeper understanding of the relationship between dogs and humans that has endured for thousands of years. _Dogland_ shares his surprising, entertaining, and moving adventures.

Tomlinson spends three years on the road and 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 dog--a Samoyed named Striker--as well as his handler, Laura King, and his devoted entourage of breeders and owners as he competes in the 2022 Westminster Dog Show.

Striker's whole career has been leading up to this moment. As Tomlinson writes, picking a top show dog is like drafting an NFL quarterback when they're still in elementary school. Now Striker has made it to the Super Bowl. Tomlinson takes readers on the long road to glory, bringing the dog-show circuit to life as he witnesses teams scrambling from town to town in search of championship points and large, colorful ribbons. (Striker and his crew travel in a custom-built RV named after Betty White.)

Tomlinson's 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 bond--and 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.

Engaging, charming, and insightful, _Dogland_ is an irresistibly appealing read that invites us on a rollicking backstage tour through the rituals, tricks, and wonders of the dog-show world--and reveals what matters most for the happiness of dogs and dog lovers everywhere.

### Author Biography

Tommy Tomlinson is the author of _The Elephant in the Room_, a memoir about being overweight in America. He's the host of the podcast _SouthBound_ in partnership with WFAE, Charlotte's NPR station. He has written for publications including _Esquire_, _ESPN the Magazine_, _Sports Illustrated_, _Forbes_, _Garden & Gun_, and many others. He spent twenty-three years as a reporter and local columnist for the _Charlotte Observer_, where he was a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in commentary. His stories have been chosen twice for the _Best American Sports Writing_ series (2012 and 2015) and he also appears in the anthology _America's 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 called _The Writing Shed_. Tommy and his wife, Alix Felsing, live in Charlotte with Alix's mom and a cat.

**Number of Pages:** 256

**Dimensions:** 1.1 x 8.5 x 5.6 IN

**Publication Date:** April 23, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 28.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 28.99 USD | In stock |

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- Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show - Hardcover

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