Dogland

“Extraordinary . . . Tomlinson’s book is a gem. . . . We find out plenty of interesting stuff in Dogland—including why poodles are groomed to look like wedding cakes—but what’s best about Tomlinson’s book is its recognition that, regardless of what the Westminster folks say, every single dog is somebody’s Best in Show.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune “I had a blast reading Dogland. . . . It examines the history, absurdities, vanities, and poignancy of our relationships with dogs, at times making the case that they’ve trained us every bit as much as we’ve trained them.” —Frank Bruni, New York Times “Finally, a book to rival the movie Best in Show, the great dog-show movie from 2000. Tommy Tomlinson, who’s a terrific writer, went on the road for three years and chronicles the dog-show set superbly. . . . Like dogs? You’ll like this book.” —Peter King, 2024 Father’s Day Book List “Tomlinson is a very funny writer, and he has the right relationship to his subject: equal parts dubious and generous, with a pleasing mixture of conviviality and comedic distance. . . . You get the sense, reading Dogland, that Tomlinson’s heart, too, lies with all things mixed and mongrel. . . . The most touching interlude in the book is an account of his own rescue mutt, Fred.” —Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker “Moving . . . Dogland is no sarcastic takedown of a subculture apparently ripe for belittling. Subverting expectation at every turn, it is a wholly sympathetic portrait of people who love showing dogs, and of dogs in general. No cheap shots at loopy humans and their similarly vapid canine beauty queens. Only poignant celebrations of a cross-species romance that has defied not only full understanding but the march of centuries. . . . It was the story of Tomlinson’s own dog—just a stray mutt, Fred, no purebred show material—that really broke me. It is impossible to read his recollections of Fred without being airlifted immediately back into the surpassing sorrow of losing one’s own pet.” —Washington Post “Charming . . . An ode to the dog-show circuit as well as an homage to the awesome wonder of plain old dogs, or, as the author rightly calls them, ‘dawgs.’ To me there is no better story than that of a ‘know-nothing’ tiptoeing into the closed world of a subculture. Such a fish-out-of-water tale is at the heart of Tommy Tomlinson’s book. . . . A star-spangled tribute to the enduring magic of dogs.” —Jane Stern, Air Mail “An uproarious account . . . Mr. Tomlinson wisely breezes past the intricacies of dog-show judging (the rules are ‘convoluted beyond belief’) to dig up tastier morsels.” —Wall Street Journal “Delightful . . . If you’re a dog person, have a passing interest in the world of dog shows, or even just really enjoyed the cult classic film from 2000, Best in Show: You won’t want to miss Dogland.” —Town & Country, “Must-Read Books of Spring 2024” “As funny as it is poignant and, in many sections, educational, Dogland centers on Striker’s last hurrah as a show dog, but also mixes in a heartbreaking tale of the author’s own dog. . . . Made me tear up.” —Salon “I teared up twice while reading Dogland. . . . It was Tomlinson’s recollection of his tortured decision to put down his elderly yellow Lab mix Fred, and his efforts to make Fred’s final days special, that moved me. He fed him bacon, took him for scenic car rides and reminisced with his wife about Fred’s finest moments (like the time he ate a burger off the grill). Fred is no show dog, but it’s his essential dog-ness—the way he hides behind the couch during a thunderstorm and sneaks bites of bathroom soap—that make him so loveable on the page.” —Financial Times