Quick, name an annual televised event you’re powerless to resist watching even a little bit of. You said the Westminster Dog Show, right? Stop lying, of course you did. As a spectacle of both soul-cleansing cuteness and prissiness, it’s damn near unmatched. Behind the scenes, though? Chaos. Into the fray wades Mina Tavakoli, eyebrow arched above a gimlet eye. A don’t-miss piece for dog lovers and haters alike.
First placed on earth as wolves, then domesticated as a sort of gift from mankind, to mankind, the non-dog-show dog is an obvious human benison. Today, they serve a role not unlike children, with all the typical hallmarks of those of our species aged 0–3 (occasional tantrums, eternal neediness, financial toll, effluvia), without the ensuing journey to personhood that eventually pries child and parent apart. A dog will not threaten to go to college in a different state, will not disappoint you by burning your curtains, stealing your liquor, marrying a moron; will not struggle with calculus, home ownership, suicidal ideation. Any dog owner is seeking the companionship of a terminally illiterate and devoted sponge.Â
More picks from n+1
Experiences in Groups
“The more you can perceive, the more choice you will have about how to respond.”
In Real Life
“The first rule of the cloisters is to honor your vow of silence.”
Personal Belgians
“To love cycling of all sports in 2025 requires a hard look at yourself, and perhaps some special pleading..”
At Immigration Court
“The ICE agents stuck out for their stillness and homogeneity.”
Pirates of the Ayahuasca
“There have been times in my life when I wouldn’t have taken seriously the possibility that a South American psychedelic could help ease the horror of systems collapse.”
Diary of a Spreadsheet
“Landlords raise rents, evict, harass, all without hesitation. Were they finally feeling a consequence for their actions?”
