This guest post comes from Roger Kethcart who writes at Cabel.tv and the proud owner of an enormous, black lab-husky mix. Enjoy!
Some of the most beloved Hollywood stars in history have been dogs, not people. Since the early days of Lassie, the entertainment industry has capitalized on animal loving viewers by creating loveable dog characters and it's paid off at the box off and in TV ratings.
But while the public seems to love animal centric entertainment, the animals don't always benefit from box office success. In fact, the entertainment industry has overly sensationalized dog breeds in some instances, leading to more harm than good.
It's a topic that has been debated at length, but looking back through the recent history of dogs in TV and film, it's hard to deny that there is a vicious cycle that stems from dogs featured in entertainment.
For example, Dalmatians had classically been portrayed as firehouse dogs in pop culture. But when 101 Dalmatians debuted in 1996, the public started considering the breed for family pets. In the year of the film's release, the demand for Dalmatian puppies sharply increased. But in the months immediately proceeding, animal rescue organizations saw as much as a 25% increase in the inventory of Dalamatian orphans. Why? The breed appears different on screen than it does in real life.
Perhaps selected for attractiveness, Dalmatians come with a bit more complexity than impulse shoppers are prepared to handle. Proper research of the breed reveals a different picture than what is shown in the Walt Disney film. Dalmatians are typically high energy and demand ample attention and regular exercise. As mentioned in an older post, Dalmatians also are genetically predisposed to a variety of medical problems like deafness and urinary problems. A thin frame makes them intolerant to cold weather. All issues overlooked by dog buyers motivated by pop culture as opposed to diligent dog breed research.
Nearly the same thing happened with the premier of Beethoven in the early 1900s. The larger than life dog featured in the family movie appears to be a protective yet loveable addition to the modern American family. The chain reaction was the same. There was an increased public interest in the breed that caused breeders to take extreme measures to catch up. Overproduction and puppy milling results.
Breeders with ulterior motives will capitalize on recent popularity of a specific breed and begin producing them in mass quantities. St. Bernard backyard breeders set up shop for the duration of the Beethoven movie series. The result? Generations and generations of poorly bred dogs host to health problems and more.
So what is the solution for this seemingly inevitable problem? It's unlikely that Hollywood will stop producing TV shows and movies about dogs – and we wouldn't want them to! Although dog actors may not make the list of the highest paid actors and actresses, they are certainly the most fun to watch.
It all goes back to diligently researching a breed before purchasing a dog, a topic discussed numerous times on this blog and others. A TV or movie dog truly can't be used as litmus for the entire breed. That combined with more stringent breeding regulations are the only defense we have against the next instance of a Hollywood dog sensation.
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The Impact of Hollywood on Dog Breeds
Some of the most beloved Hollywood stars in history have been dogs, not people. Since the early days of Lassie, the entertainment industry has capitalized on animal loving viewers by creating loveable dog characters and it's paid off at the box off and in TV ratings.
But while the public seems to love animal centric entertainment, the animals don't always benefit from box office success. In fact, the entertainment industry has overly sensationalized dog breeds in some instances, leading to more harm than good.
It's a topic that has been debated at length, but looking back through the recent history of dogs in TV and film, it's hard to deny that there is a vicious cycle that stems from dogs featured in entertainment.
- The public falls in love with the dog they see on screen.
- The public purchases a dog of the same breed, using the movie or TV dog as a standard for the entire breed.
- Demand for the breed increases, sometimes leading to puppy milling and overproduction.
- Uninformed owners become dissatisfied with issues they may have known about had they conducted more research prior to purchasing the dog.
- Animal rescue organizations see an increase in breed abandons.
For example, Dalmatians had classically been portrayed as firehouse dogs in pop culture. But when 101 Dalmatians debuted in 1996, the public started considering the breed for family pets. In the year of the film's release, the demand for Dalmatian puppies sharply increased. But in the months immediately proceeding, animal rescue organizations saw as much as a 25% increase in the inventory of Dalamatian orphans. Why? The breed appears different on screen than it does in real life.
Perhaps selected for attractiveness, Dalmatians come with a bit more complexity than impulse shoppers are prepared to handle. Proper research of the breed reveals a different picture than what is shown in the Walt Disney film. Dalmatians are typically high energy and demand ample attention and regular exercise. As mentioned in an older post, Dalmatians also are genetically predisposed to a variety of medical problems like deafness and urinary problems. A thin frame makes them intolerant to cold weather. All issues overlooked by dog buyers motivated by pop culture as opposed to diligent dog breed research. Nearly the same thing happened with the premier of Beethoven in the early 1900s. The larger than life dog featured in the family movie appears to be a protective yet loveable addition to the modern American family. The chain reaction was the same. There was an increased public interest in the breed that caused breeders to take extreme measures to catch up. Overproduction and puppy milling results.
Breeders with ulterior motives will capitalize on recent popularity of a specific breed and begin producing them in mass quantities. St. Bernard backyard breeders set up shop for the duration of the Beethoven movie series. The result? Generations and generations of poorly bred dogs host to health problems and more.
So what is the solution for this seemingly inevitable problem? It's unlikely that Hollywood will stop producing TV shows and movies about dogs – and we wouldn't want them to! Although dog actors may not make the list of the highest paid actors and actresses, they are certainly the most fun to watch.
It all goes back to diligently researching a breed before purchasing a dog, a topic discussed numerous times on this blog and others. A TV or movie dog truly can't be used as litmus for the entire breed. That combined with more stringent breeding regulations are the only defense we have against the next instance of a Hollywood dog sensation.
.
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