Mostly Mutts

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Each of these photoessays consists of approximately 50 colour pictures
of dogs, plus brief captions. There is no text. The majority of the
photos are of the cute and folksy variety—dogs snuggled into boots;
dogs in hats and scarves or even a wig; dogs raiding the fridge, using
the computer, or sporting goggles. There’s the big dog–little kitten
shot, the big dog–little dog cliché, dogs playing the piano, the
dog-and-bunny pose, and even the puppy posed with feather angel wings.
These are photos of the type abandoned by feedstore calendars in the
1960s as the line between cute and inflicting an indignity on the
animals came into question.

The best shots present dogs romping, running, jumping, swimming,
playing—in other words, acting like dogs. The least desirable are
obviously posed, such as those of puppies hanging from shorts pinned to
a clothesline, or lined up at a table (each pup wearing a red-and-white
checked bib, of course).

Technically the photos are professional, carefully composed with just
enough detail in backgrounds to define the setting. The purpose or value
is less apparent—perhaps stocking-stuffers or greeting card
substitutes for pet owners?