Pooches in Pictures; How Hollywood Influences the Dogs We Bring Home
By Emma Snow
No actor wants to share the stage with a dog, for he will undoubtedly be upstaged. It’s all but impossible to watch a dog movie without falling head over heels into puppy love. Consider Mom, the warm-hearted Border Collie from the 1995 blockbuster Babe. There was nary a dry eye in the theater as she watched her pups sold. Disney’s 101 Dalmations left an audience crying (as Cruella), “I want those puppies!†Even television commercials tug at our heart-strings. Dinky started a Chihuahua craze the world over as the spokes-dog for Taco Bell, while Spuds Mackenzie ushered in a new generation of Budweiser Beer drinkers. There is no doubt about it; the media has great influence over pet popularity, particularly those of the canine persuasion. In itself, this isn’t a terrible thing, but when it comes to choosing a pet for your family, Hollywood can spell disaster!
Just imagine a couple going to a movie featuring a cute child. On screen the child is humorous, attractive, and clever. It never gets into trouble, except when it is funny. Imagine the couple falling in love with this on-screen child, going so far as deciding to have a baby of their own, without taking any of the complications of child-rearing into consideration. They don’t expect to have any troubles with their child—they naturally expect it to resemble the child from the movie.
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