Tommy Tomlinson’s ‘Dogland’ is about the Westminster Dog Show. Beneath the surface, it’s about connection

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Tommy Tomlinson’s new book, “Dogland,” is about a lot of things.

On the surface, it’s about the Pulitzer Prize finalist’s way of understanding the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show by following different dogs and their handlers through the arcane subculture of dog shows. It’s also about this history of dogs becoming domesticated or, as Tomlinson puts it, how they domesticated their owners. It’s also a love letter to his own dog, Fred, whom he had for 13 years before he died several years ago.

But the way Tomlinson sees it, “Dogland” is about connection.

“Everyone, human and animal, has this deep desire to connect with some other creature,” Tomlinson said.

“Dogland,” which was released Tuesday, is the second book by the former Charlotte Observer columnist and host of the “Southbound” podcast, following his best-selling memoir “The Elephant in the Room,” which detailed his life as an obese person. In “Dogland,” Tomlinson follows the journey of Striker, a white-haired Samoyed, and his handler, Laura King, in his quest to become Best in Show at the 2023 Westminster competition.

In writing the book, Tomlinson sought to avoid pointing out the foibles of the dog show world, as seen in movies like Christopher Guest’s “Best in Show,” and meet those in that world on their terms.

“Whether you like to fish or knit, every little subculture has its own world, so my goal was to be able to show you that world and why people care about so much,” he said.

But along the way, Tomlinson thought more about what made the relationship between dogs and their owners so special.

“They were initially used to be power tools for us, but now they’re like our therapists and companions. They have molded and shaped us.” Tomlinson said. “They helped us from becoming nomads, to settle down and become homesteaders.”

In a way to show that he, too, had his own stake in “Dogland,” Tomlinson dedicated a portion of the book to his own dog, Fred, who died after 13 years. Tomlinson said that with his death, he grieved in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

“Even the people you really love, you might have complex relationships with them,” he said. “When you take in a pet, you know it will die before you do.”

Whether or not you like dogs, Tomlinson thinks there’s something for everyone in the book because, ultimately, it’s about longing for connection.

“Everyone has that longing in their soul for someone to understand us, to care for us and love us. Dogs, more than any creature, express those feelings that make us feel that they love us,” he said. “Whatever you have in your life, however you make those connections, I think you will see something of yourself and your experience in this book.”

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