Future Dogs

In her book, Dog, Susan McHughs does an excellent job of analyzing a vast array of representations of dogs. from films, to books, to political cartoons, she shows the wide range of ways dogs are represented to suit human narratives. One section I found particularly compelling was the use of dog metaphors when talking about U.S.-Iraq relations in the era of the Iraq war. Dog metaphors are used to show both obedience and unpredictability (like a Mad Dog). I find it interesting that dogs can be used to show such opposing ideas, which really reinforces the concept that representations of dogs are really all about humans. It all depends on the human traits and attributes we ascribe to the dog. I feel like this is one of my biggest takeaways from this class, and has really changed my perception of dogs in media. On social media, in particular, I can't help but think about what way people are anthropomorphizing their dogs whenever I see dog content online. What agendas or ideas are humans using dogs to portray? How easily do people believe that dogs really say "I love you", or feel guilt for tearing the couch apart? It's something I never considered before this class, but I can't stop thinking about it now,