The Incredible Story of Dogs traces the entertaining, surprising and somewhat bizarre story ofhumankind's best friend and the diverse relationships humans and dogs have. Relationships between dogs and humans are cross cultural, occurring in all cultures across the globe and spanning all of humankind's history. From best friends to working partners, dogs have been a part of the human experience for 15,000 years.

Part II, Fame and Fortune

Fame and Fortune proves our affection for dogs runs deep--we love Lassies, we buy more products when pitched by dogs, and we watch in fascination as socialites drop thousands to try and win New York's annual Westminster Dog show.

• adage
• appreciation
• ascertain
• aversion
• baffled
• commodity
• conjuring
• consumer
• cunning
• dilemma
• empathy
• ingenuity
• literally
• prestigious
• profound
• prosthesis
• raunchy
• residuals
• vain

1. The effect of dogs in advertising is refered to as "visual shorthand."What is "visual shorthand,"and how does it pertain to dogs?

2. Canine actors have been employed by the motion picture and television industries since their inception. What is it about dogs that people enjoy seeing them as actors? What is the "star appeal" of dogs?

3. Dogs are used to pitch products ranging from A to Z. How can a dog sell a product? Why do consumers respond to dogs in advertisements?

4. The use of a certain breed or type of dog in an advertisement, television show, or motion picture can elevate that particular breed's popularity. But there can be a downside to this popularity. How can media exposure prompt people to obtain animals they are not really prepared to care for?

5. Owning a pet is a large responsibility. What does this responsibility entail?

6. The poet Byron once said that dogs "possess all the virtue of mankind but none of his vices."What did Byron mean by this? What are some of the virtues dogs and humankind have in common? What vices do humans possess that dogs do not?

1. Imagine that you are an advertising executive, and your client needs a magazine ad to sell his/her product. Choose a product to sell, and then create a magazine advertisement, using a dog(s) to sell the product. What would you emphasize to obtain the consumer's interest and create a desire to buy the product?

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