editor unleashed Anna Cooke, Editor in Chief
Christopher Guest, who portrayed Nigel Tufnel in the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap, and his wife, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, had two dogs, leading the writer/director to make frequent trips to the local dog park. “There were people with purebred dogs, with mutts and so on, and as I min- gled with them I started thinking that this might be an interesting idea to explore in a movie,” said Guest. In mid-1998, Guest called fellow writer/director Eugene Levy with his idea and the two collaborated on what would become the cult classic, mostly improvisational film, Best In Show. Watching people from afar interact
with their dogs is a guilty pleasure and part of my job. People and their dogs are fun to watch. We talk to our dogs, ask them questions and sometimes even wait to see if they’ll answer us. The best place to watch dogs and their
humans interact is at a dog show or a canine sports event. Of course, the dog shows are very serious in nature. When doing research for Best In Show, Eugene Levy attended many dog shows and said of them, “It’s a very unusual world. I was sur- prised at the intensity involved. This is a full-time thing for these people; they live and breathe dog shows and every weekend they’re out there traveling. They drive hundreds of miles, spend several hours sitting with the dog before going in the ring for 60 seconds of fame. What is it that drives people to do this?” The world of canine sports (disc
throwing, agility, flyball, dock diving) seems to take itself a little less serious. While it’s competitive, there is a cama- raderie not observed at AKC-sanctioned dog shows, and the high energy is fun to watch, with everyone sincerely cheering everyone else on. It’s during these events where the
human’s focus is entirely on the dog. The teamwork, the bond between the handler and his dog, the smiles on each of their faces – it’s really something special. In this issue, our feature Game of
Throws touches on the canine sports of dock diving and frizgility with some amazing photos by Kim Langevin. And, “Never Give Up On Someone You Love”
6 THE NEW BARKER
Anna Cooke with Chloe, Dougie, Rita and Ms. Zoe.
is an inspiring story about a shelter dog who becomes a champion in agility. If someone had told me 13 years ago
that producing a dog magazine would involve politics, extremely opposing opinions on things like training, diet and animal welfare; violence, death and a lot of sadness, I most likely would have reconsid- ered the business proposition of publishing. Since that first issue in 2006, my eyes have been exposed, my mind expanded, and on occasion, my heart broken. The phrase, “There are two sides to
every story and the truth usually lies some- where in between,” keeps me listening to everyone, asking more questions and doing research before writing a story. While we are a lifestyle magazine,
I believe our readers want to know about more than where to stay, play and dine with their dogs. In our Rescue Work column, we feature the good work being accomplished at Manatee County Animal Services and Humane Society of Marion County. There is so much more between the
covers of this issue that I hope you will appreciate. “Magazines are the best slow media experience,” says fellow editor Anne Alexander of Mindful Magazine. “Magazines are the antithesis of the online experience. Magazines help people to focus, to slow down and to savor the moment.” I invite you to enjoy and savor this
issue of The New Barker dog magazine, and let me know your thoughts. Please, write me at
anna@thenewbarker.com.U
www.TheNewBarker.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA ALLEN STUDIOS
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