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Stephanie Hunt-Crowley examines the shift from print to digital media in the dog world, exploring its impact on community and education.
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Just before I left the US to live in France, I created a new blog that was to be my “dog blog.” But somehow, WordPress managed to lose it and I could not find it again. However, nothing on the Internet is ever truly lost as I found it myself by searching for my username on the web. Reading it recently, I realized that 10 years has passed but nothing much has changed. The following is what I wrote; my updated commentary follows.
I have been thinking about many of the comments and questions posted on the Internet that concern dogs and dog breeding. I have noticed that the media has affected many people by words more than information. New and many existing breeders need information to back up or negate buzzwords and opinions, but HOW MUCH online information do people really study and understand? I know that *I* learned from books, magazine articles, and direct conversation with knowledgeable breeders and experts. The Internet is great for instant communication (this blog, for example), but writers of the past were published only after the editors and publishers had verified their credentials! Nowadays, all one has to do is “share” something on the Internet that might have started as nothing more than a marketing press release—witness the attitude towards grains in dog food—and thousands believe it.
Take the word “inbreeding.” All it takes is one bad TV show and viral exposure, and millions see the word “inbreeding” as bad—without having read any of the scientific material delineating both the positive, useful and negative, damaging aspects. In any online forum, we may share information but lack what we used to have in the days of print media: CREDENTIALLED writers with a known viewpoint, providing accurate and scientifically based information, both pros and cons. On the Internet, I have seen advice given that has been wildly inaccurate on a variety of topics that can be either worthless at best or potentially harmful at worst. People accept information from people they do not know, whose background and experience could be anything or nothing. Then the most dangerous thing of all happens. The recipients with the best will in the world, trying to help, pass on what they learned without any further research or validation, and if asked they will say, “That was what I was taught.”
The Internet is a great tool for research as long as you know where to look and check the credentials and relationships of the writers and providers. I can search for something while talking to someone on the telephone. It can be used to disseminate news that would otherwise never be known. It can also be used to disseminate propaganda and marketing hype, and even character assassination or cyberbullying, all of which can reach millions before lunch and disappear into the ether when the day rolls over into the next. Print media, on the other hand, has an infinite shelf life, from newspaper clippings in scrapbooks to books that become old friends, and ancient texts preserved in libraries. I think the world needs both.
Not only is this still applicable, but new factors have emerged. The use of social media has exploded, with Facebook being the dominant mode of communication between owners, breeders, exhibitors, and anyone interested in the dog world. There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of Facebook groups dedicated to different breeds and activities. There are groups providing help and advice to owners and breeders, some of which have several thousand members. Unless the group is moderated, anyone can ask a question and people of all levels of expertise can give an answer, from breeders with many years of experience to newcomers who have yet to breed a litter. Some groups have veterinarians and professional groomers donating their time to answer questions. The problem is that even the best information has a very short screen life, and can be half-remembered before it is repeated, with theories becoming entrenched as fact without full knowledge.
Other popular sites are Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok which appeal more to the general public. To my knowledge, dog owners use them to share photos with friends and family. I am not aware of anyone using them to promote or provide educational material, but some breeders do use them to showcase their puppies. There are “influencers” (yes, that is an actual job!) and podcasts, channels, and platforms—too many to mention.
When thinking about “all things dog,” we have discussed ways to increase interest in dog shows, encouraging new owners and breeders, and combatting the influence of animal rights groups. It seems that we are faced with a conundrum: how to utilize these other avenues (there was a great line in a full-length article that I read today: “If you want to catch fish—go where the fish are!”) without stretching ourselves too thin. It is definitely something to think about—to prepare for the future.
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