America's Dog Revolution

The place of the dog in American Society is changing. From the wolflike role of Biblical times to the anthropomorphic status (attribution of human characteristics, motivation, and behavior) of 21st Century America, dogs have adapted, adopted, and transformed to the stature of an equal family member, for many, and an essential companion, for more. Truly, America's Dog Revolution has embraced the emotional and social needs of American Society. Moreover, economic, scientific, and technical relationships between dog and humankind are being forged. And the bonds of love and reciprocity are growing stronger

America's Dog Revolution is evident in terms of the increasing number of owned dogs. In less than 50 years, there has been more than a 300% increase in the number of owned dogs. Currently, on average, there is one owned dog for every four people in the United States. According to the Humane Society of the United States, through statistics compiled from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, there are approximately 74.8 million owned dogs in the United States. 39% of U.S. households own at least one dog, with 63% of those owning one dog, 25% owning two dogs, and 12% owning three or more dogs.

America's Dog Revolution is demonstrated by the scope and level of services and products available to owned dogs. Not only do these serve and confirm the elevated status of the dog in American Society, too, they function as economic, scientific, and technical drivers for manufacturing, transportation, retail, and service businesses.

Some dog services and products are practical and responsible.

There are the traditional dog food, dog treats, dog collars and leashes, dog toys, and dog beds, blankets, and bedding. Dog security and dog safety are provided by ADT, the home security company, which markets its systems with "Help Keep your Pets Safe w/ ADT" and "Protecting Pets from Home Fires." ADT also provides Pet Alert Window Clings which alert firemen and policemen to the presence, number, and kind of dog(s) in the home. For dog health and dog well-being outside the veterinarian's office, Better Buys for Pets, with a tag line of "Healthy Dogs are Happy Dogs," sell a broad array of doggie health and hygiene products from Glucosamine, vitamins, and special nutrients to toothpaste, car seats, and rain coats.

Other, esoteric and extravagant canine services and products are being lavished on America's dogs.

In TV canine reality shows, Cesar Millan and other trainers offer counseling and psychological services for the maladjusted dog - and the dog's maladjusted owner(s). This dog-human therapy and relationship counseling showcases the ascending stature of the dog in American Society.

This summer, Pet Airways launched the first pet-only airline. Designed for safe and comfortable transportation, dogs travel in the main cabin rather than the cargo hold. Puppy facials, birthday parties, dog hotels, dog-only bathrooms, a dog collar that translates dog barks into human language, anti-depressants for dogs, and a doggy sex toy are further examples of excess many single and lonely Americans shower on their canine companions.

In "One Nation Under Dog," Michael Schaffer examines the transforming and elevating role of the dog in 21st Century American Society:

"In an atomized society, the growing amount of time and money we collectively spend on pets is an indication of how much we thirst for community, leaning on animals for support once provided by other humans.
...
And the specifics of how we treat those pets no longer just reflects what we think is appropriate for animals...the way people interact with their pets says a great deal about two-legged society."

The dogs of America are changing American Society: emotionally, socially, economically, scientifically, and technically, in pervasive, accelerating ways. Of course, this is the penultimate dog hyper-anthropomorphism.

Grounded in millennia of living with humans, dogs merely adapt and adopt for survival, safety, security, and continuance as a viable species. It is humankind that is transforming the role of the dog in American Society.

With the angst, isolation, and loneliness in America escalating, America's Dog Revolution has only just begun. The final anthropomorphism will be the "Caninization" and the ascendancy of dog to god.