Mrs. Profiteer: Is this a pedigree dog?
Dog Dealer: Pedigree? I should just think 'E is Mum! Why, if the animal could only talk, 'E wouldn't speak to either of us!
The attraction of pedigree dogs and dog shows was that people, who themselves were as common as a turnip top, could now fancy that they were among the social elite. They did not have to have real knowledge of animals, or have an important job or title or large estate -- they just had to purchase a dog from a "reputable" show breeder and put on airs.
As one Victorian periodical noted, "nobody now who is anybody can afford to be followed about by a mongrel dog."
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