The Rise and Fall of Prince George and Rottweilers

            This chapter focuses specifically on dogs.  Who their ancestors were, where they came from, and how they came to be domesticated were all questions examined in the text.  According to Psychology Today’s article, over 339 breeds of dogs exist today and they all came from one species, the Gray Wolf.  Two theories are explained, both of which I had never really thought about.  The first says that someone found a baby pup and brought it home for dinner, however, “Wilma Flintstone,” looked into the big eyes and decided to save it.  The other theory, says that before is that these primitive dogs were simply dumpster divers.  With every new generation of dog, the more and more comfortable and adapted to humans they became.   

            Another topic I found interesting in this chapter was the comparison to dog breeds and baby names.  Just like baby names, some breeds become increasingly popular for no reason.  Poodles are brought up and the book said that within 20 twenty years, registration for poodles increased by 12,000%.  To me that is crazy!  Why did poodles become so popular in a relatively short amount of time?  Were Poodles somehow better than other breeds, or, did they increase simply because your neighbor had one so you decided to get one.  I like the sentence in the book that asks, “Were they just famous for being famous?” 

            Just as dog breed popularity grows exponentially, so do baby names.  I started thinking about how our culture and media affects the choices parents make for their child’s name.  Prince William and his wife came to mind immediately.  According to Ancestry.com’s statistics, the name given to a royal baby increases that names popularity by 32% the following year.  So this year, 5,740 George’s will be added to the UK’s population.  Moving away from royalty and the UK, I also thought about how media and especially celebrities here in the US and what they name their children.  Some of the names are just plain weird.  Apple Paltrow, North West, and every one of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children’s names are all a little strange.  Unlike the name George, I don’t think any of these celebrity kid’s names will catch on. 

            Why is it that some baby names or dog breeds become so popular while others seem to be lost in obscurity?  Why were Rottweilers so popular for awhile and now hated and feared by so many people?  Are some names and dog breeds not popular because they are ugly?  The name George is now ranked 4th in the UK, but it ranks number 166th in the US, why?  Once the next prince is named will the name George go back to being ranked as 12th in the US? To me George isn't the most prestigious or cute name but in the UK it is the name of royalty.  

-Erik Rohrkaste