This book explores the social and cultural constructions and debates of what are dogs and what is leisure. It looks at how working dogs play a significant role in leisure experiences, and considers the differing roles and changing acceptance of dogs' involvement in sport. Within the setting of the...

This chapter explains the reasons for writing this book on dogs and leisure, and discusses: the history of the dog and its relationship with humanity; the current and historic scale of the dog population; dogs as sentient, self-aware beings and their 'rights'; the cultural constructions of 'dog'...

This chapter looks at working dogs that exist within the leisure environment. One of the foci of this chapter is examining how the presence of working dogs in an environment has been utilized to construct idealized images of leisure and tourism landscapes. This discussion covers both contemporary...

This chapter looks at the extent and nature of a variety of sporting activities where dogs play a prominent/dominant role and looks at changes in these sports across space and time. It looks first at sports that are based on dogs before examining those that have been developed to cater to dogs....

This chapter discusses whether a dog can truly be leisured or whether it is actually only in the leisure environment at the behest of its owner (i.e. it is a leisure object). The leisured dog is defined as one who is in the leisure environment with its owner but within the context that it is...

This chapter examines the ways in which the leisure experiences of dogs are provided for. It begins by discussing the physical and psychological benefits to humans and dogs of sharing time and lives, with a specific emphasis on leisure time. As part of this discussion, the problems that have been...

This chapter explores the history, scale and nature of boarding kennels and dog day-care centres. Associated with these businesses, the chapter also discusses the professional pet-sitting industry. This analysis is set within the recognition of the changing nature of human-dog relations and the...

This book chapter describes the history and geography of dogs as cuisine. It discusses the reasons behind the consumption of dog meat as cuisine, as well as the taboo surrounding the eating of dog meat in many contemporary societies. The chapter also examines the use of dogs in the marketing and...

This book chapter focuses on the consumption of cuisine by dogs. An introduction describes the differences in dog food and dog cuisine. It examines the cuisine that is provided to pander to the taste buds of dogs, or those their owners perceive them to have, and the ethical concerns of their...

This chapter brings together some of the main ideas raised in the book and suggests a future for research on dogs in the leisure experience. It returns to the recognition that all dogs and their leisure experiences are culturally constructed and prone to change across space and time which reflect...