| This study examined archival data of dog cartoons from 1925 to 2002 in The New Yorker magazine to determine whether dog cartoons had increased over 78 years and whether they had become more anthropomorphic in nature. Since cartoons can be seen as a portrait of our culture, providing social commentary on society's foibles, current obsessions and attitudes, it was hypothesized that an increase in dog cartoons would be a reflection of the popularity of dogs in America, as evidenced by a 40% increase in pet ownership over the past ten years, an estimated {dollar}31 billion dollars a year spent on pets, more coverage of dogs in the media, and research citing the many health benefits provided by pets. Anthropomorphic portrayal was seen as a reflection of the changing role of dogs in society, with pets over the past few decades assuming a more humanlike role in the lives of people, seen increasingly as substitute children, personified by owners, and viewed as providing more emotional and social support for people than in the past. The data source consisted of 1856 dog cartoons from The New Yorker from 1925 to 2002. Cartoons were totaled for every year and dog cartoons as a percentage of total cartoons were calculated for every year and decade. Dog cartoons were divided into anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic categories, with nine subcategories of anthropomorphic dog cartoons. Product moment correlations between year and dog cartoons revealed that dog cartoons had increased significantly from 1925 to 2002 (r = .74, p < .01) and had become significantly more anthropomorphic in nature over 78 years ( r = .90, p < .01). Four subcategories of anthropomorphic cartoons: dogs talking, dogs talking to other dogs, dogs talking to humans, and dogs behaving like humans were also found to increase significantly over time. By the 1990s, the majority of dog cartoons portrayed dogs talking or behaving like humans. This trend continued through 2002. Results are discussed in the context of anthropomorphism in human-companion animal relationships and its implications for people and dogs. |
