Essayist Tim Brookes recently got a puppy, and in the process discovered that Americans are developing a new form of geekdom: dog breeding. Having grown up with mutts, he's stunned to learn that $600 was a good price for a pup and that dozens of new flavors of doggie had been invented. He wound up getting Phoebe from a rescue organization. She's mostly border collie. But maybe there's some lab. And then... well, who cares, really. She's an excellent licker.
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