Dog Shows and Kennel Clubs in Shanghai: British Sport, Sportsmanship and the Changing Concept of Pets in China, 1887–1937

Abstract

As in many colonial settings, it was the British who initiated dog shows as a sport at the Shanghai International Settlement in 1887. The main purpose behind this development was to increase the understanding and interest of Shanghai residents in dogs, and to spread scientific and refined methods of dog breeding. In this context, the overall aim was to promote the trade of purebred dogs within China. Through dog shows, some upper-middle class Chinese gradually began to consider dogs as pets rather than livestock, and conspicuous consumption of dog-related products and services was in vogue, accompanied by the emergence of dog restaurants, dog hospitals, and dog schools in Shanghai. The popularity of pet dogs and the rise of the pet economy in modern Shanghai was the result of multiple factors such as the elevated status of dogs in the city, the popularity of British sports represented by dog shows in Shanghai, and the general acceptance of western pet views and values among the Chinese elite. It was also a fusion of Chinese and Western cultural exchanges, and the epitome of Shanghai’s modernization process.