Tracing Los Angeles’ love of dogs back to the 1929 ‘Doggery’
In early June, I was fortunate to snag a last-minute spot on a rare tour of the former Bullock’s Wilshire department store building, now owned and occupied by Southwestern Law School. The 1929 cathedral-like Art Deco structure, which dominated the then sleepy boulevard, was designed by father-and-son architects John and Donald Parkinson (also the visionaries behind L.A.’s City Hall and Union Station). Our guide for the day, the school’s archivist, Sara Halpert, led us through halls that once housed the store’s many departments—sportswear, lingerie, a saddlery (still beautifully ornamented with plaster reliefs by sculptor Eugene Maier-Krieg) and, in a mezzanine tucked just above, a canine shopping destination called “The Doggery.” “Even in 1929,” remarked Halpert, “L.A. people loved their dogs.”
And love them we do. If this year’s edition of Pets of Larchmont (Section 1, Pages 10-13) is any indication, dogs are not only our best friends, but also our workout buddies, our security personnel and our therapists. While we can’t claim them as dependents (for now), dogs transcend the realm of pets into something more akin to progeny. And what better place to pamper them than at our local, modern-day “doggeries,” like Tailwaggers, The Barking Lot and Jess Rona Grooming, all on Larchmont.
CHAPPY, a golden doodle, posing for the camera at his Los Angeles home.
If I were to judge based on looks alone, my favorite breed would be the basset hound—Dumbo-esque ears, long backs and short legs, with an excess of wrinkled skin that makes it look as if its pants are falling down. This droopy dog is just one of four “basset” breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. First developed in France, the name for this group of scent hounds arises from the French word “bas,” meaning “low.” Another footstool-like dog, the corgi, is also named for its low profile, originating from the Welsh “cor,” meaning “dwarf” and “ci,” the word for “dog” in that language. And in terms of droopiness, it’s the shar-pei that reigns supreme. The name of that breed, known for its intelligence and loyalty, is rooted in the Chinese “sha pí”, meaning “sand skin,” so named for its bristly coat.
The beagle is named not for its looks, but potentially for its sonorous howl. Some have theorized that the name of this hound arrives from the French “béer,” meaning “to open wide,” and “gueule,” or “throat.” It’s also French that begets the name for the “terrier”—a shortening of “chien terrier,” meaning “earth dog”—so named for the burrowing foxes and badgers they were bred to hunt. This same prey prompted the name of the “dachshund,” from the German “dachs,” meaning “badger.”
In France, one of the historical centers of dog fancying (more than 40% of all dog breeds recognized by the World Canine Federation originate from France, Germany and Great Britain), the national dog is the poodle, which in French is called “caniche.” Translating to “duck dog,” the caniche is named for its talents as a water retriever. Here in the U.S., our name for the stately breed comes by way of Germany, where the dog was called “pudelhund,” from the Low German “pudel,” meaning “to splash” (also the root of the English “puddle”). And those topiary-like tufts (called “pompons”) that are often styled on the standard poodle’s leg joints and hips? They were originally shorn as such to allow this hunter free range of movement while keeping vital areas protected from the cold, murky depths.
Some dog breeds clue us in to the locales from which they hail. “Spaniels,” a grouping of pooches with long ears and silky coats, were originally described as being from Spain. The beautifully proportioned oddity known as the Pekingese (one Chinese legend relays that it was first created when the Buddha shrunk a lion down to dog size) is a gift from Beijing, China, a city whose name was previously romanized as “Peking.” Dalmatians originate from Dalmatia (a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro), Labradors from Labrador (a region in what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador), Chihuahuas from Chihuahua (a Mexican state), Akitas from Akita (a Japanese prefecture) and Pomeranians from Pomerania (an area that today spans parts of Poland and Germany on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea).
For the ancients, dogs were companions, herders and hunters, and, like bears, bulls and crabs, were thought to have starred our skies. The “Greater Dog” constellation, Canis Major, marks among its asterisms Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky after the sun. Mark your calendars for Thurs., July 3, the start of a 20-day countdown to Wed., July 23, the day that Sirius rises in conjunction with the morning sun. Due to its canine symbolism, this hot, sultry spell and the 19 days following are known as the “dog days” of summer, which end Mon., Aug. 11.
Before then, borrow a leaf from the poodle’s book and “pudel” to your heart’s delight—at the beach or in a pool, with or without a furry friend in tow.
Category: Real Estate
