Photographer’s Dog Show Pictures Pose the Question: What Is a Proper Dog?

Photographer Jasper Cable Alexander has spent the past three years turning up to British dog shows in search of humorous images.

Alexander, who is the son of Royal photographer Lord Snowdon, lost sight in his left eye after a freak accident. He spent ten days in hospital, six months with vision in only one eye, a cornea transplant, and at least eight operations.

It was a tough time. But he found solace in humor, using it to bring a little lightness and fun to an otherwise difficult situation.

His dog project grew from that instinct. After three years of traipsing around Crufts and specialist Chihuahua competitions to village halls, sports centers, and local shows across the U.K., it eventually became a book: A Proper Dog.

What he found was not really about winning. The prizes are often little more than certificates, ribbons, and recognition. The real reward is the ritual, the friendships and the community.

Photographed almost entirely on analog film, the book feels like stepping into a world stuck somewhere between the 1990s and now.

“I wanted it to feel like this kind of timeless warp that you go into that doesn’t feel like part of this world. A lot of the venues are in community halls or sports halls and places that haven’t really changed much since the 90s, so it feels stuck in that era,” Alexander says.

All proceeds from the book will go to Bristol Eye Hospital, which helped the photographer regain his vision.

The title of the book, A Proper Dog, asks the question: what makes a proper dog? Many people laugh at Chihuahuas, dismissing them as yappy rodents, but Alexander asks: is all that matters the love between a dog and a person?

“A Proper Dog is about humour, tenderness and observation. It is a book made to raise money, but mostly to make people smile,” a press release adds.

The book was released this week, and there will only be 600 to 1,000 copies. The book costs £20. Purchase information can be found here.