Is your dog a fashionista?
What to wear to the dog park today? A monogrammed sweater? Down jacket? Sports t-shirt? Or perhaps something fun like a tutu? That will really make a statement to the world!
These are the questions some dogs ask themselves, with the help of their humans, in 2020! Dogs have certainly moved up in society over the last one hundred years or so!
In the days of old, most dogs were stuck living outside in dog houses, tied to a leash in the back yard, or sleeping on the back porch.
Today there are designer dog clothes and accessories - even snow boots, scarves, hats, Halloween costumes, matching collars, and leashes.
I once heard that Paris Hilton's little dog had a diamond collar worth tens of thousands of dollars! Now that dog was a fashionista for sure!
Have we gone overboard with how much we spend on our precious pups? Many would say yes, but hey, it is a fun hobby to have, and dressing up our dogs not only serves the purpose of giving genuine warmth and care to our dogs, but the whole process of dressing up a dog is just a joyful experience. It is sort of like being a kid again and dressing up our dolls.
Unlike dogs of old, our dogs today live in our houses with us, so their bodies are acclimated to inside temperatures. That means their bodies can react to cold and rain just like ours do so it is important to dress them for the appropriate weather situations. The smaller the dog, the shorter the fur and the older a dog is, the more they need protection from the cold and wet weather.
I once knew a little dog who had a huge array of clothes. He had his own clothing basket next to the fireplace. His mom would tell him to pick out his clothes for the day and he would prance over to the basket, choose an outfit, walk it over to his human, and she'd dress him up.
I once knew a Dachsund named Penny that loved getting dressed in her winter coat. It velcroed under her belly so I'd lay it out on the floor and she'd lay on her back so I could fasten it up for her. She really did look like a little hot dog in a bun, but she didn't care, she just knew she was "all that and more"!
I once knew a Scottie, already referred to in a previous blog, who loved her red woolen coat lined with black sheepskin material. She'd have a special lilt to her walk when she wore it. With the collar up she looked like Elvis, and with it down she looked like Barbara Bush!
I once knew a little poodle named Milo who had a great cowboy outfit for Halloween and patiently waited as all the other dogs in the Halloween dog parade received goody bags and he was so happy when his name was finally called. He also had some warm sweaters to wear on cold New England days.
I once knew two other dachshunds who loved going on walks wearing their matching raincoats. They'd wear their red coats and I had my yellow one on and we looked like three M & M's walking down the street!
Similarly, I used to know two silly bloodhounds who loved wearing bright yellow raincoats with hoods on rainy days. They wobbled down the road looking as stylish as a bloodhound can be.
How can you tell that a dog might be a fashionista and not just a dog that tolerates dressing up?
* Fashionistas will bring their clothes to you to put on them.
* Fashionistas will wait patiently as you dress them and button, velcro, and zipper.
* Fashionistas look more energetic when dressed up.
* Fashionistas seem to wag their tails more when dressed to go out on the town.
* Fashionistas don't complain or try and pull off their clothes.
* Fashionistas don't care if the sweater was a $ 4.99 Walmart special or an $ 80.00
coat - they just want to wear it.
* Fashionistas seem to know that dressing up brings joy to humans and they love
that.
The world is such a serious place and it is fun that our furry fashionistas bring joy to everyone around them with their uniquely colorful and sometimes classy styles.
So here's to the fashionistas with fur, the soft beings who cuddle with us in their matching jammies, the dogs who chew their owners' slippers to pieces but leave their own alone. Here's to the dogs who don't know how to dance but wear tutus anyway, and to the furballs that dress like snowballs.
Here's to the furry fashionistas who make our days a little more special!