A Pet Or An Accessory?

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Today it is difficult to imagine a real glamorous lady or socialite without a tiny well-groomed dog in her arms. Where did this fashion come from? And what is the phenomenon of love for small breeds of dogs?

The modern fashion for shaggy crumbs originally originated in London, moved from there to Paris, and then spread to all the rich metropolitan areas of the planet. The most popular decorative dogs are in New York, where appropriate fashion shows are even held annually.

By the way, such a dog is a very expensive addition to the aristocratic image. The list of costs includes items such as a personal veterinarian, psychologist, massage therapist, periodic visits to a special "dog" beauty salon, buying clothes, expensive jewelry (collars inlaid with precious stones and other cute things) - ordinary pets never dreamed of such treatment.

The history of doggy fashion

It should be noted that keeping dogs of miniature breeds by ladies as a constant companion has a very ancient history and is not a discovery of our time. Thousands of years ago, at the court of the Chinese emperor, Pekingese were bred, which were allowed only to high officials and members of the imperial family.

For the Chinese, the Pekingese were a sacred animal, helping to ward off evil spirits. These four-legged babies were called sunny dogs, and their breeding was revered as a great art, accessible only to a narrow circle of initiates. Each Pekingese living in the palace had a personal servant who looked after the animals.

Later, the fashion for miniature dogs blossomed in Europe. In France, almost every socialite appeared in society with such a dog in her arms. Then the most popular breed were the Maltese lapdogs, whose ancestors lived in the homes of aristocrats since the time of Ancient Rome. Admirers of this breed were such famous monarchs as Empress Catherine II, the French king Louis XIV and the ruler of Spain Philip II.

Interestingly, the ladies used the dogs not only as a symbol of belonging to the elite, but also for purely practical purposes - to care for lush hairstyles that were fashionable in those days. The lapdog was "run" in the hair, and the animal quickly put an exemplary order there.

Dachshunds and Yorkshire terriers had an even more domestic purpose. Initially, these breeds were bred for the purpose of trapping small rodents, in particular house rats. By the way, one of the reasons for the spread of small dogs in England is the old laws of the country, according to which ordinary people could not have big dogs in order to avoid illegal hunting in the possessions of aristocrats. Therefore, the poor were forced to be content with dwarf breeds.

VIP accessory

Today, many breeds of miniature dogs have become real luxury goods at a price equal to that of a good car. The desire to get closer to the world of VIP leads to huge costs for creating an appropriate image, in which the “shaggy” accessory is not the last.

Many do not see anything wrong with this, if we do not forget that even a very small dog remains an ordinary animal with its own needs. Social life - hours of receptions, fitting in ateliers and boutiques, evenings in expensive clubs and restaurants - exhaust the four-legged pet even more than its owner. However, the service industry responded in its own way: by offering special relaxing treatments like dog yoga or massage. They say the dogs are delighted. But the pleasure is not cheap.

However, there is an argument in favor of decorative dogs, however, like any other breed: the dog helps to more easily survive the loneliness that is characteristic of many city dwellers, regardless of their status. Such a friend, although small, has a number of valuable qualities - he will invariably remain a devoted friend, will not criticize and will always listen carefully, and even takes up little space in the apartment.

What do you think about the little accessory dogs?