Not on my pug

Shai Shai would be ashamed if I dressed her up in a bathing suit or even worse, a dress. She is a dog and barely tolerates the raincoat, but she puts up with it because she hates the rain more. Nobody dresses up Newfoundlands do they? German Shepherds would never stand for it, nor would any other large dog.

Pug o' my heart - Los Angeles Times: "
Perhaps it's their combination of deadpan seriousness and comic malleability that makes the pug the right dog for our times. The pug population is growing in major cities like Los Angeles and New York, where they are the eighth (L.A.) and 10th (N.Y.C.) most popular dogs, according to the American Kennel Club's 2005 statistics.

Small- to medium-sized dogs have gained in popularity since the turn of the millennium, according to the AKC. 'People are traveling more with their pets,' says Janet McCulley, a co-owner of Muttropolis, an upscale pet boutique in Newport Beach's Fashion Island. 'Tiny dogs are portable, but the pug is more robust.'

While Chihuahuas rank 11th nationally, they don't make the top 10 in L.A. or New York, centers of the 'fashion dog' trend that had fashion victims toting undersized, over-accessorized breeds like Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas and Pomeranians. Since 1994, pug adoptions have zoomed more than 50%, according to the AKC.

Pugs aren't, however, as portable as a 2-pound teacup Chihuahua or miniature Yorkshire terrier. They can tip the scales at 18 to 20 pounds — or more.

'You might have to tote them on a trolley behind you,' says fashion stylist Kimberly Holly, owner of Claude, the plump pug featured in a recent Barneys catalog. Pugs are notorious foodies, and Claude, says Doonan, 'is a bit of a gourmand. She goes to one too many photo shoots where the catered food is irresistible to her.'

Their tendency to gain weight also makes them more endearing, but it doesn't close the doors of fashion for them, says Los Angeles designer Lara Alameddine, creator of the couture dog clothing line Little Lily and of the custom TV wardrobe for Mimi la Rue. Creating pug clothes is, says Alameddine, 'sort of like designing for a full-figured woman.' She made Mimi la Rue a swimsuit coverup because 'she's hairy, a little voluptuous and a little self-conscious.' Like us all, then.

Pug owners invariably describe them as the clowns of the dog world because of their animated expressions and distinct personalities. According to 'The Encyclopedia of the Dog,' by veterinarian Bruce Fogel, they're 'extremely tough and opinionated … independent and resolute.' Perfect, in other words, as a symbol for today's fashions."

She is a dog, not a fashion accessory. She is capable of walking by herself and playing with the "big boys" at the park. There is no need to embarass her as if she doesn't have four perfectly working paws.

Tags: pugs, small dogs, foodies, perfect dog