[catz4m8z]

Just reading a thread on another forum about how hard done by Toy breeds are. How they are never walked, just carried everywhere. Forced to parade around in ridiculous clothing. Not trained, then rehomed coz their stupid owners thought they just bought a baby replacement and not the proper dog they got.
Anybody else really irritated by this attitude??
All dogs were breed by man with a purpose and job in mind and yet it is unacceptable to treat a toy dog as a companion/baby substitute/centre of the universe!!(LOL) despite the fact that this is what they were breed for!!
You shouldnt pick them up, despite the fact they were breed this small so you could carry them!!
You shouldnt dress them up, but its ok to use harnesses, backpacks on dogs coz they are beneficial and not demeaning and undignified!!(its a dog it has no concept of dignity!)

And yet certain dog owners still feel toy breeds are being mistreated by being pampered and spoiled!!I wouldnt think a lurcher was being mistreated if it was taken coursing or a spaniel taken shooting and yet sit outside a cafe with a Chi in a t shirt and suddenly you're Paris Hilton!! Toy breeds are perfect for town living and safer being carried in alot of situations and the impression people have is still that coz you are carrying the dog in this situation you will be carrying it everywhere!! Never mind that you might have already walked it 2 or 3 miles that day!! Why cant people accept that they can have fulfilling doggy lives and still embrace the purpose they were bred for, which is being spoiled and pampered??

(sorry, for the rant...but its been tough on the general dog forums for midgets lately and Im peed off with it!! I knew you lot would understand!!LOL)

 

[sammyp]

I agree with you but even if they are a toy breed a dog should be treat as a dog. As in obedience and training. Clothing your dog is fine but ONLY if the dog is happy when dressed. Ninja my dog will wear a coat on her walk and that is it. I wouldn't dress my dog if she is unhappy to wear it. I also agree chihuahuas don't like alot of walking and sometimes need to e carried but I don't think chi's should be carried ever where. I am so guilty of treating my girls like baby's but there is a line you have to draw. I am also really gilt of spoiling my girls but it is out of love I do it.
But some people buy these dogs as a accessary use them to make there self look good then get bored and get rid. And that's the sort of people they are talking about in the post you read.
The people on this website may dress there dogs and treat them like baby's and that's ok because we love our baby's but there are people out there who have chi's for one reason and that is to be a Paris Hilton.

 

[mellawson]

Try walking a lab in a t-shirt. I have been putting my lab Dylan in t-shirts for years, he sheds 24-7 and has a huge blow out twice a year. I found that simply slipping a t-shirt on for car rides, or during play time helps keep the hair at bay but I do get some strange looks.

 

[sammyp]

Try walking a lab in a t-shirt. I have been putting my lab Dylan in t-shirts for years, he sheds 24-7 and has a huge blow out twice a year. I found that simply slipping a t-shirt on for car rides, or during play time helps keep the hair at bay but I do get some strange looks.

Omg wow please post a pic of your lab I will love to see a picture

 

[catz4m8z]

But some people buy these dogs as a accessary use them to make there self look good then get bored and get rid. And that's the sort of people they are talking about in the post you read.
.

Nope, sadly it isnt.. There is def a feeling that you have to justify owning a toy dog on alot of forums and god forbid if your justification is wanting a baby substitute to pamper and cuddle!! Its like people cant understand you could spoil and lavish attention on your dog (and fulfill its needs by doing this) and yet still train, walk and socialize it!!
Personally only one of mine ever wears clothes (a coat in cold weather), they get walked regularly, made to behave and the only time Ive picked them up outdoors is if they have been injured (turns out 6Ibs is heavier then you think!!LOL). If your dog doesnt object to wearing sensible clothes and you want to carry it to the shops why is it automatically a 'bad thing'??

 

[sammyp]

Try walking a lab in a t-shirt. I have been putting my lab Dylan in t-shirts for years, he sheds 24-7 and has a huge blow out twice a year. I found that simply slipping a t-shirt on for car rides, or during play time helps keep the hair at bay but I do get some strange looks.

Nope, sadly it isnt.. There is def a feeling that you have to justify owning a toy dog on alot of forums and god forbid if your justification is wanting a baby substitute to pamper and cuddle!! Its like people cant understand you could spoil and lavish attention on your dog (and fulfill its needs by doing this) and yet still train, walk and socialize it!!
Personally only one of mine ever wears clothes (a coat in cold weather), they get walked regularly, made to behave and the only time Ive picked them up outdoors is if they have been injured (turns out 6Ibs is heavier then you
think!!LOL). If your dog doesnt object to wearing sensible clothes and you want to carry it to the shops why is it automatically a 'bad thing'??

Wow the people on that post must be right pig headed then. And ok the trend of chihuahuas have grown for the wrong reason but unless you own a chi you won't no what it's like to love one. Well I hope you put them right lol. Stupid people so what are people just ment to stop buying chi's then will they be happy.

 

[mellawson]

Omg wow please post a pic of your lab I will love to see a picture

View attachment 6518

I hope I do this right I am totally new to the whole posting pictures thing. I won't even mention how truly terrible I am at taking pictures in the first place.

 

[jazzman]

Awww. Love the Lab in a T shirt

My first dog was a Chi/terrier mix, about 20 pounds, and he would shed like mad too. He loved riding in the, but in the summer time, with the window down, it was literally like a snow storm inside the car !

 

[Willowjune]

Sorry about the attacks on toy breed owners in those other forums; it's wrong to tar everyone who owns a toy with the same brush. However, I did read an article lately that said more and more toy dogs are showing up in shelters with leg muscles so atrophied from lack of use that they can barely stand or walk. So there is a problem, but loving, responsible owners like you shouldn't be attacked or blamed.

 

[sammyp]

View attachment 6518

I hope I do this right I am totally new to the whole posting pictures thing. I won't even mention how truly terrible I am at taking pictures in the first place.

Ahhhh wow how cute. Ahhhhhh really suits him/her.

 

[Pixie Luna]

I agree and I dont agree

I do think there are 'some' people out there that only see a dog as an object and not a 'dog' - their sole purpose is 'im going to get one of those small dogs so I can put it in this cute handbag' - rather than the attitude of 'I love my Chi so much Im going to carry them with me. Having my Chi is an advantage over bigger breeds as it means I dont have to always leave them at home when I go out'....

Sometimes you do see a little dog that just looks so fed up of being flung around etc and sometimes the dog loves it!

 

[LowClassCC]

i play dress-up with my border collie kay-ak all the time. mostly started because i wanted her to get use to having something on her body for when she needed to wear a life jacket when we go kayaking together or a backpack when we go hiking.

i also dress our chinese crested alex up quite often but that it to help keep hm warm for the most part. the other reason we dress him is because people look at him as if he is diseased when we go out if we don't. nobody has ever petted him when he has not had on clothes. they look at him a lot better with the clothes on.

our chihuahua lilah and other 2 border collies don't get dress up often but we do have a wardrobe dedicated just for their clothes. people around here see a small dog dressed up and think its cute. but take a border collie out dressed up and you get some very strange looks.

on a side note both kay-ak and alex entered in a local pet costume contest and took 1st and 2nd places. the prizes were grooming packages which we donated to the local animal shelter to be given to the next two dogs to be adopted from there.

as far as what other people think. well i just don't care really. there will always be people out there who will hate on others who do things differently than they do. and since the internet started a lot of people say and will run their mouths about stuff they would not say to someones face. if you read it on the internet don't take it personally. just let it go in one eye and out the other.

 

[DKT113]

My daughter Olivia is 6 and we had a very long talk prior to getting Rio about loving, care (& carefulness) & responsibility. I did explain if we found a puppy he/she would be small and so snuggable, but even with that she would be trained and she would get to enjoy being a dog and not be a fashion accessory. She would walk and play roll in smelly stuff upon occasion ~ the whole works. I can see dressing her if she is cold or if there would be some type of special occasion where Olivia felt the need I could maybe possibly be persuaded (it would be a hard sell though at this point). For warmth though we live in PA it gets frigid and I have put a sock on her to keep her warm when we go out to potty. Dressing for warmth wouldn't even need a thought put to it, it will always be done when she needs it. At this time though she walks out to potty & trots along to keep up with us in her areas in the house. She is pampered and played with but on the floor (as a precaution because of her tiny size). What others do as it relates to this is their business as long as the dog is happy & healthy I wouldn't think of passing judgement. We're just not taking the "Paris Hilton" approach and for us that's what works.

 

[DKT113]

Alex's sweater is freakin adorable and so him! Snazzy bajazzy!

 

[20887]

You are right, chis ARE companion dogs. I still feel that they need to be treated like dogs otherwise they can become terrors. I don't see anything wrong with putting a coat on them when it is cold though.

 

[~LS~]

We mostly rescue medium-large breeds, it just happens that way.
But when we do get small guys, it is usually the same old story...
people think they bought an accessory or toy for their kids, then
become fed up of the dog chewing, barking, growling, biting, etc.
These poor pups are kept in cages all day while people are at work,
then the owners just expect to come home pet it a bit, play dress
up and put it back in the cage for the night, and they wonder why
the dog is misbehaving. No socializing, no training, no walking, no
activities period, basically no fun. This happens too often, and I
think perhaps this is why when some people see a dressed up Chi
they automatically assume it is being treated like a toy instead of a
dog, and they feel sad for it. Which obviously they should not do,
since categorizing and making assumptions is simply not cool. Not
all Chi owners are the same, some of us respect the needs of our
dogs.

I think that no matter the breed it is crucial to exercise our dogs as
much as they need, play with our dogs, train our dogs, groom our
dogs, provide healthy nutrition and vet care, love and enjoy our
dogs, and hey if they are cold because it's freaking minus 30 out,
then put a coat on them and be proud that your dog is warm and
toasty thanks to your care!


As for the ignorant and/or assumption making strangers, I'm with
LowClassCC ...

as far as what other people think. well i just don't care really. there will always be people out there who will hate on others who do things differently than they do.

 

[jazzman]

as far as what other people think. well i just don't care really. there will always be people out there who will hate on others who do things differently than they do. .

Life is a lot easier when you understand this simple truth.

Worrying about other opinions is like driving your car while only
looking in the rear view mirror. What's back there is irrelevant, and you are ignoring the only important thing in the world (what's directly in front of you).

 

[~LS~]

Pure wisdom Alan! Well said! :thumbright:

 

[mongboot]

I know what you mean, but I get the opposite, I take Chips with me to the stables (pie will come too when he's older) and she plays with my mastiff Tigger (he's HUGE and she sits on his back when he's asleep ) and acts like a 'yard' dog, she likes to see the horses (who are all very sweet and careful when shes around, she's not allowed to run wild in the field with them though, my heart couldn't take it )She plays in the mud and chases the geese and chickens. She loves going to the yard. I get people saying 'it's a chihuahua she shouldn't be at a stables' and 'she shouldn't be in the mud' but the same people will pull their faces and say 'why's she got a jumper on, it's a dog!' or 'what the point of a dog that small if you gotta carry it about' you can't win! They should just stop bumping their gums and stop judging our lil cuties!!! So there lol xx

 

[KittyD]

Try walking a lab in a t-shirt. I have been putting my lab Dylan in t-shirts for years, he sheds 24-7 and has a huge blow out twice a year. I found that simply slipping a t-shirt on for car rides, or during play time helps keep the hair at bay but I do get some strange looks.

Ha! I think that's great..

View attachment 6518

I hope I do this right I am totally new to the whole posting pictures thing. I won't even mention how truly terrible I am at taking pictures in the first place.

That's adorable! An ex of mine has always had Dobermans and in the winter his dogs wear sweaters and coats and I think it's adorable.

i play dress-up with my border collie kay-ak all the time. mostly started because i wanted her to get use to having something on her body for when she needed to wear a life jacket when we go kayaking together or a backpack when we go hiking.

i also dress our chinese crested alex up quite often but that it to help keep hm warm for the most part. the other reason we dress him is because people look at him as if he is diseased when we go out if we don't. nobody has ever petted him when he has not had on clothes. they look at him a lot better with the clothes on.

our chihuahua lilah and other 2 border collies don't get dress up often but we do have a wardrobe dedicated just for their clothes. people around here see a small dog dressed up and think its cute. but take a border collie out dressed up and you get some very strange looks.

on a side note both kay-ak and alex entered in a local pet costume contest and took 1st and 2nd places. the prizes were grooming packages which we donated to the local animal shelter to be given to the next two dogs to be adopted from there.

as far as what other people think. well i just don't care really. there will always be people out there who will hate on others who do things differently than they do. and since the internet started a lot of people say and will run their mouths about stuff they would not say to someones face. if you read it on the internet don't take it personally. just let it go in one eye and out the other.

Great pics! Your Chinese crested is adorable, don't see much of that breed where I live. Donating the grooming sessions to a shelter was a really sweet gesture as well.
The last part of your post I could not agree with more!