Frou-Frou

Dear Dog Lady,

A friend gave me the most frivolous magazine about dogs dressed in clothes and jewelry. The rag -- and I forget the name of the thing because I threw it out immediately -- was badly written and celebrated spending mucho dollars to pamper your dog. Pawing through it, I felt I had stepped in doodoo. I was repulsed, considering all the horrible news in the world today, to see pictures of animals wearing dresses and little bows in their fur.

What do you think of this wretched excess?

Lisa, San Francisco, CA

Lisa, yes, considering all the recent horrors -- the killer hurricanes, earthquakes, and predicted bird flu pandemic -- dressing up dogs in frilly outfits seems like another sign of the apocalypse. Some greedy publishers exploit pooches and will do anything to make a buck.

Dog Lady predicts these fly-by-night publications will nosedive because, ultimately, readers reward substance. And dressing your dog in clothes seems as substantial as a bowl of Cool Whip for dinner. Dog lovers want magazines that celebrate their love of animals without baubles, bangles and beads.

Magazines respecting the intelligence of the canine connoisseur include The Bark, Modern Dog and Urban Dog. Dog Lady reads these with pleasure. Also, a new Web publication, www.housepetmagazine.com, looks very helpful. Already, Dog Lady learned that feeding my darling tomatoes or onions is not a good thing. Much healthier than propagating the notion of dogs as fluffball fashionistas.

Posted by Dog Lady at October 15, 2004 05:18 PM