THE CULT OF TOY DOGS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 59, 18 June 1910, Page 9

THE CULT OF TOY DOGS

COSTLY PETS OF SOCIETY WOMEN IN ENGLAND. The cult of the dog is the craze of the moment in London society, and a Pom or a Griffon is 'the most highly treasured toy which my lady can possess* What is more, the craze has become nothing short of an obeisance with hundreds 'of women, who, following the example set bj Queen Alexandra, who is a genuine lover of these charming pets, have cultivated the craze for tiny toy-dogs until it has reached the height of extravagant absurdity and folly. For my lady of to-day does nothing by halves. Her worship of her latest toy demonstrates the heights of silly devotion which, she can achieve. In the first place, to become a pet at all, a dog must (be of the proportions of an exaggerated insect, and grotesque at that. The smaller the dog, the greater its value as a lady's plaything —such animals liter? 11 v representing their weight i; 1. gold. Only a short time ago a tinyi Brabancon was sold in Paris for its own weight in franc pieces; but even this, was excelle-' by the price of £2OO given for a tiny Papillon by an American heiress possessed of more money than sense; while as to the grotesque appearance of such animals, this is best emphasised by the authentic conversation overheard at a recent kennel show when one fair enthusiast meeting a friend went up to her, and, patting the furry head that was peeping from under her arm, gushed forth: ''Oh, the too sweet; doggie—what a dear—and what a priceless specimen— I do envy you your pet." As she passed on, the owner of the treasure pulled at the furry head which had a long fur stole attached to it! "This is what she took for my latest doggie," she explained to her escort, who, being a man and no lover or freak animals, grunted out that there was little enough to choose between the made-up head' and the real specimens that were carried by every other woman at the show.

The extravagances connected with these new society .pets, however, by no means stop at price or appearance. The modern woman with her passion for exaggeration knows no limit to the absurdities which sh.e practises where her toy dog is concerned. Day in and day out, one hears of pampered pets who have lost all their meals with their mistresses and who ave made to sit up to table on a satin cushion in order that they may partake of their speciallycooked mutton chop, which is served on a silver dish and eaten off a special silver plate; while one well-known Society woman boasts that her devotion to her pet is such that she habitually carries a bottle of Aippolmaris water qibojit with her lest her dog should gest thirsty and' drimk contaminated water!

But perhaps the height of absurdity connected with the cult of ipet dogs is reached 1 when one hears of gentlewomen in reduced circumstances getting a living by fulfilling the duties of a kind of ken-nel-maid, and' who not only take pet dogs out for their morning stroll, ibut who have to bathe, comb and cui*l these darlings of .the boudoir, .brush their teeth and scent them with the particular scent affected by their mistresses, as well as ha vine to look after their elaborate wardrobe of coats and motor outfits, without which the dog of fashion is hopelessly ■'demode. - ' To be thoroughly up-to-date, the cherished pet must boast of an outfit as elaborate as .that of a modern bride. This includes everything from jewellery to motor goggles. Bracelets for dogs are, indeed, no longer a novelty; in many cases they are very elaborate, set with gems or made of plain gold. These, however, are by no means as necessary as the new dog's motor goggles, worn to, .protest the eyes from dust and wind, and set into neat metal frames which are fastened behind the ears.

Boots are also looked upon as a necessity rather than a luxury for pet dogs, their mistresses counting it advantaIgeous for the carpets that Fido should wear them in muddy weather, and toys though they undoubtedly are, such boots are costly additions to a dog's wardrobe, as they are made of the finest leather most skilfully sewn together. 1 •In addition to such clothes, it is incumbent upon the smart dog to appealdaily in a fresh ribbon for indoor wear, but all such ribbons must harmonise with the varying occasions upon which they are worn. One. hour sees "Sir Fido" decoratedwith a pink bow to match his mistress' bedroom; the next he appears in a blue one that harmonises with the" boudoir, a; heliotrope 'bow represents his appreciation of Lent; a black or white ribbon (puts him into mourning; while out walking his coat and his bow must be of a necessity match his mistress' visiting toilette. For the pet dog of to-day goes everywhere his mistress goes—if rumor is to be believed, in a great many cases he has his own visiting'cards, which are encased in the daintiest of card-cases suitably engraved with monogram, cypher or crest. . One.fair beauty, a favorite in society, makes no secret of the fact that she never dreams of accepting any invitation that does not include one for ''Mademoiselle Julie," her pet Griffon for the moment. Indeed, such a nuisance have toy doss become in several of the West End theatres that many managers have been forced to issue notices that pet dogs are no longer admitted to the stalls and the boxes.

This-.reminds one of the story of C. 8. Calverley, who, when the authorities at Cambridge would not let him bring his pet dog'into the college he pointed severely to the inexorable rule of "dogs not admitted." and went away sadly but thoughtfully. Tire next day, however, a cow was found grazing peacefully in the college quad. In answer to the furious dean> the porter explained "that the cow belonged to Mr. Calverley, who had argued that this was not a dog and that there was absolutely no rule -prohibiting pet cows being admitted to the college grounds."