Doggie carrier bags in the news

We all know that chihuahuas are the smallest breed of dog and they receive a lot of mixed views in the news. Here I found a news article from last year with the heading 'Totally Barking! Vets claim craze of Paris Hilton-style handbag dogs is leaving pets stressed and BALD'.

I'm sure for those out there who have seen me you can tell I am definitely no Paris Hilton wannabe, nor did I buy my chihuahua to be like her. It would be nice if the news would drop this stereotype and stop generalising that all chihuahua owners treat their dogs like a fashion accessory. I'm pretty sure if you asked any chihuahua owner they would more likely describe their chihuahua as a member of the family.

The article states- 'The popularity of Chihuahuas was boosted by the fact they could be carried around in handbags - and a misconception that they needed little looking after.' The important thing to remember here is that chihuahuas are dogs, if you want something to carry around with you 247 get a teddy not a chihuahua. Even though Morgana is extremely clean and very tidy, she does need a lot of mental stimulation and if she needed to go to the vets I wouldn't hesitate (check out Morgana & pyometra).

I have absolutely nothing against chihuahuas being carried in doggie carrier bags, I even have a few myself. Do I use them all the time? No, but when it comes to crowded areas, needing to go to the vets when it is raining/snowing or she is poorly I would use it. Otherwise I  insist that Morgana walks as much as possible and hardly ever pick her up outside (only when crossing very busy main roads). This exercise is needed to burn off all that hyper energy she has.

It is articles and misconceptions like this that bring about the mean comments in the street from strange people who really don't have a clue which is really sad to be honest. The main points to remember are that chihuahuas are dogs, they need their daily walks and to interact. There is nothing wrong with having a doggie carrier bag as long as you don't use it all the time. I guess what it comes down to is dog owners being responsible. A responsible owner would take their dog to the vet before they even started looking like this...

Check out the full article HERE