With Dolce & Gabbana's new perfume for dogs launching this week, I'm feeling compelled to speak on why we need to make sure dogs are dogs (not humans).
Dolce & Gabbana's Fefè will set you back a whopping £83. A small price to pay for your dog to smell of Ylang , Musk, and Sandalwood surely! Their website claims the fragrance is "enjoyed by dogs" - I'd be interested to know who told them that.
When we humanise our dogs we not only do them a massive disservice, we endanger them too.
The perfume is unnecessary and likely to interfere with a dogs ability to smell - the primary sense they use to navigate the world. I was pleased to see the RSPCA commented on this idiocy too.
RSPCA senior scientific officer Alice Potter tells The Guardian "we advise that strong-scented products such as perfumes or sprays are avoided, especially as some smells can be really unpleasant for dogs.”
However there are also many other places we are seeing dangerous anthropomorphism of dogs.
Whether that's doing human activities under the guise of being for your dog (such as puppy parties) or attaching emotions and thoughts to a dog that they do not feel, humanising dogs is an epidemic that is causing widespread damage to our beloved pets.
These things would not matter if they did not affect how we treat our dogs, but they do. Owners interpreting dog behaviour as if they were human, affects the solutions they seek out and the advice that they listen to.
We are seeing more dangerously out of control dogs than ever before and anthropomorphism has a big part to play in that. "He's just being friendly" said as their dog relentlessly pesters your dog. "She isn't aggressive, she just doesn't like bicycles" said as their dog chases and attacks your bike wheels. The fundamental reasoning behind these behaviours is that these dogs don't have boundaries and have not been taught how to behave.
It is on us as the humans, to be responsible for our dogs, push our human egos aside and look at the reality of the animal we have in front of us. Dogs are dogs and that is all they ever can be. It is all they ever should be. Just as we are only ever human.
It is time we start appreciating our beloved dogs for what they are and not willing them to be something else.
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