Is dressing a small dog like a person "animal abuse"?

[benburch]

We are getting a Dachshund, and now my wife keeps looking at little dresses and stuff!!!

[skygazer]

1. I don't know if it's abuse but it's pretty stupid if you ask me

I've never liked the idea of treating one's animals as if they were human - to me it's an insult to the animal.

I love animals. But I respect the fact that my cat is a cat and views the world as a cat does, not a person. I respect him for what he is. By instilling human traits in an animal, I think you're doing the animal a disservice.

JMO

[miss_kitty]

2. hey if the clothes fit and the animal is not distressed by it

I don't think it is abuse. Some dogs dig it. some dogs don't. Mine doesn't like her winter coat, and she was dressed up as a bee for a little pet parade a few weeks ago. When it started to warm up I let her get nekkid again.
Stella borrowed the bee outfit from a Jack Russell who has many outfits, pirate, policeman, Uncle Sam, Cinco de Mayo-and a bunch more. Chewy doesn't mind the clothes, because if she did, there'd be no way you could get clothes on her.
If Stella had been uncomfortable in the bee thing, I would not have made her wear it.

[philosophie_en_rose]

3. No. Some small dogs need clothing.

I had an older dog when I was a kid. He lost a lot of fur and had to wear a sweater. No joke.

Dressing them up as baby dolls? Not abusive. I would be very careful about the weather and the type of clothing, though. Little dogs can overheat very quickly or can catch clothing/collars/etc on stuff around them.

Safety first.

[sakabatou]

4. No... but I think it's really creepy

[Tallison]

5. Bad taste, yes...animal abuse, no. n/t

[trof]

6. Just don't go the other way

and dress a small person like a dog.
It really pisses them off.
Trust me on this.
Personal experience.
;-)

[skygazer]

8. Which reminds me of a funny story

My ex mother in law told me the story of my ex husband who, when he was about 4, decided he wanted to be a dog.

He insisted upon being fed on the floor and would go around on all fours, bark at the mailman, etc. (I don't know if he was using the bathroom or going out in the yard - didn't think to ask and don't really want to know).

Anyway, my MIL, being a pretty cool lady, just let him be and he eventually got over it but he was a dog for much of that summer. :eyes:

[trof]

10. That's funny. My grandson is now a banana.

You have to peel his clothes off in a certain way when it's time for bed.
If you get it wrong, he screeches.
Jeezus, can that kid screech.
We've had to replace 4 panes of glass in his room.

[arwalden]

7. Doggy Halloween Costumes

http://www.dogcostumeshop.com/

[philosophie_en_rose]

9. That's so adorable!!

I could never get my dogs to wear that though.

[Darth_Kitten]

11. i like the one dressed as a burger.....

:)

[peacefreak]

12. I had the pleasure of meeting William Wegman

& Batty at a signing. His dogs are very well loved & are very much into the process. It's their work. They were great at the signing. Probably petted by at least 100 kids. Had their ears pulled a couple of times by little ones. Nary a peep. After the signing, they went to the backroom & straight to the garbage! No star treatment there. When off duty, just well-loved companions & just dogs.