Attention seeking pet owners

For those men who wish to appear tough and dominant, their dog is required to wear certain accoutrements such as a thick leather collar with luminous spikey studs or a spike colour grabbing chunks of skin at a walk on leash. In the US certain dogs that fit in to the image of macho and require castration can be practically compensated by the application of neuticles which are silicone implants inserted into the scrotum after the veterinarian has completed the operation.

With these replacement testicles the brute of an owner can still patrol the streets with pride and confidence.

A further addition to the fashion and image statement is an applicable name. Most large breed dogs will be named according to their intended objective such as Slugger, Attila, Rocky, Killer, Bull, Tiger and Tyson, to name a few. In the US some breeders rent out their brute dogs for short-term fashion statements to young men who want to appear tough, especially for the purpose of impressing women, peers and the neighbourhood. These dogs are very well trained to walk on a lead and just look mean to the unwary.

Any pet dog selected for its fashionable appearance and public impression is not a dog chosen for companionship as it is merely an object with particular benefits for the person concerned. The image is enough to earn its keep, like an animal employee. How common is it for people to select particular dogs as part of their desire to manipulate the impression that others have of them, consciously or subconsciously?

It may very well be more common than most people would like to admit.

A dog breed itself can become an attention-seeking tool. When a lady walks around with her Chinese Crested Dog, Mexican Hairless or Powder-Puff Yorkshire Terrier she will turn heads at every corner. In these moments of magnetism the dog pays for itself. This type of owner loves her dogs as much as the public enjoy looking at them and questioning her as to what breed may it be. This synergistic emotion of image repetitively reinforces her desire to be different, appear often in public and can never get enough of the fashion statement.

The same experiences are enjoyed by people who own Devon Rex, Cornish Rex or Sphinx cats. Most people who know nothing about the unusual feline breeds are in awe of their looks and are amazed that these creatures actually exist and can be kept as pets. Any person in the public domain walking with a Hungarian Puli, Australian Shepherd Dog or Shiba Inu is bound to be stopped, asked what breed it is, curious as to its purity, its origin and some interesting aspects of its existence.

Pet owners love the feeling and cross-examination not only for the attention and image aspect but, as we all know, dog owners can never stop talking about their own animals.

If I ever reach a stage of loneliness and claustrophobia, craving company I will possibly take my Pharaoh Hound and Komondor for a walk in the public domain and hopefully make some meaningful acquaintances.