August 8, 2024

"My concern is this is instrumentalizing the dog. This is not giving the dog any choice in the matter."

"If your dog wants to rub itself in coyote scat or fox scat, that’s the dog’s choice. But if it gets a spray of Dolce & Gabbana on it, that is not its choice. We need to be far more respectful of dogs and their wishes."

Said Daniel Mills, a professor of veterinary behavioral medicine, quoted in "Dolce & Gabbana Has New Dog Perfume. Veterinarians Turn Up Their Noses. An extravagant scent might seem like the height of pampering for your pup. But veterinarians are raising red flags: 'Overall, it’s a very bad idea'" (NYT).

74 comments:

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Fashion icons are mostly money grubbing jerks. anything for a buck

wild chicken said...

More dog nuttery...

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The same morons who force their pets to wear costumes - will spray them with perfume. Animal abuse.

Mike Petrik said...

Yep. Our country has become pet-obsessed, treating animals like family members and valuing them more than unborn humans. Plant life is next, just wait!

Tom T. said...

Bathing the dog isn't its own choice either. Neither is training more generally, yet we still do it. Indeed, dogs are pack animals. They want to be led.

Narr said...

This morning I rousted the old dackel from a 12-hour snooze only to find that he had wet the bed. We're trying to convince ourselves that it's a one-off, since he usually gets up to pee when I do or vice-versa, but he slept in this time.



MadisonMan said...

I figure if we put that on our dog, she'd find something smelly to roll in.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Dogs also have these appendages with which they can self-propel. So there is no need, and in fact they might be better off if you refrain from, carrying them everywhere you go.

Someone had to say it.

gilbar said...

dog perfume Sounds COOL!
You know what would go GREAT with dog perfume?
Chopping off your dog's tail.. and its ears! and its front paws!!!
Treat you pet like you'd treat your Child!! Mutilate it!!!

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

"If your dog wants to rub itself in coyote scat or fox scat, that’s the dog’s choice. But if it gets a spray of Dolce & Gabbana on it, that is not its choice. We need to be far more respectful of dogs and their wishes."

Where in Hell is the kind of person who'd spray their dog with D&G dog perfume ever going to be that their dog might roll around in fox or coyote shit?

Narr said...

The worst thing about the nested replies is that I can't quickly see the timestamps of comments, but have to scroll thru looking for replies to specific comments.

mikee said...

My dog once irritated a skunk and there was nothing that removed the smell, peroxide washes and various anti-scent shampoos did nothing. He was kept outside for 3 weeks until the heavily-washed scent finally left him. And over his 17 years of life that wasn't the worst he did. Eating cat poo from the litter box was far, far more gross. Stinky and vile though he sometimes was, he was 100% loving and I'd let him prance with a dozen skunks to have him back.

Dixcus said...

The BBC has had another quite embarassing episode with its "talent." Their "croc expert" was sentenced yesterday to 10 years, having been caught raping his dogs and filming the adventures for online distribution. Let's not expand the whole alphabet people situation by selling dog perfurme, mkay?

CJinPA said...

HA. I expected the objection to be 'Dogs are very sensitive to scent and covering it with an unnatural scent will be confusing and maybe distressing.'

Not, 'You're disrespecting its autonomy!'

Yancey Ward said...

I doubt the dogs are clamoring to get neutered either.

tim maguire said...

There are reasons not to put perfume on your dog, but dog’s choice isn’t one of them. What a stupid thing to be concerned about.

Somebody needs to tell this vet that dogs aren’t people.

Kevin said...

In the future, rich childless people will get their pets into Harvard.

traditionalguy said...

Guess what the high end Baby Boomers literally will pay any exorbitant price for. It’s their pet dog.

They also want trusts in their wills for them. When your kids are gone and Church attendance is gone who gets the money spent on them? THE DOG DOES. It’s crazy love.

Randomizer said...

Dog shampoo is scented, and nobody bitches about that because a dog may choose to rub itself in coyote scat or fox scat. House dogs lose some of their agency by living in the house.

I wouldn't use dog cologne for my beagle because he considers himself to be a manly dog, but the 'experts' are making too much of this.

PM said...

"I can smell a taco 12 miles away, so thanks for spraying this crap on me, asshole." Sincerely, Mitzy

Skeptical Voter said...

You live in the brushlines in the hills on Los Angeles, your dog can find coyote, bobcat, mountain lion or bear scat. Easy peasy. And boy have my dogs loved to roll in it over the years. The carcass of a dead ground squirrel will do in a pinch. The stinkier the better. The good news is that I live high enough on the hill that there's no water for skunks (about 300 feet lower down the hill there are a lot of skunks). So I've never had to do the tomato juice bath to get rid of skunk spray.

Megaera3 said...

From experience I recommend checking any supplements he's getting to see if they contain MSM or sulfur in any form. Mind you, there's no apparent harm in MSM (typical remedy for arthritic pain) and it actually helps, but a little known side effect is that in some dogs it causes urinary incontinence, especially if given regularly and over time. I've noticed this in a male Lab and a female GSD, while other dogs getting the same MSM supplement show no signs of the problem.

Leslie Graves said...

The NYT article misses the reality that dogs have been subjected to smell-altering procedures from humans for years (aka baths, many of which are administered at veterinary practices) and dogs are exceptionally good at immediately defying the results of the smell-altering procedure. Humans don't really need to worry about dogs no longer being able to navigate their smell environment.

Megthered said...

My dogs dragged home a deer leg. They were covered on mud and yuck and were highly pissed that i wouldn't let them bring it into the house. The deer leg stayed outside while we hosed them down outside. My husband disposed of the leg while the dogs were inside the house having their dinner.

Narr said...

Thankee, Megaera3. I'll look into it.

MayBee said...

How are people getting back to Althouse’s main page after coming to the comments page? Clicking Althouse at the top doesn’t do anything any more

reader said...

Our dogs (Labradors) love to roll in and eat horse apples. We always have to swing wide on the trail when passing fresh piles. Also, I don’t think our local coyote pack likes our dogs. We get coyote poop on our deck and it’s a race to see who gets to it first.

Our friends swear by T/Gel for skunk smell. I haven’t had to try it yet but I have a bottle tucked back in the cupboard for middle of the night emergencies. The baking soda/peroxide recipe works well enough to allow the dogs in the house but not enough for cuddling.

walter said...

Then there's the peanut butter issue..

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I've used tomato juice, which actually does a good job in these cases. It takes a lot to wash a decent-sized dog with it but worth it.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I dragged a link to Althouse main page at the top of my browser. This format is awful on my phone though.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

So if you spray D&G dog perfume on the ground and the dogs choose to roll in it, it's ok because it's their idea. Now I wonder if it's environmentally safe to spray on the ground, on grass, near storm drains...

Todd said...

We live in SUCH an age of plenty and of tranquility that *sshats have the spare time to ruminate on [absolute] garbage like this. "your dog must have agency!". F*ck you. It is MY damn dog. Bought and paid for, cared for (better than a lot of peoples actual kids), eats damn well, has free medical, gets really good treats, regular belly rubs, and gets to sleep in the our bed. If the wife wants to spray the dog with perfume that is what she is going to do.

It is stupid shit like that that demonstrates how easy most folks have it. If he had a "real job" he would not have time for this crap. The worst part of this is you just know he makes more than someone at Starbucks whereas the kid at Starbucks provides better value for the money spent.

Todd said...

I guess we should not have assist dogs either since the dogs don't give informed consent to go through all the training...

Jamie said...

My thought as well! It's like making a human wear a welding mask all the time.

Jamie said...

What an interesting comment thread! I was expecting more "Dog perfume is stupid" than I'm seeing. I did expect, and I agree with, the "Dogs already don't have agency in that they are domesticated animals." I'm happy to have my dog smell dog-neutral; I do try to get her to avoid scat and dead things because her favorite sleeping spot is more or less my pillow.

rhhardin said...

Dogs are more into cooperation and work. VIcki Hearne on what's wrong with "Animal Rights."

loudogblog said...

I don't think this should be a debate about dogs having a say in the matter as much as it should be a discussion about why spraying a dog with perfume sounds like a really bad idea. Their sense of smell is so heightened that it's probably very unpleasant for them.

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Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Just wait until the NYT and the veterinarian hear about neutering and spaying pets. They'll really be pissed about not respecting the animals' personal integrity. Anyone embarrassed to admit they read such swill?

n.n said...

Also, Planned Poochhood.

Bob Boyd said...

Is the dog fixed? Reason I ask, dogs have wet dreams. Maybe it wasn't urine. We've all seen dogs run in their sleep. Did you ever wonder who they're chasing? Now you know.

BG said...

Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover. Used it on our outside dog (RIP, Maggie) when she tangled with a skunk. Worked really well. She was smart enough to avoid them afterwards so I still have a full bottle. The dog we have now is an inside dog and I keep a pretty close eye on him. Except a couple of times now he’s found hidden spots to roll in. Bath time. Even city dogs adapt to life in the country.

BG said...

I love watching border collies and heelers. They live for work.

walter said...

Ask William Wegman

BG said...

Our lab would probably go nuts if we sprayed him with perfume junk. His nose is in constant use, inside and outside the house. The minute I put a little cologne on he gives me the stink eye and then pouts, because he knows I'm going "away." Come to think of it, I probably wouldn't be able to tolerate a perfumy dog all day long.

MadTownGuy said...

Isn't the dog already 'instrumentalized' by being your pet, companion animal, familiar spirit or whatever? If you feel that way, set Fifi free!

Robin Goodfellow said...

The cat poops delicious candy in a box of pee-flavored sprinkles!

Jupiter said...

" ... a professor of veterinary behavioral medicine ..."
We're paying for this idiot.

PM said...

The best.
Have a 3/4" cassette of his late '70s show at LACMA and no place to play it.

Iman said...

Paco Rabanne! por las chihuahuas

Narr said...

Bob, the little guy was de-nutted at a very early age, even before our friends who fostered him for two years got him. He's the sweetest dog we've ever had--probably some connection.

walter said...

Pun intended?

Aggie said...

One of my dogs did this, too. It had a real 'Tales from the Crypt' appearance to it, too, plus the aroma. She was highly offended that I wouldn't share it with her.

Steve said...

Check for a UTI as well. Hope all ends well.

Mutaman said...

And Trump hates dogs.

Iman said...

And Muttman takes offense.

Bob Boyd said...

Obama loves dogs...for dinner.

Paddy O said...

Is instrumentalizing the right word?

Mike Petrik said...

With mascot scholarships.

pacwest said...

Tomato juice is the best skunk deodorizer I've found.

FullMoon said...

Megthered said...

My dogs dragged home a deer leg.


Hey, we bin lookin' all over for that leg

The Godfather said...

"I'd let him prance with a dozen skunks to have him back" Thanks for that, Mikee. You're my kind of dog person!

Chris-2-4 said...

MJB Wolf, your disregard for the autonomy of the ground is noted and you will be receiving a two-minute hate shortly.

Narr said...

Will do, Steve. Thanks for all the comments.

boatbuilder said...

Another lie. Trump says he wouldn't have time for a dog. Which is absolutely true.
You would know that if you ever cared for a dog.
Do you really think the Biden's "love" those abused German Shepards that bite the Secret Service agents?

boatbuilder said...

Giving a dog a choice is about the worst thing you can do. Dogs want you, the pack leader, to tell them what to do, so they don't get confused.
But if you have ever been in an elevator with someone with way too much perfume, imagine that times 100. That is why dog cologne is a bad idea. Also why most dogs will roll in the coyote shit as soon as possible after getting bathed.

Tina Trent said...

Have any of you seen a coyote? What you do is shoot a gun over their heads. I admit I can't kill an animal, maybe I'm a coward that way.

But they don't ever come back. I've done it several times. Is that so hard to understand? Though I do love the anti-coyote outfits on Curb Your Enthusiasm. But my dogs would rather be eaten by cotyotes than wear one.

Tina Trent said...

Cat feces are good for dogs. I was told this by a 90 year old vet and large animal specialist who kept a free clinic by the MLK home. He said it contained all sorts of nutrients cats don't need. His advice, like all of his other advice, has been accurate.

Experience matters.. Get over it. They are animals.

Tina Trent said...

Also, labs love bum shit.

reader said...

Our coyotes seem more skittish than scared. They run up on my lab and me on the horse trail occasionally. Our camera catches them in our front yard a few times a week (along with bobcats, opossums, raccoons, and rabbits- in order of frequency).

If we shot a gun over their head we’d scare the snot out of neighbors and would might be picked up for reckless endangerment.

Paddy O said...

I once chased a coyote barefoot through the forest. He seemed very confused about what I was doing but kept far enough ahead. I saw a coyote out my bedroom window yesterday in the afternoon. Coyotes are common around here and I'm not bothered by them. Though we don't currently have a dog, so I'm lax. We also have a bear with two cubs that likes to get into my trash once a week or so in the middle of the night. The video of them is like watching a NatGeo documentary on occasion.

We live in the mtns, a 1/4 mile from the national forest, so animals are part of the lifestyle here. I'd not put scent on my dog if I had one because he'd be made fun of by the other mtn dogs.

KellyM said...

When I was a kid we had a dog who, when she observed the hose, a bucket, and a pile of clean towels being brought out to the back yard, knew it was bath time. And she'd sit down, tail thumping wildly, and wait with pent excitement. She absolutely loved being bathed. Afterwards she'd run around like a crazy fool.

God of the Sea People said...

My dog chooses to eat her own shit sometimes, but I don’t respect her choice and actively try to deter it.

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