According to the NY Times, the generation that created the gifted and talented kid has also created the gifted and talented dog. And while children rebel against expectations by doing drugs, joining bands, and making unflattering family-centered documentaries, dogs react differently.
Ms. Arden said small dogs present a different kind of trouble, which she calls small dog syndrome. Many owners (especially those who think of themselves as parents) treat their Yorkies and Chihuahuas like babies, she explained, and this leads to spoiling. Owners often fail to discipline small dogs when they relieve themselves on the carpet, for example. "Because it was just a couple of drops, owners wipe it up and say, 'Oh he just didn't want to go outside and get his little feet all wet,' " Ms. Arden said. If it was a Lab, she added, the owners wouldn't say the same.Above: a photo I've had lying around for a while of a pair of Maltese in a Kolcraft stroller their mommy found on the street. Their mommy also referred to herself in the third person a lot when we stopped her to take her babies' picture.
Apologize if this message echoes the article (NYT not free on line) but did you know that there is a whole line of strollers for animals?
Sad, really sad.
[I did know that, in fact. The ones advertised in SkyMall are just the tip of the pet stroller iceberg. -ed.]