Dr Harry Cooper 16th July--mini Rant Video Added

[Brennan's Mum]

I just watched the pet segment on Better Homes And Gardens. Tonights episode saw Dr Harry talking about ''Handbag dogs''. He focused on the purebreds-Maltese, Chihuahua etc. My rant is not against dogs in handbags (not this time lol) but it is about how Dr Harry finished the segment. His words to finish the segment were how ''Toy dogs were not just for the rich and famous'' and how these ''handbag dogs are the perfect accessory''. That's what has got me annoyed-- the word ''accessory'' dogs are not accessories--they are living creatures and are for life. Accessories are things like shoes and handbags, earrings etc.,..things which are often shoved to the back of the wardrobe once no longer in fashion, or donated to the Salvo's etc....

Didn't help that he opened the segment by mentioning how Paris Hilton has ''handbag'' pets

Some one please tell me I am not crazy for finding this whole thing irritating and in poor taste?

Edited July 16, 2010 by Brennan's Mum

[yarracully]

Didn't see the show myself. Don't go in for lifestyle or reality TV personally. But if as you say it was said ( and I have no reason to doubt you) then I too would be annoyed. Its statements like these from Dr H and Mr D Burke that do a lot of damage which is never corrected.

I did see on Bondi Vet last night (the only time I have watched the show but it was raining here) the Pug owner who let his dog mate and have a litter of pups only to admit it was not a wise thing to do. Pity they all didn't think ahead first rather than create more problems.

From your summary of the segment its not hard to see why there are so many dogs being dumped if they are being treated as an accessory. A situation that in a few years will get worse for these breeds when the fashion moves to something else, as fashions always do.

No I don't think you are crazy and I also don't think you are alone in finding it irritating and in bad taste.

[Flye]

I did see on Bondi Vet last night (the only time I have watched the show but it was raining here) the Pug owner who let his dog mate and have a litter of pups only to admit it was not a wise thing to do. Pity they all didn't think ahead first rather than create more problems.

Argh, this pissed me off every time I saw the ad.

[Brennan's Mum]

I normally have it on as background noise whilst I am online, it's either that, whatver is on channel 9 or Masterchief which I hate...

Here it is as seen on the episode on catch up tv...( you have to sit through a 30 second advert. Even in the ''coming up on the episode'' speech they describe the dogs as ''the latest fashion accessories''

The segment in question is at the 6 minute 24 second mark of the show..

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/better-homes-...-16-episode-24/

He really is making them sound like toys.....argh...just because they are a ''toy'' breed does not mean they are toys....

[ncarter]

I hated how he said the words "handbag dogs" about 6 times. But hey at least he promoted the Maltese breed. And I think that is important as pure bred Maltese dogs seem to be outnumbered by Maltese X Shit Tzu's by about 50:1.

[Brennan's Mum]

I hated how he said the words "handbag dogs" about 6 times. But hey at least he promoted the Maltese breed. And I think that is important as pure bred Maltese dogs seem to be outnumbered by Maltese X Shit Tzu's by about 50:1.

Tell me about it . My Mum owns a Maltese- Shih Tzu ( gorgeous dog and I love her to pieces). Mum got her from a (to quote my Mum) ''responsible and respectable breeder'' ie the mother of one of her former students who breeds DDs

My Dad and his wife have 2 Maltese-Shih Tzu's that they got from....Pet's Paradise

Still....at least I have managed to convince my Mum that she can get her next dog from the Animal Welfare League, ( as opposed to the 'cute little puppy in the pet store'). It was not easy--I ended up telling her that if she got a pet store puppy I would not speak to her Lucky for me--she eventually listened. I have since promised to go with her to the AWL to help her choose the right dog for her home.

[Aussienot]

So many people disrespect tiny dogs and the media perpetuates this stereotype. There is a mini longhair chihuahua puppy coming to dog day care. The owner attended puppy preschool, will be starting obedience training next month. She wants her dog to be well socialised with other dogs and have positive people experiences. The dog walks with it's own feet rather than being carried.

How refreshing - She is treating her toy dog like a real dog, and I think this is fantastic. I wish this type of owner was the norm, rather than the "handbag"owners.

[stormie]

So many people disrespect tiny dogs and the media perpetuates this stereotype. There is a mini longhair chihuahua puppy coming to dog day care. The owner attended puppy preschool, will be starting obedience training next month. She wants her dog to be well socialised with other dogs and have positive people experiences. The dog walks with it's own feet rather than being carried.

How refreshing - She is treating her toy dog like a real dog, and I think this is fantastic. I wish this type of owner was the norm, rather than the "handbag"owners.

Isn't it great when you see this. We saw a family with a Mini Schnauzer this week and they are very keen to socialise the puppy and have her be a well balanced family member. They were very insistent that their child not carry the puppy around the house everywhere and explained to the child that it was a dog with its own legs and she is to walk herself.

[Furkidsforever]

So many people disrespect tiny dogs and the media perpetuates this stereotype. There is a mini longhair chihuahua puppy coming to dog day care. The owner attended puppy preschool, will be starting obedience training next month. She wants her dog to be well socialised with other dogs and have positive people experiences. The dog walks with it's own feet rather than being carried.

How refreshing - She is treating her toy dog like a real dog, and I think this is fantastic. I wish this type of owner was the norm, rather than the "handbag"owners.

Now to put the other side of the picture. In my opinion, if a dog is carried around in a doggy "handbag" then it is receiving lots of love and attention. How do those against this know how these little dogs are treated at home? One could presume they are quite spoilt and probably have more attention and cared for as much if not more so than a whole heap of other dogs who aren't carried around in handbags. There was no inference that these little ones don't get "walkies" or socialisation

So .... is carrying your little dog around in a handbag any different than walking your dog on a lead when you are out and about?

I can certainly say that each and every one of my little yorkie kids would love to be carried around in a doggy bag - the closer to me the better !!

[Brennan's Mum]

So many people disrespect tiny dogs and the media perpetuates this stereotype. There is a mini longhair chihuahua puppy coming to dog day care. The owner attended puppy preschool, will be starting obedience training next month. She wants her dog to be well socialised with other dogs and have positive people experiences. The dog walks with it's own feet rather than being carried.

How refreshing - She is treating her toy dog like a real dog, and I think this is fantastic. I wish this type of owner was the norm, rather than the "handbag"owners.

Now to put the other side of the picture. In my opinion, if a dog is carried around in a doggy "handbag" then it is receiving lots of love and attention. How do those against this know how these little dogs are treated at home? One could presume they are quite spoilt and probably have more attention and cared for as much if not more so than a whole heap of other dogs who aren't carried around in handbags. There was no inference that these little ones don't get "walkies" or socialisation

So .... is carrying your little dog around in a handbag any different than walking your dog on a lead when you are out and about?

I can certainly say that each and every one of my little yorkie kids would love to be carried around in a doggy bag - the closer to me the better !!

Personally, the actual carrying of the dog in the hand bag is not as big of an issue as the whole mentioning the dogs as accessories. Whilst I prefer the idea that a fit and healthy dog of all sizes can enjoy walking as opposed to the handbag, there are variables we may not know. I have heard of people whose dogs are aging or disabled and they use the carrier bag, or a trailer ( like the bike doggy trailers) to allow the dog to be taken for some fresh air in a different environment. I knew of someone whose 12 year old GSD had lost a leg so she made up a dog trailer similar to a low lying pram and would push the dog for it's walk. So in that respect I feel that we may not always know the reason the dog is not actually walking whilst out in public.

[spottychick]

I agree this is not a good look from Dr Harry - who people admire and respect. It effects attitudes towards pet ownership of all dogs, tho especially small ones. He should know better.

[HeavyPaws]

Harry was my legend when I was a little girl, he was my idol and I wanted to be just like him. I met him at the Royal Melbourne when I was 10, I told him I wanted to be a vet and he told me that if I loved animals and I worked very hard, I could be the best vet in the world and he looked forward to working with me.

Those words made my entire year.

so it crushes me to hear that he's done so much bad promoting over the years, and whenever I hear anything new against him I inwardly cringe.

[Souff]

Dr Harry is a product of the entertainment business ..... sigh ..... not that talking about dogs in handbags is entertaining.

Souff