 Too Good to Let Go
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Dec. 24, 2003 — Here are a few of the gifts a pampered pooch with a doting owner is likely to find under the tree this year: a silver bowl signed by Gucci, a collar and leash signed by Louis Vuitton, a vial of "Oh My Dog" perfume or a 725 euro ($900) leather cushion.
With eight million pet dogs in France alone, this is a promising business, and even some of the best-known luxury brands have begun catering to canines.
The Gucci silver dog bowl costs up to 1,500 euros, while Vuitton offers a matching bag, leash and collar set for 1,300 euros.
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Dogs have their own ready-to-wear collections, accessories and even a line of cosmetics.
Dog Generation, one of the first companies to exploit the canine market, launched the first luxury pooch perfume in 2000 and now has annual sales of three million euros with 80 percent of its production going for export.
Laurent Jugeau, one of the three founders of the company, estimates the total global market for products aimed at animals at more than $50 billion.
The United States is the biggest market with 58 million dogs, Jugeau said, 60 percent of which he estimates will receive at least one gift this holiday season.
The pets department at the BHV department store in Paris does 20 percent more business in December than in other months.
"We sell mostly toys, nibbles, bowls and cushions," a sales assistant said.
France is not the only country where the meaning of a dog's life is being redefined.
In Australia, a new line of water flavored with bacon, liver or vegetables has just gone on sale.
And in Japan, the Mitsukoshi department store is selling luxury dog dinners specially prepared for seasonal parties. For the equivalent of a mere 140 euros, man's best friend can wolf down a dish containing 30 traditional culinary specialties, including black beans, pork balls and a concoction of green tea and raspberries.
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