Some weeks ago, a gauntlet was thrown down by the estimable KatDoc, a woman of many and strong opinions, bolstered by her built-in white-coated authority as a Veterinarian, a Woman of Medicine. Yea, even though I hold veterinarians in higher esteem than human physicians, I quailed not.
Her words:
"Dogs in clothes - just so - so ...
WRONG!
Sorry, but I am an anti-clothes person when it comes to canines. Just never saw the cute in it."
~Kathi, ducking and running for cover from all the things being thrown at her by the haute-dog-couture set
There followed a peppery response from Mether, to the effect that it takes a Boston terrier to pull off a polo shirt, and nobody would want to dress up an ol' Rottweiler (Kathi's chosen breed) anyway.
It was all in good fun, and though she tries and tries, KatDoc has never managed to offend me. I resolved to torture her with some Dogs in Togs. And so I bring you Chet Baker, Fearless Deer Hunter and Polo Shirt Model.
No dog enjoys the act of being dressed, but Chet submits quietly.
He's still a bit ambivalent, but a turned-up collar gets him the attention he loves.
He turns to give Daddeh a toddler hug
followed by an exuberant kiss.
He settles back down, but from his elevated perch, notices a white-tailed deer in the meadow.
He lights out after it, and the doe stands stock-still, agog at what she must think is a two-year-old human child tearing like a red, white and blue streak toward her. He's hidden by the goldenrod here, but he's as close as he's ever gotten to a deer before she finally bounds off, doubtless still wondering what sort of little centaur child is after her.
If I had not had this shirt on I would have caught that deer.
I know I would have caught her.
One of these days I am going to catch a deer and bring it home for you to cook. You dress me up like a child but I am a hunter inside, a very good hunter.
Yes you are, Chet Baker, and your dignity is not diminished in the least by your fabulous polo shirt. You are fierce, and you are working that shirt for all you've got.
And somewhere, a deer is snorting quietly.
22 comments:
Ralph Lauren... eat your heart out!
There is such a book here....a best seller for certain!
Lovin' Baker in a polo shirt. My Ruby is cold all the time in the winter but she finds clothing to be deeply offensive. She refuses to move when dressed. She simply stands still and won't move. She needs to know Baker. :)
I think he likes it! Look how handsome he is!!! He knows it!
What Katdoc might have forgotten is that Boston Terriers have bald bellies. No undercoat, either, like the labs and rotties. Every Boston should have at least one polo shirt and sweater in their little doggeh closet.
I do agree that you have a best seller to make. It's all right here - Dec. 05 to present.
I would definitely buy a book full of Chet Baker doggeh fashions. He is rockin' that polo! I think KatDoc is jealous - no one wears clothes like Chet.
Beth
(doing her Charlie Brown scream...)
AARRGGHH!!!!!!!!
Being anti-dogs-in-clothes is not a veterinary thing, it is a dog person thing. I happen to think that too many people try to turn their dogs into children, by giving them human names, buying them too many toys, dressing them in clothes, and referring to themselves as the dog's parent.
I, personally, am only guilty of 3 out the 4, with dog clothes being my line in the sand. Wait - do bandannas count as clothes? OK, OK, I am guilty of all four.
~Kathi, dog Mom to Holly and Grace, her child substitutes, who need new hedgehogs for Christmas
PS: Of all the dogs I have ever seen in clothes, Chet Baker is the most stylish, the coolest, the best dressed little doggeh I have ever had the privilege to be French-kissed by
~K, honored to have a post dedicated to her, and devising new ways to torture Zick
Hi there...i enjoyed your stories and could not help reading about your voodoo lily as I just received one in the mail around the size of an orange....i am zone 6 also and would like to know how deep to plant this or how much actual soil should be on top of it....also how much mulch...thnak in advance for your help...ideliver4you@hotmail.com
hi there love your stories....was wondering how deep or how much soli and mulch you have above the tops of your voodoo lilies?...i just received one in the mail and would like to get it planted...its the size of a grapefruit
thanks in advance
Don
ideliver4you@hotmail.com
Bring it, Julie!
I would like to interject that every time my dogs come home from a boarding visit at KATHI'S office, they are wearing bandanas. I never ask for them to be bathed, so this is just SOMEONE at the office thinking that it's cute.
Humph. So there.
Lol!
Well, I don't dress my dog up either but in utilitarian desperation at leaving Meira SOME skin on her nipples, I did sink to borrowing a diaper shirt.
It kept the kittens off her, but no one was happy about it.
I should mention Meira is a spayed American Cocker. The kittens, being orphans, were not aware that when milk does not flow forth then sometimes skin cells do. Poor thing was just raw but she loved nursing her babies so much.
She is quite miffed that this new set of kittens (who are here with a mother) have no interest in her nipples. She goes and lays down in front of them and tries to kick them into position but to no avail.
Got one on the line, too big to throw back. Ah, Katdoc, it's good to be home.
Your comments about the book will be collected and sent to my agent, who may at one time or another have possibly pooh-poohed my Chetbook idea. Heh. Heh. Heh.
No, he's never saved anyone from a fire, nor was he a pathetic rescue nursed back to vibrant health, nor could he ever be called "The World's Worst Dog," but where there is Chet Baker, there is life and love and quite possibly a book.
KatDoc, the dogtog posts will continue...you're a good sport.
Oh my Julie--I am laughing my eyes out! And then I read Bev's comment.
Well, thanks for a merry Thanksgiving morning.
Thank you--too--Chet Baker for being so forebearing with your humans.
Bev, I love Meira already. Poor girl! At least she gets to mother something now and then. Chet Baker is a lousy daddeh to his stuffed Boston terriers, as you may remember...
Mary, a point well taken. I remember being shocked the first time I met Chet's beautiful mother Chili Bean, and saw her underside. I thought, "Surely Chet will have more hair than that on his belly when he grows up!" Nope. Practically naked. No wonder he wants RIGHT BACK IN on frosty mornings.
Sweaters are de riguer for our woodswalks.
Liza, Bacon's acceptance of clothes is probably due to the fact that, at Jane's recommendation, we started putting tube socks on him as tiny sweaters when we got him in February '06. He loved being warm, and he wore those socks until they looked like sausage casings, and he was big enough to graduate to real sweaters. They were awfully cute, but their primary function was to keep him warm.
Sure do enjoy talking to all of y'all who aren't busy spatchcocking their turkeys this morning...a new word I learned from my sister! Aieeeee! Yeah, go look it up.
Well, I still think it's a rugby shirt. I like the scooped finish in the -ahem- lower belly area. I recall a stream-of-consciousness post on the ferret-like scent of a Boston in a pee-soaked tee shirt ...
I'm just glad Chet won't grow to be much bigger than he is now, or he'd be wearing MY stylish shirts. Not cool.
My line in the sand (a la KatDoc): I'M the only one that gets to pee on my shirts.
Cute pooch but I gotta agree with the vet. I live in Ontario and share space with a young Jack Russell. He drives me crazy with his pent-up energy unless we take LONG walks twice a day - in any weather.
I feared I'd have to break down and get him a sweater or something on those -20C days but he's a trooper.
I wear one though.
I have enjoyed the post as well as the comments. I have no opinion about dogs in togs, so long as the owners recognize they are dressing the dog for their own enjoyment, and not for the dog's.
I must admit that the pee-on-the-shirt thing would be problematic for me. Perhaps some underpants would also be in order.
Chet Baker can go deer hunting with me any day!
I can barely breathe! A Boston Terrier love AND a Watercolorist! Are you my missing twin! Love your Chet in his sporty little T. Adorable. He doesn't have to hunt; he just needs to look like he is.
that is a fabulous polo dogshirt! Mr Chet Baker looks so very sporty in it.
Dunno about the ban on Rotts-in-clothes, but you can view a couple of Mr Baker's "cousins" (American pit bull terriers) doing the clothes thing at this blog:
http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/
My BT, Pepito, is an anti-clothes-wearing Boston Terrier. He appears to feel that clothes-wearing makes him appear less capable. I have reconciled myself to his handsome nekkidness, but I do wish I could get him to wear boots. In Ohio's ice storm of last night, he fell off the stairs coming in from his night-time whizz. This morning he hasn't wanted to go out at all. I see his point and have decided not to be mad about the fact that he took his morning poop on the basement floor.
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