Someone finally understands my worth!

from the L.A. Times....

Chihuahuas top the list of most lavished dog breeds
1:18 PM, May 13, 2008

The size of a dog is apparently no indication of how much owners are willing to spend on it. Chihuahuas, the pint-size dog favored by celebutantes like Paris Hilton, topped the list of breeds that people spend the most money on, according to a study by a British insurance company. The Baltimore Sun's blog Mutts breaks it down:

Chihuahuas -- the breed favored by Paris Hilton and Britney Spears (who reportedly once treated her dog Bitbit to a $180 steak at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas) -- cost their owners about $197,000 each, much of that presumably in clothing, jewelry and other luxuries. The labrador, by comparison, has about $60,000 spent on it in the course of its life.

The study surveyed 3,000 dog owners in Great Britain and looked at the amount spent for vets, food, grooming, kennels and insurance, spread over the breed's average life expectancy. On average, the study said, a dog owner spends about $62,000 during its lifetime.

"Today's household pets are treated more like members of the family, and this attitude is reflected in the amount owners spend on their pets' lifestyle," Mike Pickard, head of pet insurance at esure, which conducted the study, tells the UK Daily Record.

The biggest expense of owning a dog, according to the study? Vet bills, followed by food and kennels.

And now, the company's list of the top 20 costliest breeds:

1. Chihuahua
2. Greyhound
3. Mastiff
4. Boxer
5. English setter
6. Doberman pinscher
7. Golden retriever
8. Poodle
9. Dalmatian
10. Great Dane
11. Whippet
12. Border collie
13. Dachshund
14. Pug
15. Bulldog
16. Beagle
17. Rhodesian ridgeback
18. Labrador
19. Spaniel
20. Jack Russell

www.caitlyns-k9.com

Apparel Gone to the Dogs

Apparel Gone to the Dogs (Impressions Magazine)

Dogs are, in fact, people too. Need proof? Consider the following: The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc. (APPMA), Greenwich, Conn., estimates that 54% of dog owners will buy their pets at least one present during the holidays, and an average of seven gifts throughout the year.
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Check out my web site for your holiday shopping - we have some really cool things and are updating our web site with new pet fashion continually. In fact, we now carry clothes for dogs up to 200 lbs. So if you need big dog clothes, stop by and see us. Of course, we can also fit a 1 lb. dog as well so check out our teacup clothing as well!

www.caitlyns-k9.com

Halloween is coming!

I'm getting excited about Halloween. I know it's still a month away, but I am having so much fun trying on all the dog costumes to see which one looks best on me. Of course my brother Milo thinks everything looks better on him, but he's a boy and I think he looks silly in the female costumes. I was thinking about being a fairy princess, as that is what I am, but we are all out of those costumes. So now I'm thinking maybe a lady bug, as am I a little lady you know. Milo is pretty handsome in the pirate's costume, but he makes a cute spider dog too. Yeah,yeah, I know, Milo looks handsome in everything...just ask him.

If you are looking for a dog costume, you should check out our costumes on www.caitlyns-k9.com. Also, we are having a great 50% off sale - over 100 items on sale. Some pretty cool stuff there too, if I do say so myself (not that I'm prejudiced or anything like that).

Spending on Pets Tops $40 Billion in 2007

I just found article and am amazed at how much is spent on pet products each year. This is from a survey done at the end of April. Absolutely mind-boggling.

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Spending On Pets To Top $40 Billion

United States pet owners will likely spend more than $40 billion in 2007 on pet-related expenses, including food, accessories, veterinary care and gifts, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, which expects to publish its 2007-2008 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey by the end of April.

The survey estimated that 15 percent of dog owners, 10 percent of cat owners, 7 percent of bird owners and 18 percent of horse owners planned to purchase a “pet-related” item in the next 12 months.

These items include pet scrapbooks (3 percent of dog and cat owners), pet portraits (8 percent of dog owners, 4 percent of cat owners, 3 percent of bird owners and 10 percent of horse owners) and other products with the pet’s picture on them (9 percent of dog owners, 6 percent of cat owners, 4 percent of bird owners and 10 percent of horse owners).

In addition, 6 percent of dog owners and 3 percent reported holding holiday or birthday parties for their pets and nearly one-half of dog and cat owners and one-third of bird owners reported buying pet-themed (no cartoons) gift merchandise, including calendars, jewelry, and T-shirts, for themselves or others.

The survey also revealed continued strength in the gift-for-pets market, with more than 70 percent of dog, cat and bird owners reporting they had bought a gift for their pet in the past 12 months.

Pet owners were most likely to give their pets a gift for no particular reason, followed closely by Christmas.

A distant third most common gift-giving occasion was the pet’s birthday. These trends held steady regardless of type of pet.

Dog owners gave the most gifts per year, with the 78 percent of dog owners who gave their dogs gifts averaging seven gifts per year. Bird owners averaged five gifts per year; cat owners, four.

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visit my pet boutique at www.caitlyns-k9.com