Putting (The Clothes) On The Dog

“Don’t forget the drawing for the free box of pet food” exclaimed the announcer for the “Nose for Fashion” dog show. Nearly two hundred people, some holding their dogs, were sitting around the stage that had been erected just outside the front door of Happy Tails, which bills itself as Dallas’s premier pet boutique. Nothing is too good for a dog at Happy Tails. Thus, when this year’s canine fall fashions came out-including such things as a $70 leather coat with fake cheetah fur-the store decided to put on a fashion show.

Outside, guests sipped champagne. Inside stood the fashion models. Well, some actually rolled around on the floor and one lay down to bite his paws. One could have reasonably expected some disarray : many dogs, after all, are not accustomed to wearing such high fashion items as a $75 black lambs’ wool and red plaid dress, But there were no dog fights, and only one dog threw up a little bit. There was a slight panic when it was thought one of the dogs had gone into heat. But-thank God!-false alarm. “Our customers are very well trained,” said Happy Tails owner Pam Lappin, ’’and our owners are too.”

“This is to die for,” said a very serious Susan Vanover, a young manicurist who was scheduled to be die first owner to model fashions with her dogs. ’’My dogs have been prancing around all day. They were born to be models.” Her dogs-two Shetland sheepdogs and a chow-were wearing what announcer Bill Lappin (husband of Pam), called “striking denim dresses with crinoline ruffles.”

Next on the runway was a little white thing named Bubba, wearing “pet sweats,” some sort of aerobics wear for dogs, costing $30. Then came a Shorthair Chihuahua, wearing what was called a “black cat sweater.” The Chihuahua, not too happy, lay down flat on the ground and had to be dragged up to the stage like a fish being pulled out of water.

Things started to settle down. Something called a Weimaraner, a big dog that can look really mean when unfamiliar reporters bend down to pat it, sauntered up in lavender crystals and pearls designed just for dogs. Clementine, public relations maven Martha Tiller’s dog, arrived in a glorious white bridal gown, costing a mere $300, which the dog promptly tried to chew. And when the show was over, several people came up enthusiastically to shake the hand of twenty-five-year-old Paul Bushnell, a Dallas designer who created many of the doggie clothes.

Bushnell still has aspirations to be a famous designer for humans, but he could not resist an untapped market of fashion that probably will make him rich and famous. “Look at all this,” he said quietly. “These animals aren’t Just dogs anymore. We treat them like our children. And think about it. We can’t have our children running around without any clothes on.”