PUG LIFE is the column from Mandurah Mail journalist Amy Martin.
Amy is a pug-obsessed music lover who sings an annoying amount and spends too much time looking at Pinterest.
When asked about her achievements she included memorising all the words to Disney’s Frozen, knowing the exact shade of green which is known as Tiffany Blue and having a laugh which people think is hilarious – all things which are quite useless in the real world.
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WHEN I first got my dog, I promised myself that I wouldn't dress her up.
Even though she was named after the ever fashionable Minnie Mouse, I never thought I would force my Minnie to be the same.
The amount of photos I had seen with pugs dressed up in characters from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones (just to name a few) put me right off the idea.
That’s not to say pugs don't have certain facial features which make them ideal Yoda look-a-likes.
Let’s face it, if a pug was green, stood on two legs and spoke in a round about way, it would make the perfect Yoda.
But whenever I saw the photos, they always looked so sad.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
People are starting to dye and style their pooch to make them look a certain way.
I know people have always trimmed their dogs to look a certain way, and for some breeds it is for both functional and aesthetic reasons.
But I’m sorry - if you have to use hairspray on your dog, you have crossed the line.
And how about the new craze in China?
Chow chows are put through two-hour procedures every six weeks to keep them looking like pandas.
It’s absolute panda-monium.
You have to wonder if these dogs actually like it?
And that’s where my dog comes in.
It turns out when I bought my pug, I also bought a fashionista.
As soon has the winter weather hit earlier this month, I was forced to buy Minnie a jumper because she wouldn't stop shivering, even in the middle of the day.
So I bought her a jumper – nothing flash, just something to keep her from shivering.
And boy did she like it.
The first time she put it on, she trotted around the house like she was Jennifer Hawkins on the cat walk.
Even on the warmer days when there is no point putting it on her, she carries it around like a security blanket.
I can barely get it off her to give it a wash.
While I would never make her look like anything other than a pug - be it a movie character or another animal - maybe my dog isn't like the ones who are made to stand in front castle backdrops.
Maybe, just maybe, Minnie is already like the certain mouse she was named after.
What do you think? Do some dog owners get a bit excessive when dressing up their pets? Post your comments below.
