Poodles 'n Prada

Aside from my 5 inch, black sequenced, Patrick Cox pumps, my most favorite thing in life is my 2-year-old pup, Miss. Chloe. Weighing in at roughly 11 lbs, Chloe is a cross between a manipulative Maltese and presumptuous Poodle, with a hint of royalty thrown in somewhere. Nevertheless, she's the sweetest bitch female dog you'll ever meet.

Growing up with a mother in the fashion industry, I acquired a knack for labels early in life. It is no coincidence that my darling Chloe is named after a very versatile fashion designer. In any case, my intention is not to enlighten you on my ability to formulate a killer outfit on short notice, but rather to inform the unaware, and to confess to all others alike of my guilty pleasure. I, proud dog owner, go beyond my duties of animal caregiver by over-indulging my pet to the point where I feel no shame in dressing her up in stylish yet appropriate outfits, no inhibitions while strutting walking her down the street as if she were on a runway for Prada and limited remorse when spending $4.95 on a single (and might I add small) dog treat just because it was in the shape of a cupcake...with sprinkles.

What I find most interesting though, is my ability to show restraint (okay okay, moderate restraint) when shopping for myself, but when it comes to Chloe there is a sort of notion where anything goes-within reason of course ;). I can spend hours on a Saturday afternoon weaving in and out of the designer racks at Holt's, feeling the cashmere as if it were my first time and executing extreme self-discipline as to not max out my credit card. The point is that as a reasonable individual, I cannot justify spending $900 on a Dolce and Gabbana blazer, regardless of how fierce I may look in it. On the other hand, while in the mindset of a dog owner, I fall short in my ability to demonstrate logical restraint on treats and toys.

My two biggest weaknesses in Toronto are:

1. My Pet Boutique: an adorable and swanky pet shop located in Yorkville that specializes in cat and dog toys (really cute and original ideas), overly decorated treats and more accessories and variations of cashmere sweaters then one could even dream of.
2. Pink Paws: a kiosk, located in Yorkdale Mall and also has a larger store at Vaughn Mills Outlet Mall, which sells the sweetest little pet outfits that double as an extra layer of warmth in the winter and increased cuteness year round.

I fear not when disclosing this information because I know there are others out there who share my philosophy, "Sure, a dog is just a dog- but MY dog is so much more then a dog, its a member of the family and thus, deserves the best." Now I've seen people wrap up the remainder of their fillet from Morton's with full intentions of feeding it to their pups, which for the record I would never do. However, it is no secret to those who know me, that this past Christmas Chloe received a squeaky toy shaped like a Monolo Blahnik, animal print, pump with a label reading Monolo Barknik. I guess crazy is as crazy does, but I am certain that when it comes to my pouch, I give a new meaning to the term designer dog.