Pampered pooches: the trend that’s here to stay
Spoiling your pet is becoming increasingly popular, but why are owners so willing to splurge on their furry friends?
With 59% of Brits already owning a dog and more than a quarter of the population getting a new pet during lockdown, it’s not surprising that the global pet care market has grown by $16 billion in just a year and is estimated to reach a booming $350 billion by 2027 (Statista, YouGov and Common Thread Co).
From dog clothes to dog colognes, there are endless products for pooches, and along with almost all of these products comes a social media page. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok; social media has taken over today’s society and has a huge hold on people’s behaviours.
Chloe Brown, owner of a Nottingham based pet accessories brand Posh Paws, and owner of pampered dachshund Donut, said social media posts can be most effective if they are breed specific. “If a customer posts a photo of their dachshund in our ‘dachshund through the snow’ harness, they then spread the word among themselves because they all have a dachshund following, which then boosts sales.” she added.
Hair Of The Dog, Miss Teddy and Posh Paws on Instagram.
Hair Of The Dog, Miss Teddy and Posh Paws on Instagram.
Together with promoting sales, social media also inspires owners to participate in trends, whether it be dressing their dog up or throwing them a birthday party, thousands of people get involved and share content online.
Sue Tostevin, Nottingham resident, started her business Miss Teddy in January 2016 after being inspired to make just one glitter bow for her very own pooch Teddy, a maltipoo. After collaborating with a designer, she indulged herself in the business and started creating collections of luxury dog clothing and accessories, including silk and Swarovski dresses priced up to £220. “I just wanted to dress her [Teddy] up, she’s my little girl and she looked beautiful.” said Sue. “When I started Miss Teddy’s Instagram a couple of years ago I would post photos of Teddy dressed up. One year I made her a leaf costume for autumn and this year one of my customers recreated it. People like to recreate things themselves, especially if it’s themed.” she added. Miss Teddy now boasts over 18,000 followers on Instagram.
One popular niche of TikTok’s are dog grooming videos, with the hashtag #doggrooming totalling a staggering 1.2billion views. “Social media has a massive influence on what people do with their dogs. Even in grooming you get different styles that are trending online, the Asian Fusion style is currently really popular.” says dog groomer Helene Hazell, founder of Hair Of The Dog, Nottingam. Whilst grooming has health benefits such as preventing skin problems and matting, owners also indulge in it for the aesthetic. “People’s dogs can be quite a fashion accessory and they want them to look fabulous even when going on a walk.” Helene added. Dog owners seeing so many others invest in professional grooming may be inclined to splurge and make their pets pretty too.
66% of owners now buy accessories for their pet (Petplan Pet Census); spending on accessories for your dog can be a ‘show-off’ thing Chloe confessed. Many high-street stores such as H&M, Zara and Skinny Dip now stock collections for pets comprising of collars and leads, pet sprays, clothing including raincoats and hoodies, dog bags, beds, bows, bandanas, and even birthday crowns! “Accessorising and dressing your dog has become more acceptable as it’s more accessible. People don’t just think of their dogs as a pet but an accessory.” says Sue.
The Barkery, Victoria Centre Nottingham, displaying all their yummy treats.
The Barkery, Victoria Centre Nottingham, displaying all their yummy treats.
John Lewis' Christmas gift display of games for pets.
John Lewis' Christmas gift display of games for pets.
It’s not only accessories that are available, there’s now a café for dogs in Nottingham, The Barkery, who have barkeries in 7 different shopping centres across the UK. With £264 being the average annual spend on gifts for pets (One Poll), what better way to treat your doggies than with what they love most? Treats! The Barkery offer a range of dog friendly goodies including cookies, Wuffles, and Woofnuts, the canine version of waffles and doughnuts. Georgia Pitman, who works at The Barkery located in The Victoria Centre, Nottingham, said: “People are so willing to spend so much money and time on their pets because there’s a mutually beneficial relationship of love, joy and happiness formed. Dogs make us happy in so many different ways so people will happily return the love.”.
Dog accessories, games and more are now offered at high street stores!
Dog accessories, games and more are now offered at high street stores!
"I spoil her with attention. I sing to her and she loves being held like a baby. Dogs give you unconditional love, they need you."
Helene describes how “people spoil their pets purely because they love them so much, they absolutely adore them.”; just by petting a pup the body gets a boost of oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone that makes people feel good and relieves stress. Pampering your pooch comes in many different forms, aside from the obvious materialistic ways.
“Teddy gets to wear beautiful handmade silk dresses with Swarovski crystals, but apart from the obvious, I spoil her with attention. I sing to her and she loves being held like a baby. Dogs give you unconditional love, they need you. They can’t be without you.” says Sue. Humans have a natural instinct to nurture, which is why they love to feel wanted and needed; for many, this need is fulfilled by their canine companions. Pets are now considered part of the family, and similarly a dog can see their owner as their dog mother. So, it’s only natural that owners want to reward and thank their furry friends for all the love and joy they bring. With all the options now out there, it would be too hard not to!
Sue Tostevin and Teddy showcasing their Christmas harness, Chloe Brown and her canine companion Donut the dachshund, and Helene pampering one of her clients, Ralph the chihuahua.
Sue Tostevin and Teddy showcasing their Christmas harness, Chloe Brown and her canine companion Donut the dachshund, and Helene pampering one of her clients, Ralph the chihuahua.
