Ancestors dressed them up, too
Archeologists and historians remind us that around the world, our ancestors loved to adorn four-legged kin in similar ways to how we do so today!
- Fancy dog collars in China and the Middle East were common among folks with resources.
- Sacredness was also placed on these kin in Chinese and Aztec regions. In addition to adorning dogs, our ancestors used dog imagery to adorn mosaics, pottery, and more. The image below plays with this Aztec importance of the xoloitzcuintli (i.e. Disney image).
- Our close dog-human kin relationship is identified to have bloomed around 20,000-40,000 years ago. And, it’s fun to imagine baby-talking our kin across all of this time as we put on them a new decor whether that’s a collar, sweater, or dragon wings.
Do our four-legged kin like adornments?
It is unclear whether or not all dogs appreciate clothing.
In the U.S., it is common to see pictures of Halloween costumes on our dogs. And, there is a fashion practice among folks in many parts of the world to dress-up their kin on the regular.
Where ever you align, or don’t, with adorning your kin, here are some insights:
- Some dogs are so used to their collars, that they show signs of nervousness when their collar is removed outside of any specific context. They show signs of immediate calm when their collars are returned to them.
- If you dress your kin as a puppy, they are more likely to accept this practice as they age.
- When your dog is new to wearing clothing or costumes, keep an eye on them for any distress caused by this new practice.
- Also, keep an eye on them to make sure that are not injured by trying to remove the clothing or costume on their own.