Victoria Stillwell/dog clothes
 

Victoria Stillwell would have angered quite a few YTers. Lol. I was watching an episode of Its Me or the Dog On Demand tonight with a Yorkie and a Dauchund that hated each other. She dressed her dogs in PJs and coats, etc and wore doggie diapers and Victoria made her throw them all away and called them ridiculous. She said they couldn't read each others body language. Now I'm not fond of dog diapers, and I don't even dress Jackson alot except for fun occasions and warmth in the winter, but I thought it was pretty rude of her!

LOL! Yep, I saw that one too. Didn't she let them keep 1 jacket for each of them for the colder days? I thought that was kind of insensitive also. :rolleyes:

I don't think the clothes have anything to do with that behavior. I'm not a big fan of hers since she got really nasty a few times with people. Uncalled for. Too bossy.

I havent seen the episode but I get the diaper thing I really am not a fan of those and one of the things is they keep dogs from sniffing eachothers hinny which they do when they meet eachother most of the time. Now clothes......it really bothers me when people dis dog clothes or say they are cruel because actually what seems cruel to me is to see my dog sitting there shaking because she cold and not doing anything about it. Obviously I'm not going to dress her when its hot but even mine at 16 pounds is small and with no under coat is going to get cold and I cant imagine the real tiny ones with out at least one or two sweaters. Even when Callie is inside at night she gets cold with the ac pumping and as to have at least a tshirt on. With some people I feel like if you havent owned a dog thats small and with no undercoat ya aint got any room to talk because you dont fully understand. Sorry I get a little worked up about the clothes thing. My parents where big believers that clothes where stupid as they have two beagles and had a lab mix when I was growing up and they dont really get real cold although my my parents smaller beagle about 20 pounds would go under my covers and sleep at the foot of my bed at night:), but when they saw that Callie would shake when she was cold they understood it a little better. And if your going to have to dress them to keep them warm it might as well be cute :D and its so not torture for Callie in anyway she pretty much dresses herself if a person holds the shirt she puts her head in, then the left paw, and then the right paw then prances through the house for a few minutes.

I love Victoria Stillwell, but yeah, that's not the first time she's harshed on doggie clothes. I do think that most dogs would prefer not to be dressed, but I don't think they care tremendously one way or the other. If I dress up Thor, I just try to keep in mind that it's for me, not him. I've realized he doesn't like wearing clothes even when he's cold. Considering all I do for him, I think I've earned the right to dress him in cute outfits occasionally. :p

I think most of the time, Victoria is trying to get the owner to recognize that they own a dog, not a doll, and she sees clothes as part of a larger problem. Usually the owners don't walk their dogs, and project their human interpretations onto their dogs' behavioral problems. At the same time, I didn't buy her explanation that a *sweater* interferes with pheramones. I'm sure those two could smell each other just fine.

There was another episode where she rhetorically asked if a mini-pom was "a real dog", and it drives me *nuts* when people make that joke. I do still think she's almost always on point.

Did yall watch Greatest American Dog? Beth Joy dressed her Bella Starlet (now has Barkers Bowtique) Anyway, I thought they (Victoria was the main one) were so mean to her for dressing Bella Starlet & it is obvious she loves every minute of it.

I totally agree; I see what point she is trying to make because I also get irritated sometimes when seeing certain things, BUT, I don't think clothes have anything to do with training. And she is a dog trainer. I think that's what irritated me the most about the episode. I don't do dog strollers, or dog shoes, or dog hats, or anything like that. He's got a few Holiday oriented shirts, and a few jackets/hoodies in the winter because he really does get cold.... but I wouldn't appreciate a trainer, hired for their behavior, coming in and throwing away all my jackets for him that I spent money on.

The owner claimed she put PJ's on the dogs because it was a small apartment and their crates were near a drafty area where it got chilly... so it doesn't seem totally unreasonable to me to put clothes on your dog for a situation like that, even tho I don't do dog pj's or anything. I would never tell someone it's absolutely ridiculous. I don't like people viewing dogs as little dolls or anything either, but I just thought she was really rude about it.

Overall though besides that issue, the episode was good and the dogs changed a lot! I loved the methods she used, so check it out if it ever comes on. I think the dogs were Ella & Nali or something. :)

What's Greatest American Dog?

I have it all
 

strollers, carriers, bows, ribbons, jewelry, and clothing my 5 girls are very well behaved no aggression no chewing no excessive barking no fighting they walk without leashes maybe I should give her some training shes an idiot, can I say that enough IDIOT.

Ha ha, I love Vic so much, I watch that clip and think she's beyond reproach.

What show was that on? I have to tivo it!

Victoria IS a b*tch, no question. I think some of it is simply British. I sort of feel like the earlier versions of her show were better, because it was Brit vs. Brit. American dog owners tend to crumble in the face of her wrath. I can see why she turns people off, but my feeling is... she's good to the DOGS, and that's what's important. Just like my groomers, they have a reputation for being snotty, and more often then not they are rude to me when I go in, BUT they groom Thor beautifully, and he's always very calm when I pick him up. As long as they treat HIM well, I'm fine.

I started watching Nanny Diaries, and I realized they are exactly the same show. British lady comes in, is shocked by how poorly the parents/owners handle their dogs/children. British lady gives parents/owners a harsh reality check. Parent/owners gradually improve. British lady leaves them on their own. They do some things right, and some things wrong. British lady returns to show them where they went wrong. British lady leaves again, and this time, everything comes up roses! Lather, rinse, repeat.

I love Victoria bc she IS a Be-otch! :D

LOL- That's exactly why I don't watch her. The whole "get more flies with honey..." thing. It's almost comical seeing her lecture on positive reinforcement when that's the antithesis of her approach with the owners.

That's what makes the show so entertaining. :p

In one of my favorite episodes. Victoria helps a family in Scotland with an out of control Yorkie. She complained about their doggy clothing too. In the final segment, Victoria returns to check on the family's progress and finds that they have added a second Yorkie puppy. Victoria rolling her eyeballs is priceless, lol.

I remember that episode! I think it was from the first season- it was part of the reason my dh was so resistant to me getting a yorkie. He didn't want a spoiled rotten pooch like that one.

I'm just always amazed at how bad some of the dogs and families are on those shows. So many of those problems could have been avoided or minimized if people would just put in a few weeks of training early on :(

The ones that always amaze me are the women who let their dogs growl or nip at their partners when they try to come to bed. Duh! To me that's a no brainer situation.

Didn't you love how the mother and daughter always had the Yorkie standing on their dining table, eating from their plates during meal times? Crazy.

With my first yorkie years ago, her vet told me "when you put "Clothes on dogs, your making them human. Dogs are NOT human." He also said that you cant read there body language. Ive actually been told that by trainers and some experienced groomers.

Ive never been one for clothes and huge bows personally. I may change my mind lol. To each his own I figure.

As far as Victoria goes British people are much more to the point then we are, most Americans find this kind of attitude offensive. Victoria is all about the dog. Thats what she is getting paid for. Most people do not like to be told they are doing is wrong and the people are on that show because there dogs are a mess.

LOL, I remember that one.

I agree tho, I mean, alot of people DO need to be put in place, but some things she does I just find really rude. I mean, I feel like the same ideas work with people as dogs, don't be mean to them to get your point across. I'd rather listen to someone who is nice and respectable rather than someone who is yelling in my face about all the things I've unknowingly done wrong.

I'm with you Brit and I would never hire a trainer like Victoria, lol. To me, her rudeness is the entertaining gimmick of her show. On the other hand, Cesar Millan sometimes coddles his clients a little too much. Trainers should be calm assertive with the humans. ;)

OMG!!!LOLOLOLOL..what a B*****....She's crazy!!!!

As a Brit I would like to say I find Victorias manner offensive also. Yes we can be more straight forward but that does not mean being rude to peoples faces. Most trainers wouldnot stay in buisness over here for very long if they talked to their clients in that way, after all you are paying [I know they dont for the t.v show] for their advice and expertise. There are other ways to explain these things without insulting people.

I can understand why she gets frustrated......there was a show about three 20 something girls and the one girls room was so bad with dog urine that they had under her bed tested and it wasnt safe for humans to breath........What the heck? This girl slept in there and kept her little dog trapped in there ALL DAY and half the night. She needed a wake up call and had an attitude like she did nothing wrong. Someone like that has no business having an animal they are responsible for. They had the dogs not because they wanted a companion but to dress up and carry around when convienent in cute little purses. Victoria did get very much to the point with these girls and she should of.

I like Victoria lol. I think alot of the show is "for tv" but she doesnt mess around. Sometimes you wonder who is the pet and who is the human.

I think there needs to be a balance. She gets snippy with these people because ALL they do is put clothes on their dog and parade it around like an accessory and put absolutely NO thought into what the dog needs in terms of training, WALKING (Yes..small dogs have legs, they can WALK), and any mental stimulation at all. I really am amazed at the way some people on those shows just have NO clue that a dog can actually LEARN something. Its so odd.
That being said I feel that if you HAVE given your dog what it needs, it knows how to behave and isn't a brat, gets walked and can use its brain, putting a shirt or coat on it when its cold or for a party shouldn't ruin all of that and is totally fine. She did say in one of my favorite episodes of the British version (the episode with the rescued chinese crested) that she's fine with them wearing coats in the cold. Paddy's definitely got a few jackets and he's gonna wear them no matter what any trainer would say and Paddy's weren't fond of clothes either.

That episode actually has my favorite quote of hers. She says "if that dog was a human, it would either be in jail, or in a mental institution!" ..cracks me up. I sometimes really wish I could be that direct with my patients. :)

Lastly, since this is longer than I intended. You can't always win with other peoples opinions. One time i went out with my dog in a sweater and someone said I shouldn't dress him its bad, and literally a day later I walked him up the street quickly and it was chilly but not cold and someone yelled at me that my dog must be freezing without a sweater.

Love the Victoria quote :D, and I agree that you can't please all of the people all of the time.

I usually like Victoria for the most part, but that would have really ticked me off.

I am one who dresses my girls everyday, and I don't feel like I should apologize for it. Of course, if we are walking outside and it's hot, they are only in a step-in harness. Rory will never grow a full coat. It's kind of sparse, and it seems like the longest it will ever be is medium length. Lane's coat is wavy and soft. If I had a yorkie with a long silk coat, I don't think I'd dress them as often, because I think they are so beautiful with just a top knot. If my girls didn't like being dressed, then I certainly wouldn't dress them. While many of their clothes are functional, I have no problem admitting that many are not...they are just cute! If treating your yorkie like a baby means they have a wardrobe, eat high quality food and supplements, have regular vet checks and medical attention when necessary, then I definitely treat my girls like babies. My girls enjoy plenty of exercise, lots of playtime indoors with all their toys, walks, regular doggie meet-ups and doggie daycare. If you follow the logic that dogs shouldn't be treated like babies, then I guess doggie daycare is a bad thing too?

Before my girls, I had a 135 lb bullmastiff who I also dressed up. He never minded it either, and it always brought a smile to peoples faces when they saw him. If I could have pushed him around in a stroller when he was going through chemo so he could enjoy long walks like he used to or stuck him in a carrier bag to travel with me when we had to fly, I would have! I would never push my girls along on a walk when they are capable of walking, but when it is hot outside they seem to overheat very quickly and it's nice to be able to put them in their stroller with their cooling pad and fresh water and let them cool off. And I fully admit I take advantage of the stroller as it makes them welcome in many places where dogs on foot might not be, as well as keeps them safe at large pet-friendly events like Pet Expos where they will encounter many strange dogs.

Case in point, we took the girls for a 3 mile walk along a path we'd never tried before. We brought the stroller along, but when we arrived it felt much cooler out than expected so I left it in the car. Sure enough towards the end of the walk even with their ice water, they both needed to be carried for a bit to cool off. :cool:

Sorry for the long rant. I know most here feel the same way as I do, but I do get tired of some of the judgmental people and now professional trainers who think that dressing your dog makes you a horrible pet parent or pushing a dog in a stroller means you don't let them walk. The bottom line is despite the pretty dresses and bows my girls are little tomboys who love nothing more than to play like the big dogs...and so that is just what they get to do!

I have no problem with carrying dogs if its too hot or they're tired either. Activity should of course be within the limits of health. With the walking thing I was referencing people who's dogs feet never hit the ground cept maybe to walk to the front yard to pee. You know they're out there. I was at a meetup once where a chihuahua was kept in a carrying case the whole entire time and its owner said it was too shy and small and she was afraid to put it on the ground. And then she wondered why the dog would try to bite every hand that came near it. *sigh*

I do wish yorkies had better tolerance to heat. I had to shave all of paddy's beautiful hair to keep him cooler, and he still definitely can't walk as much when the sun is out.

Oh yes, I wasn't referring to anyone in particular. :) I don't agree with people who take long walks and just push their dog in the stroller. It doesn't make sense to me unless the dog is puppy without all his vaccines/older/arthritic/has a health condition, but I know that isn't the case with the large majority of people who treat their dogs as accessories. Those poor dogs never get to enjoy what being a dog is all about, and I think that is really sad too.

My groomer told me that cutting their hair off didn't actually help to keep them cooler (assuming they weren't matted), but I have to wonder if that is really true. I'm much cooler when my hair is up in a ponytail for sure.