Paris Hilton has her beloved Chihuahua, Tinkerbell. Nicole Richie can’t get enough of her Pomeranian, Foxy Cleopatra. Hilary Duff prefers a Pom, while Britney Spears now has a household full of Chi’s. It seems that a celebrity inspired popularity contest has erupted between these two toy dog breeds. But before you get inspired by Paris or Nicole to adopt a Pom or Chi, take a step back and consider how each breed may fit into your lifestyle.
TV ads run by Taco Bell, films like Legally Blond and Tinkerbell’s appearances with Paris Hilton on magazine covers and in The Simple Life have made the public take a second look at Chihuahuas and their potential as pets. The same can be said of Pomeranians. Poms have had noticeable parts in major films like Chasing Papi, Enemy Of The State and Double Take. As with Paris Hilton and her pet, Nicole Richie’s Pom has frequently seen with her in episodes of The Simple Life 3 television series.
Paris once told reporters that she was inspired to purchase Tinkerbell after seeing Legally Blond. While the film may have inspired her to take that step, the two have become inseparable. That’s because Chihuahuas make extremely good pets. They are said to be the only dog breed that actually prefers the company of humans to other dogs. Besides being the world’s smallest and longest lived dog breed, Chihuahuas are generally easy to care for and travel well. They make good family pets and get along well with children.
When it comes to Pomeranians, they have terrific personalities, generally fall on the more affordable side of toy dog prices and some can be very tiny. Poms are extremely loyal to their owners and easy to train. Some major downsides are that they require a good deal of grooming, love to bark (a lot!) and can be aggressive toward other animals and over inquisitive children. Those inspired by their fabulous look and celebrity exposure should keep these facts in mind before adopting one. If you decide to adopt a Pom, do so because they fit your lifestyle and you’ve decided that properly caring for one is something you can do. Celebrity inspired pet adoptions do not always work out very well.
As Good As It Gets flickered to life on movie screens in 1995 and turned into an instant hit. While Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. may have acted in the film, many would argue that it was the canine character of Verdell who was the star. In several interviews, Greg Kinnear admitted that he and the rest of the cast often felt upstaged by the feisty Brussels Griffon named Jill who played the part of Verdell. Proof of the popularity of the Verdell character came in the form of huge numbers of people looking to adopt Brussels Griffon puppies after seeing the film.
The first thing that many starry eyed film goers discovered in their search for a Verdell clone was that finding one would not be easy. Most Brussels Griffons weigh six to twelve pounds fully grown, while Jill was unusually small. There are never huge numbers of available Griffon puppies and the prices can be very steep. Originally bred for the purpose of hunting rats in horse stables, this breed is aggressive and has been known to attack and even kill smaller dogs and animals. These facts immediately discouraged many would be ‘Verdell’ owners and may have been for the best in the long run. Like the Pomeranian, the Brussels Griffon is a purebred toy dog breed that just isn’t for everyone.
If, like Paris Hilton, you happen to be inspired to adopt a certain breed of dog by what you see in a movie, be sure that breed is the right one for you, your household and your neighborhood. A Great Dane would do no better in a small apartment then a tiny Chihuahua would running free over acres of land where it could be attacked by wild animals or predatory birds. Barky dogs like Poms and Toy Poodles are as unlikely to be welcomed into quiet neighborhoods as Yorkshire Terriers are into households they don’t like having their shoes, furniture and linoleum floors chewed to bits.
Take some time to discover the pros and cons of any breed of dog before you adopt. All domesticated animals require some level of care and attention. Some will need more then others. Before you take on the responsibility of adopting any dog or puppy, be sure you are willing to provide the attention, care and support they need. That includes having the financial ability to pay for Veterinarian visits, pet sitters or kenneling and grooming when necessary. When you find what seems to be the perfect pet, make sure you‘re willing to be the perfect pet owner!
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