 |
| Out of my way, muchachos! |
Doesn't exactly instill fear, does it? How about if one of those pint-sized critters is in a pint-sized tank? How about that? Bet your knees are shaking now, huh? (Pssst, better watch your ankles ...)
As part of a Cinco de Mayo celebration, Kansas City, Missouri held its first annual chihuahua parade this past weekend. Well, actually, in spite of its title, this hairy event was open to all breeds, because the intended purpose was to set a new Guinness Book record for the most dogs in costume. Yeah, that's right. In costume. (I mean, who knew such a record even existed?)
About five hundred dogs showed up, (with their owners, of course) falling short of the record by almost two hundred, but the sponsors are determined to give it another go next year. Best news? The event raised a bunch of moola for the local animal shelter. For that reason alone, this event deserves two paws up.
In the category of strange rules, Guinness required a veterinarian to be on hand to verify that all of the dogs were, uh, actually alive. Weird, huh? I'm pleased to report that every dog in this particular parade was indeed breathing in and out, but I can't help but wonder ... do you reckon dead dog participation has been a big problem in the past?
But, oh, the indignities! Some of the pups I saw in a video include a mighty Great Dane sporting leis around her neck and a hula skirt around her poochy posterior; a muscular pit bull decked in cheerleader garb; a black mutt in a frilly black tutu; and a mammoth white dog in a man's bright Hawaiian shirt. Here, instead of me telling you, how's about if I show you a few pics?
 |
| My tongue, she longs for a margarita. |
 |
| Obviously, a taco belle, right? |
 |
| These Mardi Gras beads gotta go. Where's my guitar??? |
 |
| Beats me. A bouquet, maybe? |
 |
| This dog smells a little like ... |
 |
| BACON!!! |
Okay, so a pot-bellied pig hogged a bit of the attention, but at least no dead dogs showed up, right?
About 80% of the dogs, the LIVE dogs, at this event were chihuahuas. And at one point, the crowd was asked to hold those tiny beasts aloft. Musta been quite a sight, huh?
 |
| Imagine. A virtual sea of ... the wee. |
So, have you ever humiliated your pets by putting them into cutesy little costumes? Worst I ever did was let the groomer give our dog a lion cut. All it took was one look at him for my kids and I to completely lose it. Poor ol' Buck was so embarrassed, he went into hiding when we got home. Taught me to never do THAT again!
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
 |
| It's time for me to take Chico for a swim. |
Well, dang, woman.... chihuahua is my favorite dog. (don't tell Cody). My last one died 3 years ago and I still miss that little nipper. I also love the movie, "Beverly Hills, Chihuahua."
ReplyDeleteI am astonished to discover that there are five hundred living, breathing chihuahuas in Kansas City.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that's better than having five hundred illegal Mexicans living in one neighborhood, like I do here in Texas......
Poor things... but Frog-Dog did make me laugh!
ReplyDeleteNow THAT'S a creative parade. I've never seen anything like it. Just hope the military doesn't consider tank-dog a prototype.
ReplyDeleteI always feel sorry for dogs in costume, but not as much as I do for cats. Because cats have dignity that can be offended, and the dog is never offended if you're paying him/her some attention.
ReplyDelete(Oh boy -- they're looking at me! They're talking about me! I might get pet or even a treat!)
The dead dog in the parade thing (like most of your crazy laws) would make a good story ...
Oh, the indignity of it all. It is a good thing dogs can't sue. I bet though that they enjoyed all that attention.
ReplyDelete'In the category of strange rules, Guinness required a veterinarian to be on hand to verify that all of the dogs were, uh, actually alive. Weird, huh?'
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh!
I like the little scuba diving pup best, I think. Either him or Taco Belle.
Well good for them raising money like that...what's a little indignity for a good cause.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have a chihuahua (I do), you are obligated to dress it up in costumes. Ours wears a tutu.
ReplyDeleteI have two Chihuahuas, don't ask my why. I've always had big huge monstrous dogs. And I've never dressed any of them in costume, although we do have pics of most of them in sunglasses.
ReplyDeleteHa ha - this was great - disappointed, though, no sign of Mr Mexican dog man himself,Caesar Milan? Good pics - especially little Scuba Doo ... Thanks.
ReplyDeleteManzie- I think a chihuahua is the kind of dog you either love or hate as not being a "real dog." Me, I love 'em. I had a chihuahua-toy Manchester mix when I was a teenager, and she was one of the sweetest, cuddliest dogs ever, so I know what you mean. By the way, you should adopt another chihuahua. (Cody will adjust.)
ReplyDeleteJon- Well, technically, there were 500 dogs altogether, but only about 80% of 'em were chihuahuas. Still, that's a LOT of chihuahuas. Your comment about the illegals cracked me up, but unfortunately, I don't think you were kidding ... only exaggerating. (Exaggerating a LOT, I hope.) And half of them live in the house next door to you, huh?
Cro- I know you'd never humiliate Monty with a costume. Maybe a jaunty bandanna around his neck. Oh, and a beret? (Just kidding.)
Geo- Well, even if they trained the little guys how to drive that tank, they'd still have a hard time training them to go after the enemy instead of stopping to piddle on every tree, bush, and rock they encountered.
Dianne- You're right about dogs and cats reacting differently to costumes. I wouldn't DREAM of outfitting our felines. They're very sweet, but they do have claws ... and know how to use 'em.
Arleen- The dogs in the video looked like they were having a grand ol' time, in spite of the costumes. I guess their gregarious natures overpowered the shame...
Suze- Nothing mentally stimulating here, but I'm glad you read and commented, anyhow. And I'm really glad I made ya laugh.
Delores- What's a little indignity for a good cause? Depends on how cold the water is in the dunking tank.
Tonja- HA! When I was a teenage, my mother actually made an outfit for our dog, a sweet little chihuahua mix. Dixie hated to go outside in the rain, so my mother made her a raincoat and boots. (WHAT? No umbrella...?) They were made of blue corduroy, covered with clear plastic, and trimmed in yellow seam binding, and the matching booties tied on with perky yellow bows. She was okay with the coat, but when the boots were on her feet, it was like she didn't know how to walk. She'd lift her legs ways up high and kinda to the side. Funniest thing you ever saw. (Then again, if you dress your pooch, you've probably seen the same sort of thing.)
Anne- Well, two advantages of having chihuahuas: they don't eat much, and they don't necessitate heavy-duty pooper-scooping. Plus, they're much easier to manage as a lap dog than an English mastiff.
ReplyDeleteKarla- Glad ya liked it. But I must confess, I don't know anything about your Mexican dog man. Guess I'll have to do check him out.
I'm a huge dog lover, and even lived with a chihuahua named "Spock" for a while -- My girlfriend at the time named him for his pointy ears. He was very loving and a cute dog.
ReplyDeleteBut in general, I tend to prefer dogs that are much too big to be used as purse pals or fashion accessories... ;^)
We currently have a border collie - black lab mix who has more energy and loving personality than he knows what to do with, lol!
But um, other than some bunny ears at Easter, Max stays costumed in his own fur. Well, at least the fur that isn't being shed and turned into indoor fuzzy tumbleweeds...
Fun post, Susan!
Oh, my gosh, the taco dog! So cute! All of them, really.
ReplyDeleteNot that I'd ever do that to a dog myself. However, I do have a pic of our late cat wearing bunny ears. Clancy was a very patient cat...
These sort of things always puzzle me, but heck, if the humane society geta a little more money, why not?
ReplyDeleteChris- Spock is a super name for a dog, but I know what you mean about big dogs. I loved our chihuahua mix, but there's something extra special about being able to wrap your arms around the solid neck of a big ol' bruiser of a dog.
ReplyDeleteLinda- Clancy was obviously more patient than our girls. Not sure how they'd handle anything put on their heads. I haven't tried it, but they've both been traumatized by plastic bags. Got their necks caught in the handles, and then tore around the house, screeching in terror, until they managed to lose the bag. Poor things. Wonder their hearts didn't burst through their chests.
Rubye- I know what you mean. Different strokes.
Hi Susan .. wouldn't be seen dead near a set up like this - I'd be creased up rolling around on the floor ..
ReplyDeleteYour poor Buck - I know what you mean by dogs disappearing fast out of their owner's site - not another reindeer shining light for Christmas .. my brother's family do that sometimes .. poor creatures! Not overloaded like this lot though ..
Fun and cheers ... and I gave you a shout out on the 2nd Reflections post! Hilary
LOL!! Great pics!
ReplyDeleteWe have something similar in my town it's called the Doo-Dah parade. It's every April. Tons of Bassett Hounds!!! A little bit about it here: http://www.capemaytimes.com/cape-may-county/ocean-city2.htm
Really fun!
Hilary- I would've been laughing at the poor critters, too. Then again, I laugh at just about everything.
ReplyDeleteJennifer- The Doo-Dah parade? That's too funny. In all the research I did on New Jersey, I never saw anything about this. I'll have to check out that article. Thanks.
Oh goodness, I love all of the photos and so glad money was raised regardless if they fell short of the record. I have to admit that the scuba dog was my absolute favorite; how fun. I doubt that Hurficane would allow us to dress him like that!
ReplyDeleteTracy- Hurficane??? Now, THERE'S an original name for ya! (Do ya call him "Hurf" for short?)
ReplyDeleteCan't say I ever had affection for the breed. Sorry. WAY too many abandoned in southern Florida to deal with. But that wet suit pic? Priceless.
ReplyDeleteThey're all cute -- especially the butt sniffer. I have never dressed my dogs in silly costumes, but when we lived in a cold climate, they loved to wear sweaters. They also get very excited about wearing bandannas.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
The things dogs tolerate to please us. Geez.
ReplyDeletePeople are crazy when it comes their animals. Love the pics, but glad I wasn't there (sorry, not an animal lover - as my book My Zoo World tells my animal tales of woe). Nonetheless, I'm visiting post challenge and plan to keep up with you. Very fun blog
ReplyDeleteJuli- Yeah, I don't imagine I'd be overly fond of them, either, if they were running wild all over town. What a shame they were abandoned that way.
ReplyDeleteJanie- I don't think sweaters qualify as costumes unless there are matching pants and shoes to match. (And if appropriate, a little pooch pocketbook.)
Mr. C- Ain't that the truth. And they always come back for more.
Joanne- Some people are definitely over the top when it comes to their pets. And I'm glad to hear you're planning to keep up with this nutso blog. I'll look forward to seeing you again.
This is so funny! I love animals in costumes, they always make me laugh. I've tried putting my dog in a costume one time, and to say it didn't go well would be an understatement. He is a drama queen to say the least. I also once tried putting a clown wig on my cat. Luckily I still have all my fingers!
ReplyDeleteFun post, I would have loved to have been in attendance for this parade. :)
chihuahuas are cute little dogs. I always say when I'm an old lady I'm gonna get me an old lady dog (something that doesn't pull me down the street when we're out walking and something I can pick up without falling over!), and it's either gonna be a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian.
ReplyDeleteSo great it was for a good cause :)
Julie- You saying that you think animals in costume are funny reminded me of a show that used to be on TV. I don't even remember what decade it was on, but no matter. The entire cast was made up of chimpanzees. Natch, in costume, and "acting" out roles. Needless to say, it didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteMarcy- I know whatcha mean about an old lady dog. I'm much more comfortable with the scenario of me walking a dog than in having a behemoth pull ME down the street. And even though my lap IS a bit larger than it used to be, that doesn't mean I have to completely fill it.