If the axiom that a dog is man’s best friend holds any credence, Dolce & Gabbana has now elevated it with the introduction of its latest perfume: a mist for dogs.
But the RSPCA has warned against messing with dogs’ sense of smell by giving them their own fragrance, warning the odour could come across as unpleasant for them – and hamper their ability to connect with their surroundings.
“Unconditional love”, “loyal” and “playful” are some of the words at the heart of the Italian fashion house’s latest campaign for a new alcohol-free scented mist for dogs.
“I am delicate, authentic, charismatic,” the advertisement begins as it flips through footage of a finely groomed dachshund, chihuahua and bichon frisé all perched atop a stool. “Cause I’m not just a dog, I’m Fefé.”
For €99 (£84), owners can have their pets smelling of the “warm notes” of ylang ylang, musk and sandalwood. The new luxury dog mist has a 24-carat gold-plated paw on the glass bottle and customers are offered an exclusive Dolce & Gabbana dog collar with a tag.
However, the RSPCA senior scientific officer Alice Potter said: “Sometimes dogs can be anthropomorphised and the lines can become blurred between what dogs like and what we, as humans, think they’ll like.”
Potter added: “Dogs rely on their sense of smell to communicate and interact with their environment as well as the people and other animals within it. Therefore we advise that strong-scented products such as perfumes or sprays are avoided, especially as some smells can be really unpleasant for dogs.”
Whether there is a market for Fefé – named after the dog of the brand’s co-founder Domenico Dolce – remains to be seen.
“We’re distributing Fefé right away throughout Europe, in the US and then, little by little, we’ll expand; it’s already available online,” Stefano Gabbana, the brand’s other co-founder, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “The market has reacted well; everyone went crazy at the announcement.”
Dog fragrances are hardly new but the foray from a top fashion house is a first. By 2030, the global pet industry – including vet care, pet food and pharmaceuticals among others – is expected to balloon to $500bn from an annual $320bn, according to a 2023 Bloomberg intelligence report.
Diana Rosero-Pena, a Bloomberg analyst and co-author of the report, said: “We’re seeing a profound increase in consumer spending on pets and expect to see this continue through 2030. Consumers are willing to pay more for items for their pets.”
In 2007 the luxury London department store Harrods introduced a dog perfume called Sexy Beast. In February 2022, Elizabeth II launched Happy Hounds dog cologne, embellished with the Sandringham royal estate crest. For £20, the British retailer Space NK sells a dog spray with “crisp top notes”. Kiehl’s, owned by L’Oréal, sells a cuddly coat spritz for £18.
