Dolce & Gabbana Launches First Dog Perfume of Its Kind and People Have Opinions

Unless you bathe your dog every couple of days (which isn't a good idea by the way), your dog probably smells like, well, a dog. Dolce & Gabbana recently launched an alcohol-free dog perfume named after founder Domenico Dolce's "unconditional love for his loyal dog Fefé." They shared the announcement on Instagram on August 1st, and people have opinions about the new product.

The post simply shares, "DolceGabbana launches #DGFefé, the new fragrance mist for dogs. A tender blend of ylang ylang, musk, and sandalwood." They go on to say, "No animals were mistreated during the making of this campaign. Their safety was fully protected."

View the original article to see embedded media.

Commenters were busy tagging friends, saying that they can't wait to try Dolce & Gabbana's new dog perfume, and asking if it's safe for cats, too. @ginvaz.origanles had my favorite comment because it cracked me up, "If it doesn't have notes of cursed truffles, manure, and aged carcass I don't want it."

Related: Brown Bear at Michigan Zoo Goes Absolutely Bonkers Over Taylor Swift Perfume

Is Dolce & Gabbana's Dog Perfume Safe?

The Dolce & Gabbana's website describes the dog perfume as, "a tender and embracing fragrance crafted for a playful beauty routine," which screams to me that they're not marketing this perfume to your average dog. Whoever they're marketing it to, veterinarians and dog professionals across the globe have thoughts on whether spritzing your dog with perfume is a good idea, and most seem to agree that it's not.

The New York Times reported that Dolce & Gabbana stated that the perfume was certified by Safe Pet Cosmetics, an independent veterinary organization in Italy that validates the safety of products for animals. But Daniel Mills, a professor of veterinary behavioral medicine at the University of Lincoln in England, told NYT, "This is entirely for the owner’s benefit, not for the dogs. Dogs have a fantastic sense of smell, and changing their odor can cause significant issues.”

Mills went on to explain that dogs rely heavily on their sense of scent to navigate the world. He said that by applying strong scents to your dog (even ones with creamy soft-scented undertones like sandalwood) can mask other scents and confuse not only your dog but other dogs as well. This could lead to aggression from other dogs and even social rejection.

Annie-Mae Levy, a professional dog trainer at the dog training app Woofz also does not condone spritzing your dog with perfume and warns that even though the fragrance is alcohol-free and claimed to be safety-tested, it can still cause serious damage to your dog’s health, “Masking a dog's natural scent with a man-made product is likely to have many negative downstream effects for the animal. Dogs rely on scent as their primary sense and overwhelming them with a smell they did not choose themselves seems wholly unethical to me.”

Instead of buying $100 perfume for your dog, Levy recommends a few different ways to reduce dog odors, and yep, they all involve regular grooming. Routine bathing with a dog-specific shampoo is the top recommendation. She also suggests regular brushing, "It helps remove loose hair, dirt, and debris that can contribute to a stronger dog smell. You can also schedule visits to your groomer and ask for advice on which brushes and products best suit your dog’s coat type." And don't forget to brush their teeth, "Sometimes, unpleasant odors come from bad breath. Brushing your dog’s teeth or using dental chews can help eliminate this issue. If your dog has excessive plaque or tooth decay, a vet visit will be needed!" If after all of that your pooch is still stinky, there may be an underlying issue, so check with your vet.

While dog perfume may not be medically harmful, veterinarians and dog care professionals seem to agree that using perfume on dogs is unadvised. There's no reason for it, and it will only do more harm than good. Not using it will also save you one hundred bucks!

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.