Thursday, June 14, 2012

Dogs of the Rich!

There seems to be a lot of interest about where canines fit into the lives of the rich. In fact, if you google the words rich people's dogs you'll see literally tens of millions of articles.

We've all heard stories about diamond-studded collars and lavish inheritances left to pets (i.e. Leona Helmsley). And I have a vague memory of an event when Elizabeth Taylor chartered a private yacht to keep her Pekingese off shore to avoid the six-month quarantine to get a dog into England.  

If you've been reading for a while, you know we have two Great Danes here on the estate, and my rich employers seem to genuinely adore them. But their input into the dogs' care is minimal (make that non-existent) and their welfare is dumped entirely into the hands of house staff.

There was an article in Forbes Magazine a while back by Liz Moyer wherein she quotes Russ Alan Prince (President of Prince and Associates) who's organization authoritatively tracks the habits of the rich.

Says Prince: "For some wealthy people, the only true love they get is from their pets. They're estranged from their children, they are at war with their business partners, but their pets are always there for them."

Sounds kind of sad and pathetic, right? But I guess there's some truth to it. At least their pets are not asking them for business advice or loans, or throwing investment opportunities in front of every step they take. And I know for a fact our Danes are not begging him for charity contributions - just treats now and then.

Here's what my employers do for the Danes, which is mainly all the fun stuff:
- Pet and hug them.
- Sometimes they'll pick up a ball and throw it.
- They also pay for the groomer to come here once a week.

And here's what the house staff does for them, mainly all the hard work:
- Feed them twice a day plus lots of snacks.
- Clean up their accidents in the house, which are all too frequent!
- Give them their monthly heart worm and flea meds.
- Get them to their regular and emergency vet appointments.
- Administer whatever meds and restrictions the vet prescribes.
- Brush and check for fleas and ticks between the groomer's visits.
- Make sure they get enough outings and exercise.

Hum...so who gets the short end of this deal? Sometimes I get the feeling the Danes are just living ornaments around here, along with all the other possessions my employers own. I wonder what a sincere dog lover would think about this. Taking on a pet is such a huge commitment and responsibility, is it not? My employers, however, effectively dodge all the mess and problems of pet ownership, and pass it off to their house staff. Perhaps understandable and very convenient, right?

But then - they also pass off their children to a Nanny. Who am I to judge?

Just some observations tonight. Thanks for stopping in.

Andrew

8 comments:

  1. If they want pets then they need to be a part of their lives !!!!! Oh by the way how many children do your people have ? kek

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Their children (from previous marriages) are all grown adults, and rarely in the picture around here. So no children to deal with whatsoever. (Thank you, merciful God!)

      Andrew

      Delete
  2. Out of curiosity, where do the dogs loyalties rest? Do they see your bosses as their masters? Is their a particular staff member? Or there so many people taking care of them that they just spread the love around? I have 2 dogs, myself, and sometimes get the feeling that they ONLY love me because I feed them :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Unknown! What a great question!

      The dogs run up to my employers (and to me for that matter) anytime we're outside, just for hugs and petting. But at any point during the day when you want to find them, they'll both be at the Groundskeepers' side, Maurizio and Dario.

      And on the weekend when they're off, the Danes just lay around, and more or less do nothing.

      Feeding them is part of the love, of course. But domesticated animals need human companionship, and seemingly get morose when we're not around.

      Thanks so much for your comment, and hope you'll stick around.

      Andrew

      Delete
  3. Andrew do your Bosses have any other animals ? kek

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like you take good care of the big guys and the rest of the staff don't seem to mind them--they're living the good life made mostly possible by you but it is a lot of work for you. Wish my lab were friends with the Danes -- she loves other dogs, chases balls and especially swimming. We also like to reciprocate so the Danes could come visit the other side of the tracks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Anonymous, and thank you for this sweet comment.

    Our Danes are very gregarious, and I'm sure they'd enjoy a romp with your lab. (You failed to mention her name, by the way.)

    Thanks for reading tonight, and for leaving this comment.

    Andrdew

    ReplyDelete