'For the Dogs' Has a Whole New Meaning

Growing up I never had the title of dog owner.  My family’s only pets consisted of my brother’s goldfish, which he had back when he was in middle school.  After reading Martin’s article “’For the Dogs’ Has a Whole New Meaning,” I couldn’t help but laugh at these insane new products that are being made for pets.  Again, maybe this is due to my lack of a family dog when I was younger, but these ridiculous new lifestyle pet owners are creating for their pets constantly intrigued me. The example of this luxurious lifestyle that I found the most appalling was the idea of neuticles.  This over priced procedure in a way contradicts the original procedure of removing the testicles of your pet.  How do we, as humans, know that this removal lowers their self-esteem or adds trauma to their life.  It might, but the price of the operation is far too high for an average family.  Just like many of these alternative foods, treats, exercise equipment, and any other inventions they are coming up with. If I were a dog owner my dog would be a Kibbles ‘n Bits dog, and I would take him on plenty of walks, versus getting him his own person treadmill, that way we both can stay in shape.  Appealing to the audience through humor, Martin’s is successful in revealing the extensive changes people take to provide them with what is “best” for them.  However, there is no really solid evidence saying one is better than the other.  This doggy lifestyle adds to the billions of dollars spent every year on pets, however, as Martin clarifies much of it can only be seen by celebrities or high income people, not the typical family.