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“It’s a Dog’s Life”: Elevating Status from Pet to “Fur Baby” in the Marketplace
Animals have always played a significant role in people’s lives. Lately, the
technological and market economy has anthropomorphized dogs to human-like behavior,
particularly to status of family member or child. Today, a consumer can watch T.V.
channels devoted to animals, send their dog to a pet psychic, bring their dog to doggie
daycare or hire a dog walker, so the family pooch does not have to be alone while the
family is away. Consumers can also buy treats for their favorite pal and attend Yappy
Hour, a social hour for dogs and their human companions, at Three Dog Bakery,
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a bakery
for dogs.
While Three Dog Bakery tends to attract an upper-middle class clientele, it is not
uncommon to see members of all socio-economic classes buying a treat for their dog.
According to Frank, the owner of the bakery, the customers can be broken down into four
categories. These categories often, but do not always, represent social class. The budget
shopper is the type of customer who buys treats at the bakery on special occasion, such as
a dog’s birthday or the holiday season. The budget shopper tends to buy dog biscuits
from the supermarket or chain pet-store either for financial or practical reasons. While the
dog, often a mixed breed, is a loved member of the family, it is a dog and therefore does
not need extravagant goods.
The status shopper is the rare customer who buys expensive products, such as
Burberry style tote bags or the Swarovski studded leather collars at Three Dog Bakery or
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The owner of the bakery has given me permission to use the name and location of the bakery. Three Dog
Bakery is a licensing agreement. There are 26 bakeries in the United States, one in Canada, and one in
Japan.
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Convention