Sarah Buitendach: Leader of the pack

Forget the Balenciaga trainers and the oversized “it” slouch bag — the accessory du jour has four legs and, with adequate training, should respond to the term, “Fetch.” Talk about responsive! It will come as a surprise to no one to learn that, in the world of high-stakes social cachet and aesthetic excellence, the “on-trend” dog is a big feature.

Take a saunter around the hot suburbs of, say, San Francisco or São Paolo and you’ll squiz all manner of perfectly turned-out humans with their best-in-show Fidos. The latter are lounging alongside chic café tables or being carted between engagements in the latest Celine pet carrier. Globally, it’s estimated there are about 1-billion domestic dogs and that 30% of households have a hound.

Where the beautiful people are concerned, choosing said pooch isn’t just a matter of dropping by the local SPCA (though it should be). To misquote model and TV-show host Heidi Klum terribly here — as they say in fashion, one day German shepherds are in and the next they are out!

Do you remember reality-TV star Paris Hilton and the movie Legally Blonde popularising the chihuahua in the 2000s? Those littlies remain my absolute favourite but, more recently, the spot of trendy top dog undoubtedly went to the Boston terrier and French bulldog. You can’t shake a stick in Cape Town’s De Waal Park without catching the attention of one of these pint-sized chaps. Now it appears they’re somewhat eclipsed by the poodle — or rather, poodle crosses.

A friend of mine recently relocated to London with her labradoodle (that’s a labrador-poodle cross). Witnessing this golden-haired youngster bound down the pavements of Notting Hill, I realised just why these breed mixes are having a moment. He is a magnificent fella, attracting attention wherever he puts a paw. That said, all over London you spot iterations of his fine-looking, curly-haired brethren. These range from the unfortunately named cockapoo (a cocker spaniel x miniature poodle) to the rottle (that’s a rottweiler combo) and the pekapoo — which sounds like a Pokémon character and is an adorable Pekingese mix.

Speaking of Pekingese, it was the Victorians and, later, enthusiastic middle-class Brits who spearheaded the rise in popularity of this toy bread in the West. A group of these highly prized dogs were looted from the Imperial quarters in Beijing (then Peking) during the Second Opium War and given to Queen Victoria and a bunch of other British aristocrats. Vic was apparently underwhelmed by her “gift” but other recipients received them more enthusiastically, and the flat-faced little guys became a hot commodity.

Patently, in-vogue hounds aren’t just a status symbol of this moment. I’m of the school who believes that canine companions should always come from animal shelters or responsible breeders. There are also many breed-specific rescue organisations if you’re hellbent on a “fancy dog”. That way, you can rehome a whippet or daxie in need, smother them with love, and shower them with presents of the Hermès-collar, Fendi-leash, and Burberry-jacket kind.

• From the October edition of Wanted, 2024.