Toy breeds earn chic boost from 'Blonde' film role

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

Tomomi Ikene plays with her 4-year-old Chihuahua, Lara, at a park. Lara is dressed in a "Moulin Rouge"-style corset that she wore for Halloween. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Reese Witherspoon did the poochie coochie in "Legally Blonde 2." Pint-size pooches got a boost from the film role. Advertiser library photo

Mei Albertson's 11-month-old long-haired Chihuahua, Mimi, rides her pursemobile in the park. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Pocketing a purebred of your own Gerri Cadiz, president of the Hawaiian Kennel Club, and Cheryl Chang, president of Tropical Toy Dog Fanciers of Hawai'i, offer these tips for buying a toy dog: • Research before shopping to find out what kind of dog is best for you. See Web sites (such as the American Kennel Club site at www.akc.org). Read books, attend dog shows or inquire with dog clubs and consider things like physical appearance, size, temperament and availability. Look for a reputable breeder. Ilio Dog Magazine, co-published by Cadiz, has a list of breeders. Call 262-5236. After finding a breeder, expect to pay $800 to $1,200 for a quality, purebred toy dog, Chang said. Also expect to wait up to six months or a year before getting a puppy "because reputable people don't breed all the time," Chang said. "They may have one or two litters a year." Consider checking out the Hawaiian Humane Society. Call 946-2187.

Big brown eyes. Teeny snout. A furry head no bigger than a tennis ball that pops out as Albertson speaks.

Meet Mimi, a 2.2-pound, tan-colored, long-hair Chihuahua that's happy to sit quietly in its master's makeshift carrier.

"She keeps me company, and she's so cute," said the Kapolei resident, gazing at her toy dog. "I just can't stop looking at her. She's like my baby."

Albertson, 32, is among the growing number of die-hard dog lovers drawn to such canine cuties — or toy breeds, as the American Kennel Club calls them — thanks in part to celebrities and their pocket-size pups seemingly everywhere on the big and small screens.

"I saw that movie, 'Legally Blonde,' and that was a short-hair (Chihuahua), so I was looking for a short-hair in the beginning," Albertson said. "But then I saw ... (Mimi) and I just fell in love."

Albertson, a saleswoman, purchased the 11-month-old pup in November.

Bruiser, Reese Witherspoon's fashionable four-legged friend in the wildly popular 2001 flick, is taking the spotlight again in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde." The sequel opened July 2 and raked in $22.9 million during its first weekend.

"Yes, it seems like smaller dogs are becoming more popular," said Daisy Okas, spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club. "It could be influenced by the trends on TV or the movies, as we saw with the pug in 'Men in Black.' But it also happens with bigger dogs: '101 Dalmatians' sparked an interest in Dalmatians."

According to AKC registration statistics, however, the small dog is making gains. The Yorkshire terrier, Chihuahua and shih tzu rank sixth, ninth and 10th on the Top 10 list of most popular dogs, according to 2002 AKC registrations. In the 1990 registration, none of the toy breeds were in the Top 10.

The trend "may be true across the nation, but definitely here in Hawai'i, too," said Gerri Cadiz, president of the Hawaiian Kennel Club, a member club of the AKC and the state's largest kennel club.

Among the popular toy dogs in Hawai'i: Pomeranians, papillons and shih tzus, Cadiz said.

Glenn Benedicto, manager of Pet's Central, the largest importer of purebred puppies on the island, said the demand for toy breeds has been steady over the last few years.

"I've got a lot of requests right now for Chihuahuas, and unfortunately, we can't keep up with the demand because of the fact that Chihuahuas are small-breed dogs and they generally don't have big litters," Benedicto said.

Cadiz said the Chihuahua boom may have been a result of the popular "Yo quiero Taco Bell" commercials a few years ago.

But celebrity and media influences aren't the only reasons for the growing interest in toy breeds, Cadiz said.

"O'ahu, especially, has become more urbanized, and it's easier to keep a small dog than a larger one," Cadiz said, "and the other thing, so many people that are interested in getting a dog want a puppy. They want a little dog they can baby, and a toy dog never outgrows that stage."

Daisy Yamada of Kapi'olani has babied her baby — a five-pound Yorkshire terrier named Jolie — the past 11 years.

"People in my condo elevator never say 'Good morning' without saying first 'Where's your baby?' if I don't have her on my shoulder," said the office building manager, 55. "It's sickening, and I love it."

Like Yamada, Tomomi Ikene of Waikele considers her 4-year-old Lara a daughter, even dolling up the seven-pound Chihuahua in fancy threads on special occasions.

"You just want to spoil her," said the bridal store co-owner, 32.

Lara has accumulated nearly 20 outfits over the years, including a pink "Princess" T-shirt, a pink and black "Moulin Rouge"-inspired corset for Halloween and a tiny cheongsam.

The indulgences don't stop there.

Ikene's little one travels comfortably in a baby stroller or wrapped up in a pink baby blanket, while Yamada totes her Yorkie around everywhere in a personalized canvas bag.

Okas said there's nothing wrong with plopping these hairy handfuls in well-ventilated designer carryalls. In fact, the dogs prefer to be near their masters. "Toy breeds are characterized as, and bred to be, companion animals," she said. "They want to be with their owners at all times."

So what if you want to be like Reese Witherspoon's character in "Legally Blonde" and lug around your own tiny toy? Okas has a few words of advice from the AKC: "You need to do your research. Find out their characteristics and find a reputable breeder," she said. "Don't just get a dog because you saw it on TV and it looks cute."

Reporter Greg Morago of the Hartford (Conn.) Courant contributed to this report. Reach Zenaida Serrano Espanol at 535-8174 or zespanol@honoluluadvertiser.com.