Shanghai Dog Names

Dou Dou's story is a complex one. This Poodle wears human clothing, including the pants, sweaters, and even shoes and socks. More so, she wears clips in her hair that make her flurry ears look like she's wearing pigtails. Finally, she has a lion backpack. And then, she walks all around Shanghai, China on two legs, like a human. 

It sounds adorable in theory, and she's certainly got style. Enough to get press coverage all around the world. When she walks around Shanghai, people turn their heads to get a better look. Often times, people mistake her for a little girl, only to then realize that it's a dog. 

It's made all the more interesting by the fact that she has an entire closet dedicated to human clothing, with shoes and socks. She even has several different backpacks, such as a monkey themed one. She's gained admirers by the dozens. People flock over to her, taking pictures and laughing. They will often post about her online, and mention "Dou Dou, the dog that's become a human girl." 

But is this really as innocent and entertaining as it seems? If Dou Dou could talk, what would she say? These are the questions that activists bombarded Dou Dou's owners with, and the truth is a little hard to take.  

When dogs walk on two legs for a lengthy period of time, like Dou Dou for instance, it becomes uncomfortable for them, and can even result in physical injury. This is due to evolution. Dogs have four legs in order to walk and maneuver in such a way that makes them skilled in areas we humans can only imagine. With four legs, they can be super fast, swift, and ideal in dangerous situations. They can sniff with their powerful noses, sniff for miles, and track down anything or anyone. 

Even their ears are meant to listen over long distances, a skill that serves them in most situations. So, walking on two legs is unnatural for them. And in order to reprogram their minds into acting like a human girl, the owner would have had to resort to some pretty cruel training methods. In other words, what looks innocent on the streets of Shanghai is actually quite sad. The amount of mental turmoil the dog had to go through in order to walk around on two feet wasn't worth it.