Paris Hilton and Designer Dog Carriers

Paris Hilton has made tiny dogs a must-have fashion accessory. She has also brought tiny dog clothes and tiny dog accessories into the limelight. Paris Hilton, the hotel heiress and badly behaved party girl totes her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, in a large purse. A dog carrier, specifically. A very expensive designer dog carrier.

The whole world has watched Paris carry Tinkerbell in a variety of different luxury dog carriers. In doing so, she has started a trendy dog carrier phenomenon. Dog carriers are hugely popular, and everyone wants what Paris Hilton has. All dogs want what Tinkerbell has, and Tinkerbell keeps raising the bar.

One of Paris Hilton’s favorite dog carrier designers is PuchiBag. For a company that has only been around for two years, PuchiBag has made quite a name for itself as a celebrity favorite. Other celebrities are fond of PuchiBag as well, including Jennifer Lopez and Kirsten Dunst.

So how are other celebrities toting their beloved dogs around? Portia de Rossi, Halle Berry, and Elizabeth Taylor favor the Hermes doggie bag, a mere $1500. Louis Vuitton’s Sac Chien (around $1000) is a favorite among the rich and famous. Rumor has it this is how supermodel Gisele totes her dog around.

Designer dog carriers aren’t the only luxury dog product on the market. Designer dog clothes, dog collars, leashes, dog beds and jewelry are flooding the market.

Kate Spade has expanded her line to include dog products. She's designed Kate dog bags in real crocodile for $4,000. Other designers also carry lines just for dogs - such as Burberry, with their Burberry Dog collection. The products range from plush bedding to double twisted leads and more. Juicy Couture sells designer dog beds, dog carriers and dog clothes.

And Paris Hilton has jumped on the bandwagon. Paris has designed her own jewelry collection, the Paris Hilton Collection, crafted from the highest quality sterling silver and crystals. Paris turned her attention to dogs after people started commenting how great her pooch looked. "I think a lot of people admire Tinkerbell's look as well, which is why I decided to include a pet collar as part of the new collection," Paris told Amazon.com, which is the only place to buy pieces from her collection.

Despite the interest and high demand for luxury products, instant access is one luxury you'll have to forego. Not all designer products are available over the Internet. In fact, some of the highest-end designers like Gucci, Burberry and Kate Spade, won't sell their pet products online. A favorite of Paris Hilton’s, Puchibag (all things dog carriers), has also recently stopped offering online sales.

People consider their pets as part of the family, and with it brings the willingness to spend money on them. And the high-end designers have certainly caught on. Hilton's inexplicable trend-setting abilities aside, the pup-in-a-purse trend has been very, very good for the dog product market. The dog products industry should thank Ms. Hilton.

Next article: Designer Dog Carriers - Fashion vs. Function