My dog is much too large to go in any of my bags (though he's only medium sized). But I know there was the celebrity phenomenon a few years ago of carrying tiny dogs like chihuahuas in purses. I never actually met anyone who does it really life though, and I don't know whether it was just a celebrity thing or something that people actually do.
If you do, or you know someone who does, I'm wondering - do you still use the purse as a purse? It can't be comfortable for the dog to sit on glasses cases and umbrellas and make-up bags.
I lived in New York City for several years and I will say that I have seen this. Actually, what you see semi-frequently in NYC is people pushing dogs in strollers. I can understand doing this if you are concerned about your dog because of the mass of people and traffic, but it looks incredibly ridiculous. That's actually one of the reasons I never considered getting a dog in NYC. It is too stressful and not worth looking like a crazy dog in bag/stroller person.
I don't have one small enough to carry in my purse; although I would like that very much 🙂 I think it is cute and cuddling and I bet the bond is tremendous!
I have never seen anyone carry their dogs in a purse that I know. When my dog was a puppy though use to carry him in a bag, when I had to leave for a long time and I would let him walk till he tired out and he would sit in my bag with his front legs and head out looking about. He really enjoyed it but now he is to big and to fll of energy for that!
Oh yes, not only have I seen many women carry their little dogs in a fashion bag but it's so common where I live that I'm surprised when they let the dog walk on a leash. There is even this one older lady who has a stroller, like a kid's stroller, for her little dog. The dog isn't injured or anything, but she never lets it just walk. I'm at the point where I wonder if it's not some weird baby substitution. I don't like the idea of carrying a healthy animal around when it has four functional legs. I would carry a dog around if it was injured and needed company but not as an accessory. Though I think some celebrities like Paris Hilton carried around their dogs as a form a comfort in a crowd of paparazzi and haters.