Overflow of Toy dogs!

I always believed that I was good with animals and children, but walking down the streets of Beijing I have begun to doubt my worth! I am not sure if it is my boots that seem to attract these small felines attention, but I seem to be creating a stir wherever I go. Admittedly I have
been unable to work out if these small animals are just trying to protect their owners, more often than not, of an elderly age - mind you there is the gentleman at the kiosk that sports a wig as opposed to toupee, whose young friend seems hell bent on driving my custom away!

These little dogs, if one deems to calls them as such, are what we would consider in the rest of the world as a 'toy dog' and certainly a luxury. It is interesting therefore, that here in a country
where wages are so low, these dogs are in abundance. Is it because their owners appartments have limited space? I have so far to date not seen one of these doggies being carried, unlike the pictures we all know of so well, of Paris Hilton and her little friends; or are they trying to be more aristocratic, the Queen herself owns a large amount of Corgies.

The assortment seems to know no end, some of which I do not even know the name of the breed, but can describe them. There is the minature poodle, pure breed costing 2.500nis (around 138 pounds or $350) but mongrels of course a good deal less. There are countless
Pekinese, Pugs and some kind of small hairballs with or without hair on their actual bodies (quite ugly I must say, I have even seen a Sheltie.

I have been given to believe that there are larger breeds around other provinces including the
St. Bernard, which I can quite appreciate given the amount of snow that falls here. These animals are so loved, that last week a woman was photographed crying on the street, begging for help from passers by, to find her lost pup - with no reward offered. It is reported that she did find her lost pal in a neighboring building.

It is strange then to me that in the local Korean restaurant, dog meat is on the menu, but will explain why you rarely see these toys out on the street without a leash and certainly not roaming around freely. My only complaint about them is that when they 'yap' at me, they do so so noisily, that all (which is a lotof people) turn around to look!!