People joke that the number of pet dogs in Beijing is more than the urban population. It is an exaggeration to some but Beijingers seem to love their pets more than most.

They might address their offspring as "lazy little scamps", but they call their dogs "honey" or "sweet heart"; they may not take a shower everyday, but they wash their pets without complaint; they might be pensioners and tighten their belts to subsist, but they have no problems spending money on keeping a dog.

A prominent chapter in the history of raising dogs in Beijing dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when the country was in the hands of the Manchu ethnic group who grew fond of the four-legged beasts and even took them to fight a war.

Beijing was the capital at that time, and the Forbidden City was inhabited by the royal family of the Manchus. They kept the tradition of raising dogs that later spread far and wide among common citizens.

Over the past 15 years, the number of pet dogs in the city has risen dramatically, right after the local government lifted a ban. Now Beijing is home to more than 1 million dogs, according to recent statistics.

Day or night, if you walk into any residential area, it will be easy to spot someone walking their dog. Often, there is no lead attached to the puppy, which makes it more like a human companion rather than an animal. They always stroll at the same leisurely, carefree pace.

If they meet their neighbors with dogs too, then two groups emerge at once: One is for people to engage in gossip, the other is for dogs to career madly around the playground. That is one of the most interesting things I have seen in the city.

But some Beijingers spoil their dogs too much. Especially during winter, when they dress their pets up as living toys with colorful vests and even pairs of homemade boots. I pity these dogs deeply, and realize how civilized they have become. If you tried such things to a wild dog, it would bite you so much.

Once I met a middle-aged woman in the yard. She held a well-dressed pet in her arms and refused to put it on the ground, which, in her words, was too bumpy and cold. I bet the dog would manage to walk very well, no matter how rough the road was.

Dog's droppings are the things that some pet lovers turn a blind eye to. There is no fine for leaving the pet waste in a public place, and so avoiding stepping in disgusting dung has therefore become a skill that pedestrians have had to develop.

If people are willing to wipe their little baby's bottoms, why cannot they do it to their "sweet heart" pets too?

(China Daily March 27, 2008)