Dogs in Japan

Yes - your eyes do not deceive you. The little girl is walking a dog poo (that has arms and legs) together with her dog. For those of you who didnt already know, Japanese dog poo grow arms and legs.

The sign is asking dog owners to take home their dogs poo. But they use the word "Tsureru" [連れる[つれる]] which is usually used when you bring a living person or thing somewhere.

In my nine years-ish of living in Japan, I've seen dog poo left on the pavement about twice. In the 27 years that I spent growing up in London, seeing poo was a daily event - and stepping in poo was just soo annoying as it gets into the groves of the sole and smells like - well poo.
I still remember seeing a chunk of poo with twigs stuck in it - some kids didn't have anything better to play with I guess.

But enough of the poo talk - wanted to talk about dog clothing. Everyday I see dogs wearing clothes and was wondering if this was a Japanese thing or not - do dogs in your region wear clothes? Dog owners - do you or would you dress your dog up in clothing? Above: More dog clothing. Do dog owners dress their dog up to look smart or to keep them warm? Do dogs even get cold?