A fashion company called Dolce & Gabbana launched a perfume for dogs called “Fefé.” Not all vets and pet owners agree it’s a great invention. 

The cost for the perfume? $108 for a 3.4-ounce bottle. That’s a little less than a half-cup. 

The perfume’s ingredients won’t hurt a dog’s skin or fur. The dog owners who tested the scent thought it wasn’t too strong. It smells like sweet ylang-ylang flowers and earthy sandalwood. 

But not all veterinarians agree on the use of perfumes for dogs. These animals have a sense of smell that’s over 10,000 times stronger than a human’s. The perfume could be confusing for the super sniffers.

 “Dogs recognize themselves by smells,” says veterinarian Federico Coccía. “They recognize a person by a smell.” 

“When the dog arrives, he sees you, wags his tail, but first smells you and then recognizes you because you are stored in one of his ‘smell drawers.’” Mr. Coccia adds. “This world of smells should not be changed.”

Plus, the perfume could cover up signs of sickness. When dogs have diseases in their mouths, their breath often smells bad. Really bad. If perfume masks the odor, owners might not notice anything wrong. 

 “The smell of breath [and] the smell of earwax are disguised by the perfume. So it could be a problem even for us vets,” Mr. Coccia says. 

Still, many folks who like their dogs to stay well-groomed think it’s worth the risk. Some people find that indoor pets make their houses and furniture smell awful. A $108 perfume doesn’t sound so pricey compared to buying new furniture. Still, it might be a good idea to avoid both purchases and simply keep the pups off the couch.