Fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has launched a new alcohol-free perfume for dogs called “Fefé” in honor of Domenico Dolce’s poodle, but not all vets and pet owners agree it’s safe or appropriate.
The perfume costs 99 euros ($108) for 100 milliliters (3.4 ounces) and has been certified suitable for animal use. It follows a Safe Pet Cosmetics protocol designed to ensure a degree of safety of cosmetic products for animals comparable to that required for humans, Dolce & Gabbana said.
“Through a compliance recognition to this protocol granted by Bureau Veritas Italia, participating companies demonstrate their sensitivity in creating products that ensure the safety and respect of the animal, in accordance with established standards,” the company said in the statement issued for the launch of the perfume.
Bureau Veritas Italia is a publicly held company that provides inspection, laboratory verification and certification services.
All of the dog owners consulted by the fashion company agree that the fragrance is “gentle and well accepted by their pets,” and veterinarians approve of the product, according to the Dolce & Gabbana web page dedicated to Fefé, which cites performance reviews by veterinarians and customers.
Gregorio Borgia / AP
Scents and sensibility
But not all veterinarians agree on the use of perfumes for dogs. For one thing, spritzing a dog with cologne may interfere with the animal’s heightened sense of smell, which the American Kennel Club describes as their “superpower.” According to Phoenix Veterinary Center, dogs have as many as 300 million olfactory receptors, compared with 6 million in humans, enabling them to detect everything from buried explosives to diseases such as cancer, as well as stress, by way of smell.
“Dogs recognize themselves by smells, they recognize a person by a smell,” said Federico Coccía, a veterinarian in Rome who holds a doctorate from the University of Teramo.
“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.’ Therefore, this world of smells should not be changed,” Coccia added.
There is also concern that the use of dog fragrances could cover up bad odors that could be a symptom of diseases.
For Coccia, becoming aware of an ongoing dermatological disease can be problematic if dogs’ natural odors are covered up. “In the case of sebaceous dermatitis, for instance, the smell somehow completes my diagnosis,” he said.
“The smell of breath, the smell of earwax are disguised by the perfume. So, it could be a problem even for us vets,” Coccia added.
Growing niche
To be sure, the booming pet market is well-scented with dog fragrances. Valued at $1.44 billion in 2024, the pet perfume market is expected to reach $2.26 billion by 2034, according to research from Quince Markets Insights in an article on LinkedIn.
Among the enthusiastic users of pet fragrances are groomers who take care of the hair and aesthetics of dogs. Aliof Rilova Tano, a dog groomer at Morgana Carpentieri’s La Boutique delle Birbe parlor in Rome, said that in general he is in favor of using fragrances for pets.
“Our dogs live with us, so a little dog at home on the couch next to us with a perfume is always pleasant,” he said.
Grooming customers often feel the same way, so much so that customer Mariarita Ricciardi said she is in favor of “anything that has to do with a natural scenting … and that can also help the quality of the hair.”
However, there are also pet owners who would never use perfumes on their animals.
“Especially brand perfumes, it seems to be a very exaggerated process of humanization,” said Francesca Castelli, a dog-owner strolling in Rome’s Villa Borghese.