Your dog might not be a supermodel, but it could smell like one. Fashion house Dolce & Gabbana debuted Fefé, a perfume for pooches inspired by billionaire fashion designer Domenico Dolce’s dog Fefé. “It’s a tender and embracing fragrance crafted for a playful beauty routine,” the company said. But it might lead you to ask if perfumes are safe for your dog.
A promotional video for Fefé shows a parade of pampered pooches with a voiceover calling out buzzwords like “authentic,” “enigmatic,” “rebel” and “irresistible.” “No animals were mistreated during the making of this campaign,” the fashion house said on X on August 1. “Their safety was fully protected.” The primary scents are ylang-ylang (a tropical tree), musk and sandalwood. The perfume comes with a Dolce & Gabbana dog collar and tag.
The concept of scents for dogs isn’t new. Pet owners have long sought ways to cover or clean up doggy odors. You’ll find dog colognes, perfumes and deodorizing sprays for sale from pet supply shops. Dolce & Gabbana’s entry into the field puts some high-fashion heft behind the idea. It also comes with a hefty price tag of €99 ($108) for a small green glass bottle with a red cap and a 24kt-gold-plated paw symbol on the front.
Fefé is alcohol-free and its first ingredient is water. It contains fragrance and several different oils, including citrus peel oil and cedar oil. “Spray Fefé on your hands or on a brush and proceed by rubbing or brushing your dog’s fur from the middle of the body towards the tail to give them a moment of scented pampering,” Dolce & Gabbana instructs. “Fefé can also be applied directly to your dog’s body avoiding the nose area.”
The product page says the perfume is Safe Pet Cosmetics certified through an Italian program that aims to ensure products are safe for animals. The fashion label also asserts the perfume is approved by vets, though it doesn’t offer details on which vets. I reached out to Dolce & Gabbana for comment.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a non-profit organization, runs an Animal Poison Control Center to answer questions about potentially dangerous substances. It doesn’t address specially formulated dog perfumes, but discusses what can happen if a dog licks a person’s skin after they’ve applied perfume for humans: “Perfumes are primarily composed of essential oils and alcohols which in small amounts may cause the pet to wonder what it was they just tasted, but not likely much more.” ASPCA declined to comment on Fefé, but shared its dog grooming tips for keeping your pup clean and fresh. Recommendations include bathing at least every three months and using a shampoo formulated for pets.
Dolce & Gabbana’s description of Fefé calls out “cocooning and warm” notes from the ylang-ylang, a “clean and enveloping” touch of musk and “woody creamy undertones” from the sandalwood. Those scents are all designed to appeal to human sensibilities. Most dogs would happily roll around on a dead fish. Different strokes for different species.
