Pampered pooches are nothing new. We've all seen princesses carrying their tiny tiara wearing dogs in Louis Vuitton carriers. But an Australian company has gone one step further by creating designer purses for pups.

Snooty Paws looks to satisfy the poshest dogs and their owners with accessories like Dior-styled "Dogior" ...

Forget chihuahuas and teacup poodles. The hottest pet to carry in your handbag now is a pygmy hedgehog!

Trend monitors predict these spiky cuties will grace the purse of every style-loving WAG this winter. And at £250 a pop, they're a lot cheaper than many designer accessories! And just like any ...

Lipstick? ... Check. Cell phone? ... Check. Chihuahua? ... ummm Check!

Did you ever think that one day we would be considering our pets a fashion accessory? Turns out that it has become normal in some circles to take your dog for a walk and the animal does no walking at all.

You don't have to be strolling the red carpet to purse your miniature K-9 anymore. Apparently it's now socially acceptable to walk just about anywhere and have glazed eyes, a long tounge and a fur covered head bobbing out of your handbag.

It may seem silly, but you are clearly making a statement when something that you are wearing happens to be a living breathing animal.

But what exactly is that statement? A bit of history can clue us in...
An Historic Pastime!
Oddly enough the practice of carrying your dog in a handbag goes back to Ancient Rome. Elite women would put their tiny Maltese's in a sleeve when walking throughout the streets. Another name for the Maltese dog in Rome was 'the Roman Ladies' Dog' and the breed became a physical symbol of loyalty.

Today the Maltese (that's the small white fluffy one pictured right for those less aquainted with dog breeds) is still a popular 'carry dog' with women. Now you can see a Maltese hung round a hot girl's waist while she goes for a power walk on the beach.

Another early 'carry-dog' was the Pekingese lapdog, bred in ancient China to fit inside the sleeves of a man's robe. So it hasn't always just been women that have an obsession with carrying around small dogs.

Through recent centuries a wider variety of 'lap dogs' became popular among royalty and the rich. Nowadays there is a diverse range of small pooches that have become fashionable 'handbag dogs'.

Today a dog in a bag still screams out loud that you have a financial status that compares to few. Who else could afford to risk destroying their handbag and all it's contents with Poodle piddle, not to mentions the high costs to buy and maintain these animals?

Who would have thought that millions of years of evolution would see certain breeds of dogs in some weird symbiotic class-status relationship with humans. The fad of carrying a bow-wow under your arm has been here for centuries and isn't going anywhere soon!

But is lugging a turd producing mutt around town really worth it? Let's weigh up the options...

Don't get me wrong. I'm all about recycling and preserving the planet, and I do my part to offer a rallying cry for the "green" movement. This bit of news, however, just kind of rubs me the wrong way (pun intended).

The company Catty Shack Creations has found their own niche in ...

Timmy Woods made a big impression with her Eiffel Tower bag, carried by Carrie Bradshaw in the original Sex and the City movie. Now she’s turning her attention to another famous landmark.

Timmy will gift First Lady Michelle Obama with a specially designed White House handbag, ...

Dare to be different with this adorable Ashley M Hair Gossip bag!

This fun purse features two dogs enjoying a gossip session at their local salon. With their fur in rollers and the smiles on their faces, these chatty canines aren't too different from most of us! The print has a pretty pink ...