A customer walked into my store last week holding the tiniest, fluffiest, cutest little dog I have ever seen in my entire life. The white Maltese puppy was named "Coach," had a tiny Coach collar and leash, and, to top it all off, was wearing a little sweater with the message "My owner is hotter than yours" embroidered in pastel pink script.

I know this isn't breaking news; fashionistas have been toting tiny canines around Hollywood for a while now, but I live in Texas. Most of the time, once a trend has made it all the way down to the Lone Star State, I can feel pretty confident that it's....well.....over.

I'm worried, though, that carrying pint-size pups doesn't fall into the "passing trend" category. According to a recent article in the New York Times fashion section, little canines, or "sleeve dogs," have been a status symbol for ages, keeping women such as Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth II company, among others. And registration of many of the most popular breeds of small dogs has grown exponentially - the Norwich Terrier has gone up 91% in the last 10 years.

"I think of them as a handbag with a heartbeat," said Robin Bowden, a Manhattan real-estate mogul. And Rebecca Rand, a spokeswoman for the W hotel chain, said guests traveling with small dogs have become such a significant trend that the hotels are now offering services such as pet pillows with special treats placed on them at turndown time.

I know, it's disturbing, right? Something needs to be done, but first I need to pick which dog I want more - the Yorkshire Terrier or the doll-sized Chihuahua. They both fit in my purse, but I can't decide which will match better with my shoes.