If you have ever noticed the striking similarity between the designs of certain sex toys and toys meant for pets, you certainly are not alone out there. Taking this idea to its logical conclusion, the kind folks at Hot Doll have finally just said screw it and are manufacturing high end sex toys for dogs. With a web site full of shots of dog-on-doll action and articles celebrating the many design awards that Hot Doll has earned, this certainly has the appearance of being a legitimate product. Could this be the start of a brave new world of satisfied canines and uncomfortable silences at dinner parties?

It is natural enough to ask yourself at this point a couple of simple, monosyllabic questions, namely huh? and why? After all, is it really a good idea to start concerning ourselves with the recreational sexual fulfillment of other species? Couldn’t we be teetering at the edge of slippery slope into depravity (and not the good kind)? Isn’t there something in Bible about this or some laws on the books somewhere? What would Bob Parker have to say about all of this?

Of course the answer to most of these questions is equally obvious. As any owner of a frisky male dog has discovered, it does not much to get Spot hot under the collar, so to speak, and this can lead a variety of unpleasant scenarios. Whether it is pestering a bewildered guest or dry humping the furniture, a badly behaved dog in need can behave like a downright animal. Can’t he do that somewhere else? Well, citizens of Earth, now he can.

As for the design of the Hot Doll, form can definitely be said to follow function. The product description by the manufacture praises the ergonomic design of the Hot Doll, particularly the “no slide system” of the legs with “extreme grip” support. The inverted silicone cone in the rear is can be heated in the microwave prior to use, and the entire device can easily be cleaned with regular soap and water. At the same time, the Hot Doll is a surprisingly aesthetically pleasing piece of work that was clearly informed by some of the current trends in modern sculpture and other art objects.

This is not the first time that designers have put the supposed needs of their pets ahead of common decency. For instance, there was Neuticals trend that swept both headlines and pet surgery rooms earlier this decade. Neuticals are prosthetic testicles that were designed to be put in place after a dog is neutered in order preserve his sense of self worth and gender identity. The invention was actually such a hit with neurotic pet owners that it brought in millions of dollars in revenue and earned the inventor Gregg Miller Harvard’s 2005 Improbable Research award. Never mind that the recipients of these silicone implants probably couldn’t care less.

Everyone laughed when Miller first announced his line of Neuticals, but, like an evil genius with a death ray, it appears that Miller might be having the last laugh after all. Already other canine pleasure devices such the Doggie Lover Doll have begun appearing on the market. Given the over-zealous tendency of many pet lovers to make their dogs as happy and well adjusted as possible, perhaps the people at Hot Doll are but the first to cross the line into a strange and messy future of pet ownership.

Whether the cool touch of silicone will ever really feel the void that loneliness brings in the deep and complex libido of a a frigging dog remains to be seen.