Barking Mad: Dog Owners Photographed Around Japan 'Walking Their Dogs'

The insightful series of photos, taken by writer and photographer Trevor Mogg, show the strange habits of doting pet owners in Kyoto and Osaka.

Trevor, 47, said: “Often I think the phenomenon can be put down to nothing more than pure mollycoddling - it certainly looks that way with the ones in the prams and shoulder bags.

“Some people pop their pet in a shoulder bag, others put them in a pram or in a basket on the front of their bike, while some just pick them up and carry them.”

Mogg, who grew up in Hampshire, now lives in Kyoto and after noticing the bizarre trend he decided to create the collection called 'Taking the dog for a walk (sort of).'

And Trevor believes that there are a number of reasons why dog owners in Japan choose to walk their pups this way.

He said: “For example, the dogs in the bike baskets may be on their way to a park for a runaround or simply visiting the local shops, and so the owner just wants to get there quickly rather than walk, while at the same time giving their dog an outing.

“The people carrying their pooch in their arms may be giving them a break - most of these dogs are are tiny and therefore quick to get tired during a walk.”

In Japan, pets are often considered to be family members and many pets are as well loved as children, and may even serve as a substitute for those who choose to forgo child-rearing.

The Japanese “pet boom” can be traced back to 2003, where it was estimated that the combined number of dogs and cats in Japan had outnumbered the amount of children.

Trevor said: “I started taking these dog-carrying photos a couple of years ago and I'm still adding to the collection.

“Seeing the dogs being carried about often put a smile on my face, and so I hope the photos have the same effect on the people that see them.”

To take a look at more of Trevor’s photography, visit his website; http://www.trevormogg.com/