VIRAL! Paris Hilton & Tinkerbell Are the Original It-Girl Duo—And the Tiny Dog Steals Every Scene!

Heiress Paris Hilton and her little dog, too

Authored by Nicole Wilde, CPDT-KA

Last refreshed: October 7, 2024

Paris Hilton's star power is plain to see—paparazzi trail her every move, feeding the public's bottomless hunger for even the tiniest crumb of gossip about the leggy blonde heir to the Hilton fortune. Fox leaned hard into Paris's privileged socialite status with the reality show The Simple Life, which trailed Paris and her best pal Nicole Ritchie as they stepped out of their gilded bubble to live with a regular farming family in small-town Arkansas. Sort of a reality-TV flip on Green Acres meets The Beverly Hillbillies, the show blew up so big that Fox is dropping The Simple Life 2 on June 16. This time the two 'celebutantes' cruise across the U.S. in a hot-pink truck—again with no cash, cards, or phones.

Once more, Paris rolls with her ever-present pooch, a sweet little Chihuahua named Tinkerbell. A fan fave for her spunky attitude and weird love of the countryside, Tink showed millions that Chihuahuas aren't always the skittish, fragile, yappy things they're chalked up to be. Though she usually rides in Louis Vuitton or Christian Dior carriers, 'Tink' proved super adaptable and was soon right at home with the Leding family's farm dogs. 'Tinkerbell had fun in Arkansas,' says Paris. 'So much room to play in, and even with the farm animals way bigger than her, she still had a blast.'

Paris credits Tinkerbell's sweet streak to good socializing. 'I think she's friendly with everyone because I take her almost everywhere, so she's used to all kinds of people in new spots constantly.' Paris says that while Tink can be shy at first with strangers, she warms up fast. Asked if folks—men especially—warm to a small dog like Tink as quickly, Paris says, 'Most people I meet are drawn to Tinkerbell and like her. Sure, not everyone's a dog person, but most I cross paths with think she's cute. Guys usually like bigger dogs they can take to the park or beach and run with, but even with a large dog, they can still appreciate a nice small one.'

Though past Hilton pets included two Pomeranians, Dolce and Sebastian, and a Bulldog named Max, Paris says, 'The second I saw Tinks, I just knew she was my dog. I had to have her.'

These days Tinkerbell is nearly as famous as her globe-trotting owner—proof being that gossip scribes will invent rumours about the little dog's love life. Last year several tabs ran a story that Tinkerbell got 'preggers' fooling around with a friend's Pomeranian. The tip was said to come from Paris's sister Nicky, but when Modern Dog asked Paris, she said, 'NOT true. I hadn't heard that one.' Her clipped reply hints she guards Tink's rep harder than her own—Paris has weathered some brutally rude press with calm and grit.

Love her or loathe her, we can't get enough of watching Paris Hilton—especially with perky Tinkerbell by her side. We'll soon catch Paris in the Warner Brothers film House of Wax, out in October, but if you can't wait, check her summer album, or her upcoming book, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose.

Susan Kauffmann lives in Vancouver with her Malamute, Kuma, who's also a Chihuahua fan.

Say you have two kids. With treats in hand, start strolling slowly, spaced apart. Your dog will naturally wander over to join the game. When he’s near one child, call “Freeze!” Everyone stops, folds arms, stands still. Whoever he’s closest to faces him and asks for a Sit. On success, treat, and play resumes. As he improves, ramp the excitement—faster walking, then running, screaming, arm-waving, whatever the kids enjoy.

If he lacks self-control, that over-the-top enthusiasm can turn into jumping, nipping, or—with little kids—even knocking them down.

With practice, your dog learns that anyone stopping and folding arms means he should stop and sit at once. So when the kids play and he gets over-aroused—chasing, jumping, nipping—anyone can yell “Freeze!” and he’ll auto-sit. Great for empowering kids, teaching self-control, and breaking the escalation. It also helps when he jumps on them: they fold arms to make him stop and sit.

Is the way you pet your dog triggering over-excitement? More common than you think!

Believe it or not, plain petting can over-excite a dog. I’ve lost count of owners saying, “He loves petting, but then he starts nipping!” The trick is how you pet. Long, calm, firm strokes—never reaching down over his head—should relax him. Pat-pat-pat, wild scratching, or anything but calm tells him play is on, and since he has no thumbs, he answers with his mouth. This spikes especially with head-patting. If petting winds him up, watch the interaction and dial your own energy down a notch.

Could insufficient exercise be the root cause of the behavior?

Lastly, if he’s hyperactive generally rather than in specific moments, check his exercise. By age, breed, and condition, he may need anything from a ten-minute walk to a mile-plus hike to meet his needs and settle at home. (Most teenage dogs fall far short.)

Also pile on the mental stimulation:

► Chew items like stuffed Kongs or bully sticks

► Puzzles where he moves things to reach treats (always supervised)

► Training sessions, especially clicker work, which teaches dogs to think and offer behaviours