Canine couture in Taiwan

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Canine couture in Taiwan | Furry Fashionable; What pampered pooches reveal about national security. Economist, Aug 6, 2016.
http://www.economist.com/news/as ... y-furry-fashionable

Quote:

"LONDON or Paris? Milan or New York? Fashionistas differ on which city is the most stylish. For four-legged trendsetters, however, there is a clear winner: Taipei.

"A troubling trend is driving the popularity of canine couture: Taiwan's rock-bottom birth rate. At just 1.1 births per woman, it is far below the replacement rate of 2.1, at which the population would stabilise. * * * Caring for a dog seems to have become a substitute for having children.

Note: "The baby bust is giving the government paws for thought. * * * if Taiwanese youth decides that dogs are less trouble than sprogs"
(i) " giving the government paws for thought"

a wordplay of either "food for thought" or "give someone pause."
(A) pause (n): "a reason or cause for pausing (as to reconsider) <a thought that should give one pause>"
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pause
(B) give pause: "give someone pause (for thought)   Fig[urative]. to cause someone to stop and think"
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/give+pause
(ii) "The word 'sprog' is simply British slang for 'baby' or 'small child.' The origin of 'sprog' is something of a mystery."
Evan Morris. The Word Detective, Nov 27, 2000.
www.word-detective.com/112700.html