Pawsitively pampered

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One might want to think again before saying ‘It’s a dog’s life’ now. The pooches are pampered and how. With pet-tastic dog vacations, where canine lovers are willing to spend as much as $70,000, to dog spas, dog schools, exotic dog food, toys, clothes and beds, the list is endless.

Picture this: You plan a vacation for your pet and the coddled canine is collected by a chauffeur and taken to his own luxury dog hotel. With activities such as swimming, surfing, reiki, card playing, spa, grooming, hurdling, a counselling session and a personal chef, pet owners are going all out with action-packed vacations for their cherished dogs. Begin exploring and you will find plenty of options for a selection of 5-star luxury dog-friendly holiday cottages. From Guccis to Poochis, it’s luxury all the way. After all, who can deny these pets can be a man’s best friend.
Talking of luxury, Tabu Rao, wife of an MLA from Bengaluru who loves to travel, seems to keep her Shih Tzu she calls Chloe and a Yorkie named Buzz on cloud nine. Tabu reveals, “I’m always buying expensive high end stuff for my cherished pets. They have someone sponge them everyday and groom them. Some might gawk but I have no qualms in saying that I even shop for pets collars, bandannas, leashes, chewies, shampoo and perfume from Harrods in London and other high-end pet boutiques abroad for a few hundred pounds, whereas my kids have to settle for high street brands like Zara and Forever 21.”
Celebrities around the world have gone a notch higher to make their pets feel special. Enrique Iglesias’s pets, a Golden Retriever and German Shepherd, are often spotted enjoying rides on his boat. Oprah Winfrey, a huge animal lover, has a large number of dogs in her household and is going to leave her dogs a huge amount of money. She was reported saying, her dogs will receive $30 million after her death. And if that’s not extravagant enough, the world’s most expensive dog collar boasts of a total of 52 carat of diamonds. Pooch lovers are going all out when it comes to picking a dog collar for their canine companions. Swaha Sircar dotes on her pet. “He has a fuchsia bling collar. He has his own washroom full of grooming products — from conditioner to scented wet wipes to red berries and champagne perfume that cost me quite a few thousand rupees. I like to see a luxurious, shiny blonde coat everytime.”
A Tufts University graduate from Boston, Shreya Gandhi who goes gaga on Simba and even takes her out on trips, parties and picnics, shares, “Simba loves a special mango shampoo and the spa baths we take her to. We also buy her cute collars and jackets and she’s the cynosure of all eyes everytime we take her out for a walk. She’s part of our family and we don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars if it makes her happy.” Adds Rahul Prakash from Washington, “My pooch Pebbles has a full-size comfy memory foam mattress that made quite a dent in our pockets, but we don’t mind that.”
As clichéd as ‘Every dog has its day’ might sound, some dogs really are living in the lap of luxury. Bone Appetite — Baking for Our Best Friend, a gourmet bakery for dogs offers a variety of homemade cakes and bakes.