Gone To The Dogs, Luxury That Is

Manicures might make your mutt a little bit happier.

ByABC News via logo
January 8, 2009, 1:08 AM

Sept. 15, 2007 — -- Digging in the dirt certainly doesn't fair well for your nails, and when you've got four sets of them, that's a lot of manicuring.

Fret no longer, fair pet owners, dog spas are all the rage. From manicures to massages, rest assured that your pet will be living in the lap of luxury.

The Ritzy Canine Carriage House in New York is part spa, and part day care center-- but the Big Apple isn't the only place people pamper their pooches.

Just outside of Dallas, three Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Willie, Dixie and Megan, live in a mansion dedicated to all things dog. A home fit for three kings.

"This is their own room, they have a TV with the wires hidden and their own door," said Ron Sturgeon, their owner. And the perks for these pups don't stop at just their room, they've got a $2,500 bed and even their own address.

Sturgeon built this house with his dogs in mind. But while his canines are clearly coddled, he does enforce some rules, including a strict diet and monthly weigh-ins.

As Ron's wife, Allie, conducts the weigh-ins, "20.5," Ron says as he puts Dixie on the scale. "I think you've gained some weight, Dixie."

And for those pudgy pooches, like Dixie, who pack on the extra pounds -- there are now swim classes available just for dogs.

"It's great to go have your dog swim, it's something different, you can only go to the dog park so many times before you're like 'uh, something else please,'" said Stacy Allredge, owner of The Dog Run.

But swim classes are just one of the ways Americans spend money on their pets.

"The pet product business is huge in America -- about $64 billion on sales," said Susan Chaney of "Dog Fancy" Magazine.

That includes everything from grooming and food to "a crystal-studded collar to a diamond studded collar," Chaney recalls.

But you don't need to be loaded to pamper your pet.

"How much people spend on their dogs is not necessarily related to how much money they make," she said.

And that's a good thing because in a dog eat dog world -- everyone deserves a little luxury.