Score style points as you pamper your pooch

A dog's life is not what it used to be, as clever entrepreneurs spot a lucrative niche for canine accessories among style-conscious pet-owners.

Make no bones about it, the lucrative industry that is high-end dog accessories keeps on innovating and "puppooses" may just be the next big thing.

The "papoose for your puppy" has been created by the crochet designer Shannon Beach, a former dancer for stars such as Britney Spears.

If you want to protect your dog's paws from hot pavements - or freezing ones for that matter - the soft sling complete with paw holes is the must-have accessory for you. It is available in four sizes and in a variety of colours, including cobalt blue and shocking pink. Prices start from around Dh220 at www.feeltheflo.com.

To keep your pet at the height of fashion in the height of summer, why not dress it in a high-performance cooling coat, available from the UAE online pet shop www.homelypetz.com?

Prices for the Easidri designer jackets range from Dh210 to Dh490 and all you have to do is soak the garment in water, wring it out and then fit the adjustable straps under the dog's stomach.

From Swarovski-encrusted collars to gold-plated water bowls, no canine accessory has been left unblinged in recent years. For big spenders, the French former jeweller Karin Fainas will even craft your pet a velvet-lined couch with hand-cast bronze feet, a snip at around Dh62,000.

However, top dog in the style stakes has to be the three-storey kennel and canopy bed modelled on an apartment in Paris's chic Place Vendôme, which includes drawers on its upper levels with gilded handles. Check out the designs at www.puppydeparis.fr.