PUPPY LOVE BOUTIQUES THAT CATER TO CANINES LET YOU SHOW YOUR DOGGED DEVOTION WITH EVERYTHING FROM HEALTHY VEGAN TREATS AND CRYSTAL COLLARS TO $5,000 HOUSES AND A DESIGNER WARDROBE.Byline: NANCY DILLON >LA.COM (1) (Computer Output Microfilm) Creating microfilm or microfiche from the computer. A COM machine receives print-image output from the computer either online or via tape or disk and creates a film image of each page. A year ago, Chris Price Chris Price (born 30 March 1960 in Hereford) is a former English footballer who played in the right-back position and was noted for his attacking runs. He began his career at home town club Hereford United where he quickly became the first choice right-back. had no idea he was a dog person -- much less an obsessive pet pamperer pam·per tr.v. pam·pered, pam·per·ing, pam·pers 1. To treat with excessive indulgence: pampered their child. 2. . But in October, his roommate Christian Velasco mentioned a neglected puppy living near relatives in Ontario, and the two decided to give the chihuahua-miniature schnauzer schnauzer (shnou`zər), a sturdy, wirehaired dog developed in S Germany. There are three separate breeds of schnauzer distinguished by their size. The standard schnauzer is a medium-sized dog whose existence in Germany dates back to the 15th cent. a home. It was when Price took little Bailey to get his shots that he sniffed out his true identity as a "petrosexual." "I told the vet I was flying home to Seattle, and he said, 'Don't forget to buy Bailey a coat,' " Price, 36, recalls. "My first reaction was, 'Are you kidding?' But then I went to a store in Venice and spent $60 on a dog parka." The parka -- a chic camouflage number with soft fleece lining and a fur collar -- sits in the back storeroom of D.O.G. Pet Boutique, the West Hollywood West Hollywood A community of southern California northeast of Beverly Hills. It is mainly residential. Population: 36,600. store that Price and Velasco opened on La Cienega Boulevard La Cienega Boulevard is a major north/south arterial road that runs from El Segundo Boulevard in El Segundo, California on the south to its end on the Sunset Strip/Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. in May. "After the jacket, I started looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. clothes for Bailey. But everything was really girly girl·y adj. Variant of girlie. . I wanted my style -- shirts with skulls and crossbones," Price says. "Then we got the idea to open a dog boutique, and I was driving on La Cienega and saw a 'For Lease' sign." With money from friends and family and a loan from the Small Business Administration, D.O.G. was born. Price, who lives in Culver City and still works several days a week managing the Teak teak, tall deciduous tree (Tectona grandis) of the family Verbenaceae (verbena family), native to India and Malaysia but now widely cultivated in other tropical areas. Warehouse furniture store in Redondo Beach, says he's on a constant search for cool products for his customers. The store is stocked with $125 Swarovski crystal collars, $100 couture leather jackets, $75 dog tuxedos made from real tuxedo material and a full line of aromatherapy spa products that includes the $15 Dog Smog breath spray from Happytails. Price and Velasco are hardly alone in coddling In cooking, to coddle food is to heat it in water kept just below the boiling point. The eggs added to a Caesar salad should ideally be coddled. However, coddled eggs are not fully cooked and still present a salmonella risk. their canines (they now have a second puppy, named Casey) or their hope of collaring economic success in the burgeoning market for pet products. Local celebrities including Paris Hilton, Hayden Panettiere and Eva Longoria all have been spotted plunking down huge sums of cash for the latest leads, most fashionable clothes and crystal-covered accessories. Indeed, Americans spent an astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. $44 billion on pet products in 2006, up 8 percent from the year before and more than double what they spent in the early 1990s, according to research firm Packaged Facts of Rockville, Md. And high-end buyers are driving the explosion. Households earning more than $70,000 a year accounted for 51 percent of consumer dollars spent on pet products last year, up from 28 percent in 1995, Packaged Facts reports. "It's out of control. The premium pet demographic is accounting for a much larger share of the market," said David Lummis, senior pet market analyst at Packaged Facts. "We've always loved our pets, but marketers have really caught on to how powerful a marketing tool that affection could be." He said new pet products in the "upscale" category jumped to 43 percent of total market introductions last year, compared to a 19 percent piece of the pie in 2002. "The trend is called 'humanization,' " he explains. "We want to buy the kind of products that we buy for ourselves. ... A dog doesn't care if you give him a filthy tennis ball. But a pet owner feels better if it's a super durable designer toy you can stuff treats in." It's not just high-end toys, couture collars and vegan vegan /veg·an/ (ve´gan) (vej´an) a vegetarian whose diet excludes all food of animal origin. ve·gan n. treats these pet owners are buying for their furry friends. The trend has extended to $5,000 dog houses that look like mini Airstream trailers, cosmetic orthodontia or·tho·don··tia n. See orthodontics. orthodontics, orthodontia that branch of dentistry concerned with irregularities of teeth and malocclusion. , depression medication, even testicular testicular /tes·tic·u·lar/ (tes-tik´u-lar) pertaining to a testis. tes·tic·u·lar adj. Of or relating to a testicle or testis. testicular pertaining to the testis. implants that mask a neutering neu·ter adj. 1. Grammar a. Neither masculine nor feminine in gender. b. Neither active nor passive; intransitive. Used of verbs. 2. a. procedure. "I'm one of those people of my generation who's chosen to have a pet instead of a child. And I'm glad I did because I work so much," says Stephanie Calhoun, 30, an entertainment industry personal assistant living in Studio City. Calhoun discovered D.O.G. while driving on La Cienega, and already she's a regular customer. She bought a Pet-a-Potty (a grass-covered dog toilet designed for indoor spaces and apartment balconies) for $299, several deluxe dog beds and a supply of all-natural Canidae dog food. She said the Pet-a-Potty has made life much easier for Frog, her 8-year-old golden retriever golden retriever, breed of large sporting dog developed primarily in Scotland in the mid-19th cent. It stands about 23 in. (58.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 75 lb (27.2–34.1 kg). . "He's getting older, and he'll just look at me in the middle of the night with his legs crossed and have to go outside. But he's slow, and it's hard on his hips. ... Now he can just go on the condo balcony, and I can stay in my pajamas pajamas Noun, pl US pyjamas pajamas npl (US) → pijama msg; piyama msg (LAM ," she says. Calhoun figures she spends about $200 a month on food, treats and accessories for Frog. "I try to limit my excursions (to D.O.G.). I go crazy when I'm there," she admits. "It's a combination of baby boomers, empty nesters and people who have decided not to have children" who are driving the surge in high-end pet products, says Sydney Cicourel, owner of the new Buster & Sullivan upscale pet store in Malibu. "Their pets are their children, their companions, their accessories." Buster & Sullivan, which has another location in Manhattan Beach, sells $1,500 "kitty condos" imported from Germany, piles of the Paris Hilton dog dresses by Little Lily and even crystal-encrusted dispensers filled with poop Poop A slang term often used to describe people with insider information. Notes: Not the most illustrious name. See also: Insider Information bags. One dispenser is designed to look like the Chanel No. 5 bottle, but it reads Chanel No. 2, of course. Still, not everyone is biting. "This culture is strange to us, all this money you spend on dogs," says Markus Steinholt, 30, a tourist from Oslo who's shopping at D.O.G. with his wife. "But it's slowly coming to Oslo. It's really amazing stuff." Nancy Dillon, (818) 713-3760, nancy.dillon@dailynews.com >where to shop Check out these upscale pet boutiques for your persnickety pup: WEST HOLLYWOOD D.O.G. 346 N. La Cienega Blvd. (310) 424-5807 www.dogpetboutique.com >What you'll find: Catering to "furry fashionistas," this new store carries an exclusive line of couture and "bling" accessories as well as gourmet bones and dog fragrances. It's also one of the few L.A. retailers to carry the Pet-a-Potty, a lawn toilet system that fits on an apartment balcony. STUDIO CITY Maxwell Dog 12336 Ventura Blvd. (818) 505-8411 www.maxwelldog.com >What you'll find: Laura Ashley-style dog beds, chic pillows from Jax & Bones and dehydrated de·hy·drate v. de·hy·drat·ed, de·hy·drat·ing, de·hy·drates v.tr. 1. To remove water from; make anhydrous. 2. To preserve by removing water from (vegetables, for example). raw pet food from Honest Kitchen. Fans include Ellen DeGeneres and Bonnie Raitt. MALIBU Buster & Sullivan 23410 Civic Center Way (310) 317-6777 www.busterandsullivan.com >What you'll find: Just two weeks old, this outpost of the beloved chain carries "Jimmy Chew" plush toys and Paris Hilton's dog clothing from Little Lily. If you're farther south, Buster & Sullivan has a Manhattan Beach store at 451 Manhattan Beach Blvd., (310) 802-1410. BEVERLY HILLS Doggie Styles 9467 Charleville Blvd. (310) 278-0031 www.doggiestylesonline.com >What you'll find: Memory foam dog beds, a bakery case filled with gourmet pet treats, quilted leather dog carriers and pet T-shirts that say "I Have Issues." REDONDO BEACH Surf Dog Market 1421 Aviation Blvd. (310) 374-2028 www.surfdogmarket.com >What you'll find: This holistic pet's paradise offers organic herbal drops from New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. , massage therapy Massage Therapy Definition Massage therapy is the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body for the purpose of normalizing those tissues and consists of manual techniques that include applying fixed or movable pressure, holding, and/or and Chi Wow Wow dog apparel made from vintage and recycled clothing. You can even book the Doggie Zen Garden for your favorite hound's birthday party. >N.D. CAPTION(S): 10 photos, box Photo: (1 -- 5 -- cover -- color) WHAT ARE ALL THE haute dogs DREAMING ABOUT? (6 -- color) HOLLYWOOF STRETCH LIMO This plush pet bed from Haute Diggity Dog measures 36 inches long and 20 inches wide and even comes with a champagne bucket and a Dog Perignon toy. >Where: Buster & Sullivan >Price: $325 (7 -- color) THE COMPLETE PETROSEXUAL: A HANDBOOK OF STYLE FOR THE MODERN DOG Published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang, this handbook is written from the perspective of sassy sas·sy 1 adj. sas·si·er, sas·si·est 1. Rude and disrespectful; impudent. 2. Lively and spirited; jaunty. 3. Stylish; chic: a sassy little hat. pup Sterling Sugar Magnolia and will help your canine avoid those dreaded "fashion faux paws." >Where: Borders or www.amazon.com >Price: $15.95 (8 -- color) PET-A-POTTY A lawn toilet system for your dog or cat. Comes in a variety of sizes for indoor spaces or an apartment balcony. The concealed water pan traps urine and water that filters through the dirtless sod or synthetic grass. >Where: D.O.G. Pet Boutique >Price: $279-$299 (9 -- color) JIMMY CHEW DOG TOY This 6-inch squeaky plush toy is a clever take on the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of shoe designer and will surely make your dog feel like a pretty pooch. >Where: D.O.G. Pet Boutique >Price: $10 >N.D. (10 -- color) Chris Price, left, and Christian Velasco offer a range of pooch-pampering items at their recently opened West Hollywood store, D.O.G. Pet Boutique. Their venture began with a neglected chihuahua-miniature schnauzer and a $60 fleece-lined camouflage parka to keep him warm. HANS GUTKNECHT>LA.COM Box: > where to shop (see text) |
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