27 surprising ways the super-rich spoil their dogs
lovemoney staff
15 February 2019
Pampered pooches
Many of us are prepared to give our dogs half the bed space, and even ditch a partner if they don't like our furry friends – but what about the more extraordinary ways people splash their cash to prove their love for their pets?
Dog hotels
In Las Vegas, Luxe Pets Hotels’ Celebrity Suites cost around $195 (£135) and include a king-sized bed and a TV. While at Cornwall’s Canine Country Club in England (pictured), doggie guests can relax in an Executive Suite with under-floor heating, and clocks and pictures for that homely feel, for around £43 ($62) a day. It’s not just a Western phenomenon – in 2017, The Barkley Pet Hotel will open in Mumbai, India.
Dog cruises
Numerous cruises now cater to dog lovers so their pets can enjoy the experience too. Just one of the doggy-friendly sailing trips around the US is the Bow Wow Brunch Cruise in San Diego, complete with a canine buffet, while the QM2 allows dogs to cross the Atlantic (though they must stay in kennels).
Dog spas
Dog owners with money to burn take their beloved canines to beauty spas such as the New York Dog Spa, where grooming costs $55-150 (£38-104). At the Pet Spa in Chelsea, London, a Clean & Crèche package (wash, fresh breath treatment and choice of blueberry facial or coat conditioning, plus a day’s dog sitting) is a snip at £185 ($267). And in Essex, England, ‘fur-jazzles’ (pictured) are disturbingly popular.
Dog jacuzzis
Hydrotherapy helps countless ill and injured dogs, but some doggie spas have taken it one step further and promote the mere relaxation benefits of jacuzzis. Or for around $4,000 (£2,775) you can have one, such as the Jentile Pet Spa, installed at home.
Dog gyms
It seems a sprint around the park or a leisurely walk in the woods doesn’t cut it these days. Instead, dog gyms are springing up, such as the Frolick Gym in Virginia, USA (pictured), and the Hillview Dog Gym near Worcester, England, where canines get to burn calories human-style. Alternatively, a foldable indoor dog treadmill can be installed at home for around $2,000 (£1,388).
Dog yoga
Dog yoga, or ‘doga’ as it’s known, is a way of bonding with your pet through the medium of an ancient Indian discipline. It’s outlandish, but it’s got its fans – dogs get to hang out with their owners and can benefit from the calming environment, which aids digestion and sleep.
Dog designer wear
Dressing up pets is one thing, spending a small fortune on the clothes they wear is quite another. But besotted owners do, spending thousands on the likes of Ralph Lauren sweaters and Louis Vuitton jackets. In 2012, the Daily Mail Online featured a Bichon Frise called Bella with a designer wardrobe worth £20,000 ($29k).
Dog make-up
Touch-up products to bring out show dogs’ best features aren’t new (though, in the spirit of equality, esteemed British competition Crufts has banned the practice), but now there’s the East Asian trend of adorning pets’ faces with fake lashes or eyebrows (pictured).
Dog manicure and pedicures
Before the world went mad, dogs often had their nails clipped; this was beneficial for both pet and person. Now, dogs are able to get their nails painted, pimped and blinged up. Pretty? Yes, but also pretty crazy.
Dog wigs
When fur is just not enough dogs can be spruced up in wigs of all shapes and shades. Pigtails, lion mane and Gaga are just some of the wig creations available on PoshPuppyBoutique.com from $35 (£24).
Dog helmets
If your dog likes to feel the wind in their fur on your motorbike or scooter that’s all well and good, but safety comes first. There’s no need to look unfashionable though – RockStarPuppyBoutique.com sell helmets, including a Mohawk one (pictured) for $95 (£66). Or there are airbrushed varieties from $275 (£191).
Dog gourmet food
British brand Lily’s Kitchen sells organic, gluten-free, grain-free food, as well as snack bars made with spirulina and wheatgrass, and tins including ‘venison and wild board terrine’ and ‘wild campfire stew’. At nearly five times more expensive per tin than a supermarket brand, it sounds good enough to eat for both dog and human. Lucky Dog Cuisine, a similar brand in the US, even cooks the food in filtered water.
Dog birthday cakes
A personalized dog birthday cake costs from around $20 (£14) though it’s not unheard of for one to cost $1,000 (£694). Yes, really.
Dog personalized meals
The days of opening a tin of dog food and leaving your dog to it are over. US firm Your Pet Chef prepares freshly-made personalized meals for pets as well as specific plans for overweight dogs or those with health problems.
Dog jewelry
Collars are so last year – why not adorn your canine with a pearl choker, Swarovski pawcuffs, some sparkly earrings or doggy hair bows? Look online at the likes of ILoveDiamondDogs.com and you’re spoiled for choice – whether your dog will thank you is another matter.
Diamond dogs
If you prefer to remain old school, but like to keep it classy, how about a diamond dog collar such as the 52-carat ‘Amour’ on ILoveDogsDiamonds.com – at $3,200,000 (£2.2 million), it’s the world’s most expensive dog collar.
Dog body art
While tattoos are used for dog identification purposes (usually consisting of a number on the ear, belly or thigh) some owners have gone one big leap further and given their dogs elaborate ‘human’ tattoos and even piercings.
Dog perfume
Love your dog but don’t love their doggy smell? There’s a thriving market for canine perfume – one example is Mungo & Maud, a unisex fragrance with “delicate notes of French blackcurrant, Tunisian neroli, mimosa and violet leaf”. Or visit PetPerfume.co.uk to pick up a Vera Wagg or Jimmy Chew scent for your pooch.
Dog bespoke furniture
Chaise longues, and sofas made from leather, tweed or velvet, are some of the luxury lounging items PinkWhiskers.co.uk sell (from £195/$281). For those preferring something a little more flamboyant how about a four-poster bed (pictured) from Sew Sublime Interiors, a sports car or caravan bed, or one shaped liked a TV, cupcake or pizza?
Dog houses
The custom-built kennels of the 21st century are mini mansions in a range of styles – from modernist to hacienda to fairy tale palaces. Some come with their own jacuzzis or pools while others, such as socialite Paris Hilton’s dogs’ home, have two floors and a balcony. Prices range up to $400,000 (£277k).
Dog staff
It’s not unusual for dogs to have walkers or sitters but some privileged pooches have their own staff. According to The Telegraph, a nanny is the new must-have for the super-rich – someone who’s employed to be on call 24-7 to indulge the dog’s every whim, and even share a room at night.
Dog VIP hotel service
Some savvy hotels looking to lure wealthy dog-loving guests have VIP pet services. The Milestone, London, provides pets with a welcome hamper, a custom-made bed, mineral water and special pet menu.
Dog weddings…
In 2011, Brit Louise Harris spent £20,000 ($29k) on a wedding for her Yorkshire terrier Lola. But that pales in comparison to the 2012 wedding of Baby Hope Diamond, a Coton de Tulear, and poodle Chilly Pasternak, whose nuptials at a fundraiser for the Humane Society of New York cost a cool $250,000 (£173k).
…and Bark Mitzvahs
For dogs coming of age in Jewish families there are Bark Mitzvahs. Dating from the late 1950s, large parties are thrown and canines are dressed in a tallit (prayer shawl) and a skullcap. Frowned upon by some rabbis, they are nevertheless increasing in popularity in the US.
Dog inheritances
Some people simply prefer pets over people. Here are just two examples of extreme wealth left to dogs: Countess Karlotta Libenstein of Germany bequeathed her $80 million (£54 million) fortune to her German shepherd Gunther III when she died in 1991, whilst Golden Girls actress Betty White has set up a $5 million (£3.3 million) trust fund to provide for her pets when she dies.
Dog funerals
Pet funerals are big business – the Daily Mail Online reported that 10,000 take place in the UK annually and there were half a million in the US in 2013. If a cardboard box doesn’t give your pet a proper send-off then a luxury casket or vault should do it (from around $150/£104). The most expensive canine send-off ever? That distinction goes to a Tibetan mastiff in China. Buried in a jade coffin, Funeralwise.com reports it cost 4.8 million yuan or $733,000 (£508k).
Dog cloning
In what has to be the ultimate compliment, grieving pet owners are turning to cloning so their favourite animal can live again. MyFriendAgain.com is a South Korean dog cloning company that clones dog for $100,000 (£69k). British couple Richard Remde and Laura Jacques have already taken advantage of the service and are now the proud parents of two boxer puppies, cloned from their dog Dylan.
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature