by Javier Morales

Created on: August 20, 2007   Last Updated: June 30, 2010

Gone are the days when you bring home only Milk-Bone Dog Biscuits for your pup.

Now, for example, you might feel the urge to make your dog feel more special by combining the biscuits with a crystal pink collar and leash from Bloomingdale's that costs as much as $100.

The fashion-sense world now requires a little bling to go with the bones for dogs of all types.

Dog accessories once considered outlandish are now becoming the norm to reward the canine. Instead of throwing your dog a bone, you might instead honor your dog by buying a "Bed of Roses" from Cath Kidston that sells for $85. The small dog bed is sized for a puppy and has a removable seat for washing.

Dog accessories were once considered a simple collar and leash with an occasional goofy shirt to slip over the dog for a good laugh or two. Mainstream retailers are no selling dog accessories that include dog bow ties, bunny ears, and reindeer horns and elf hats for Christmas.

Department stores, such as Bloomingdale's and Dillard's, and dog accessory Web sites are taking the dog accessory fare one step further. Dog accessory stores are also opening at a greater rate.

Some of the dog accessories might make you chuckle and ask: Do dog owners really go that far? A sampling:

Furry Tote. You can keep your dog warm with a shearling-lined tote from Travel with Tigers, a line of dog accessories. Price tag: $1,600.

A Patch of Green. Instead of having your dog relieve himself on unsightly newspaper in the house, you can order this dog accessory. The plush sod patches are a cleaner and more presentable way to house-train your dug. Every week a cleanup kit and new grass are shipped directly to your door. They range from $175 to $275 with the startup kit and $40 to $80 for the weekly replacements.

Dine in Style. A ceramic dog dish from Burberry costs $50, probably more than the cost of the plate you eat on.

Bone Clean. You've heard of Soap-on-a-Rope. Now it applies to dogs. This all-natural oatmeal soap can be slipped around the dog's neck. It has a mint-scented lather. The cost is not so bad at $11.

Other dog accessories include hiking boots (yes, hiking boots), sweaters, holiday scarves, bandannas, and matching raincoats and umbrellas (yes, umbrellas) with their owners.

Believe it or not, some dog owners spend $700 to $800 a month, or more, on dog accessories.

The business of selling pet accessories is a booming success. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturing Association, revenues of pet accessory businesses more than doubled from $17 billion in 1994 to $34.4 million in 2004. The reason for the increase is the ever-growing number of households that include pets, up to 63 percent or 69.1 million homes.

Major retailers such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, Tiffany, Coach all have extended their brands to include dog accessories. Even Target has entered the fray.

Target recently debuted designer pet collections featuring stiletto-shaped Isaac Mizrahi chew toys that sell for $2.99 and Michael Graves-designed dog houses, complete with awning. The dog house costs $99.99.

Gone are the days of gathering a few pieces of wood and nailing together a dog house with your kids. The old rug that was once used in the house is no longer subjected to the floor of a dog house.

These days the manufactured dog houses are insulated and the ripped rug is replaced by a plush bed. Your dog has never had it so good.

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