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At one of Manhatten's most exclusive health clubs, the clients are dropped off by limousine. They may choose to take a dip in the heated spa pool or work out at the gym. And after a little lunch they might have acupuncture for stress relief or be pampered with a shampoo and set. In return for annual membership fees of US $500 plus another $500 per month, clients have unlimited access to this six storey health complex. But when nature calls they head for the backyard and cock their legs against the wall.

The Biscuits and Bath Doggy Village, (a canine health club and daycare centre) opened last year and boasts membership of 1,500 of the most pampered pooches in the world. but it is only the tip of the iceberg for dog-lovers who have little time to feed, walk or play with their pets. Across town at the very plush New York Dog Spa and Hotel ( www.nydogspa.com ) clients are walked, fed and entertained in playgroups for around $26 a day.

THE COST OF WALKIES
For people who prefer to leave their dogs at home, professional walkers such as Pet Mates ( www.petmates.com ) charge around $20 an hour; they will even house sit troublesome puppies until learn not to chew the furniture in their owners Park Avenue apartments. But New York isn't unique in it's doggy pampering ways. And it isn't only in America that dogs enjoy such treatment.

The Camelot spa in Vancouver offers dog videos, manicures and a 'boudoir', with leather sofa, fireplace and soothing music for dogs that like their own space.  Over in Toronto, the Happy Tails day care centre insists on a pre-admission interview and hires out dog showers for DIY grooming of your pooch at home. And of course, there are a myriad of specialist beauty products for dogs - Hollywood start Bo Derek has brought out her own range which includes 'no-tears' puppy shampoo, fur polish pomade and colonge.

FOR THE REST OF THEIR DAYS
But what if a dog used to the high life has a change of circumstances - what is to become of the pampered pooch if its owner dies? The Golden Years retirement home in Westhampton, Long Island, run by a pet rescue organisation called Bide-A-Wee ( www.bideawee.org ), guarantees that bereaved pets will live out their days in a cage free environment for a one off fee of $10,000. And at the Silver Streak retirement home in upstate New York, dogs roam free on a farm where they are treated as well as they would be if their owners were around (fees on application)

GIVE ME A DOGGY BAG
Britain, meanwhile, is slowly developing a dog services industry of its own.  In June 2001, the Terrance Conran Bluebird Cafe on the Kings Road, London, launched a Top Dogs menu, including Pooch's Penne and chopped bacon (5.75), Hair of the Dog - Guinness and milk (3.95) and take home 'doggy bag' containing a delicious, organically farmed pig's ear.

Meanwhile, professional dog walkers are so common in London's parks that Merton Council recently imposed a bye-law to prevent people walking more than six dogs at a time on Wimbledon Common. Dog walkers have been known to walk ten or more dogs at a time - and some offer to take pictures of the pooches, proving to their owners just how happy a day their doggy has had.

London vet, Andrew Prentis, director of Hyde Park Veterinary Services in Marble Arch, believes dog daycare centres will be next. 'They're a great idea and should be encouraged,' he says. 'Dogs are social animals and need to knock around with people and other dogs. It's much better for them than being left alone in the house all day.'

Earlier this year, super market chain Tesco put on trial what it claimed was Britain's first dog crèche at a store in Cardiff. But Dr Prentis believes that Britain still has a long way to go before it rewards its so called best friends the attention they deserve.

'It's difficult to take a dog to a hotel or restaurant, which is strange in a nation of supposed animal lovers,' he says. 'At the Paris Ritz your dog will be assigned its own groom, who will walk and feed it for about #60 a night. Try taking a dog to a top London hotel and see what happens.' 

SPOILT? NEVER!
As for the lavish accessories that some dog and cat owners bestow on their adored pets, Dr Prentis believes that, as long as the animal's dignity is not being compromised, it won't cause any problems whatsoever.

'Doggy coats and sweaters are fine - dogs get cold, especially those with thin fur coats. I have a client who puts nail varnish on her dogs claws. The dog loves the attention and is very bonded to its owner. Another client, whose dog has about 50 outfits, was spotted in my waiting room applying lipstick to the dog. I'm not sure this is healthy from a human point of view, but the dog could have resisted, but it didn't.'

'The way to make a dog happy is to pay lots of attention to it. What they want is your approval and lots of contact. As long as they're not being showered with gifts because their owners don't spend time with them, the extras are just a bit of fun. And having cats and dogs as pets is meant to be about having fun!'

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