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"It's just practical," says Sue Shaw, who operates Waggin' Wear boutiques in New York and New Jersey. She says doggie "microsuede" rainwear lined with pima cotton constitutes 75 percent of her sales.

"If you live in a small apartment or you go to the store, you don't want to arrive and have your dog shake out and get everyone wet," Shaw says. "Kiss that damp dog smell goodbye."

If it's really important for you and your dog to wear matching attire, Land's End may have the answer. The retailer now offers several lines of sweaters in in adult, child and infant/toddler sizes, as well as five canine sizes

Imagine an idyllic Christmas with every member of the family — Fido included — sporting a festive reindeer sweater. Now that's a holiday photo.

Snout-to-the-Wind Comfort: You're one lucky dog if you can hang your furry head out of the car window and enjoy the big open road. Now your rolling Rover can cruise in extra comfort with the Raffariginal Doggie Headrest.

This patented, $20 clip-on cushion fastens to any car door, offers protection against minor snout injuries, and — as an added bonus — acts as a blotter, to help keep your car upholstery dog drool free.

Barking Translation Services: What would your dog say if he could speak? "Don't knock drinking from the toilet. You don't know what you're missing."

Time magazine named Bowlingual, from the Takara manufacturing company, on its list of "The Coolest Inventions of 2002." It's a radio microphone that attaches to your dog's collar and supposedly translates his yelps, snarls and growls into phrases like "I'm lonely" and "How boring." The gizmo, developed with animal behaviorists, is already a big seller in Japan, where it retails for about $100. Later this summer, an English edition will be available.

Bowlingual matches your dogs "woofs," "arfs" and "arooos" to a handheld database that offers different interpretations for different breeds, because everyone knows how snooty French poodles get when their caviar bowl is empty. The Bowlingual's "Home Alone" mode records what your dog is thinking while you're at work, as if it's anything other than, "What fools these humans must be."

Eating From the Same Bowl: It's getting harder to tell the difference between dog food and people food. Wyler's — the company that brings you fruit drinks and a variety of snack treats — now offers freezer pops to reward your four-legged friend on a hot summer day.