Throw 'Em a Bone
Go ahead, treat your favorite pooch to the latest canine accoutrements

* No splinters. No nasty smells. And Whippett (above) won't care that Ruff Wear's nylon bone ($10) is synthetic. So much for sucking the marrow out of life.

* Rugged as they may be, dog paws aren't always fit to survive death-march hikes and pad-chilling snow. Hold your pal still long enough to dress his feet in Ruff Wear's Bark n' Boots ($34) and he'll go the extra mile without a podiatric gripe.

* Whether your pooch is going off on a modest day hike or a full-scale expedition, Planet Dog's Ridgeline Pack ($59­$65, depending on size) will ferry his load. It fastens at the chest and belly, and holds practically a month's worth of kibble or—more likely—goodies for a weekend on the trail.

* Planet Dog calls it the Eco-Flyer ($19). We call it a floppy frisbee. To Whippett it's a disc of airborne ecstacy.

* Ten pounds of dry food stays neatly packed in Ruff Wear's Kibble Kaddie ($30, below left). Unroll the top of the drybag-style nylon sack and feed your pooch, or if he's prone to gorging, you can pour the prescribed amount through the food chute. Mmm, chicken meal. Or save a few bucks with Planet Dog's less frilly but equally convenient Weekender Feed Bag ($20).

* Ubiquitous for good reason, collapsible doggie bowls are virtually spill-free in the car, totally leakproof, and packable. They hold 2.5 quarts of lap-able liquid. ($20 from Ruff Wear; $18­$20 from Planet Dog.)

* The Ruff Wear Knot-a-Leash ($20, below right) is a status symbol for dogs of the intermountain West. Wearers will sit proud and tall on the sidewalk as you toss back microbrews inside. Made with ten-millimeter nylon climbing rope and a mini 'biner.

Photos: Chip Simons (top); Clay Ellis