A cushy getaway for the four-legged set

It's not lipstick on a pit bull, but it's awfully similar to that infamous campaign aphorism - how about pink nail polish on a rottweiler?

All politics aside, for Chris Callanan, owner of Toureen Pet Spa and Resort in Watertown, applying red, pink, or purple polish to a rottweiler's toenails is all in a day's work. And not just rottweilers, but also Bouviers, Russian wolfhounds, and other fancy breeds.

"The dog doesn't seem to mind; but you do need to make sure that if you're in the grooming room that no one is blow drying another dog's hair, so no hair gets stuck to the nails," says Callanan.

Such pampering is part of the package of services offered by Toureen, which is riding the wave of indulgences that many pet owners are seeking. Spending on pet services will likely exceed $10.5 billion this year, including trendy essentials such as doggie day care, pet hotels, grooming, and more. Toureen's spa menu embraces all of these canine comforts and more, with biscuit turn-down service, deluxe suites for the choosy dog, and extravagant pedicures.

"Pets have gone from the backyard to the back porch to the kitchen to the bedroom," says Callanan, who says clients, including a couple of Red Sox players, use the kennel and the dog day care called Fenway Bark. Some bring their pets just for socialization with other animals, so they can enjoy supervised playtime, walks on the river, and naps.

Callanan even has had court-ordered pet stays, where the dog will stay until a decision is made on which divorced party can keep it. "And sadly, a lot of people use our services when they are visiting the area for treatment from area hospitals like Dana-Farber and Children's Hospital," she says. "Having a pet near them is so comforting."

Toureen was started in the late 1920s, when Callanan's grandfather began breeding terriers from Ireland as a side business. The business slowly evolved until the small kennel, which was located on the side of Soldiers Field Road, then a single lane dirt road, opened full time.

"Everyone thought my grandfather was crazy for leaving his good job as a carpenter with Filene's to do this crazy thing," says Callanan, who adds that a pet kennel owner can earn about $50,000 a year.

Is that Bark, I mean, Bach, playing in the background?
Yes, we play soothing classical music in the kennels, although now we've switched to Christmas carols. I think the sound is somewhat relaxing, maybe even reassuring, for the animals.

Your suites have the lavish amenities of a five-star hotel. What kind of services do you offer? Our luxury suites are like mini hotel rooms; they have a nice cushy bed, filtered air, spacious pen, and, of course, the evening biscuit treats. Cats can enjoy a kitty condo, which includes multilevel platforms in a soundproof cat room with windows to the outside for their viewing pleasure.

What dog breeds are popular these days? Any kind of Lab - chocolate, yellow, or black. We're also seeing tons of puggles, as well as Labradoodles and golden doodles. Those last two are poodle hybrids. A few years ago, they would have been mutts that you'd adopt for free, but now people are paying thousands of dollars for them. As far as popular dog names, I see more human names now such as Dave, Pete, and Joe. You'll always have Fluffy or Max, though.

Do people find it difficult to leave their pets with you? A lot of people pack an overnight bag that includes the pet's toys, schedule, and bedding. One customer drops off individual meals, such as oatmeal for breakfast, cut-up vegetables for lunch, and beef packets for dinner, as well as a different sweater. Then we have some customers who want us to put some lingerie into the dog's pen with them. I just say, "Oh wow, OK," and think to myself, "That's kind of embarrassing." I take the lingerie out of the dog's overnight bag with gloves on.

What's the strangest request you've ever gotten? People ask if they can spend the first night here with their pet. I learned to just flat out say "No," instead of trying to make an excuse, "Geez, sorry, you can't do something like that because of X, Y, or Z."

You board over 100 animals at a time, and up to 5,000 animals come through these doors every year. Do you ever get tired of working with all those dogs or cats? It's the two-legged types - humans - that I get overloaded with. Now, we're getting dogs that come in on Zoloft or Prozac or a bit of "owner aggression" or whatever the newest trendy term is. But I wonder if the pets really have a problem or if it's the owner who needs to take the meds.

And what about lipstick on a pit bull? Do you do that?
Only for hockey moms.