Dog days, indeed

I want to be your dog. Really, I do.

Man's best friend has it made. Have you noticed that while banks, brokers, and the Big Three are on their knees begging, dogs are living larger than ever? Not since Caligula's horse, with its immaculate marble stable and ivory manger, has an animal been so entitled.

The day after the country elected its first African-American president, the big news, reported breathlessly by serious journalists, was Barack Obama's desire to get a hypoallergenic dog for his daughters. Pundits even prattled on about the political implications of purebred versus pound. Geez, Joe Biden wasn't vetted as fully as the First Pooch.

Then there was Ted Kennedy, who, recovering from brain cancer, made his triumphant return to the Senate's hallowed halls flanked by Sunny and Splash, those waggy-tongued Portuguese water dogs of his. Considering how little gets done in the Capitol, maybe the chew-toy crowd should be put in charge. Maybe they already are.

Of course, the service industry isn't stupid. It would be out of its mind not to accommodate the growing number of pet-crazy patrons and risk a PETA boycott. Shunt my shaggy mutt in the drafty baggage compartment? Never! At least, not on JetBlue, American, or Midwest airlines, all of which let "companion dogs" scratch and sniff right in the cabin. You can't light up on a plane, but lift a leg? No problem.

If you're curious what other white-glove services are available for Fido and Fluffy, consult DogFriendly.com, an essential website for celebutantes, suburban moms, and others who wouldn't think of traveling without their furry fashion accessory.

Major hotel chains - Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, among others - also are careful not to alienate canines. At W Hotels, for example, it's the humans who fetch. Rooms are arranged with a dog bed, food and water bowls, and a special treat at turndown. Is today Buddy's birthday? Call the front desk, and the concierge will send a kibble cake right up. No kidding. Smaller boutique hotels do even better by your dog. Boston's trendy Nine Zero Hotel will give your pet a massage, helping to relieve his or her holiday stress.

"The dog certainly has been really elevated over the past decade," says Lisa Peterson, spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club, which fights for the rights of dogs as fiercely as the AARP protects olds folks. "Dogs have gone from the backyard to the bedroom. They're a valued family member, if you will."

The bedroom, you say? Yes. Even Kate Bosworth, who could have her pick of any litter of Lotharios, lies down with dogs instead.

"The dog will stay in the bed before the man will," the Lassie-loving actress recently told a British women's magazine. "My boyfriend found that really odd the first couple of times he stayed over."

So who gives dogs the hairy eyeball anymore? Because of its abundance of parks and trails, Boston is considered a dog-friendly city, but there are still a few places where Rover can't roam.

Fenway Park is one. While many Major League teams, including the Tigers, Cardinals, Giants, Rockies, Marlins, and White Sox, have designated "dog days" when the public can bring pups to the park, Fenway isn't so friendly to four-legged fans. Except for certified service dogs, animals aren't welcome at Sox games.

And the Museum of Fine Arts isn't much interested in them either. It doesn't matter one lick to MFA director Malcolm Rogers that dogs figure prominently in paintings from the Renaissance to the present; these Old Masters are off limits.

A few summers ago, the museum threw a party to celebrate the works of animal-loving artists Jasper Johns and Jeff Koons, and dogs were invited to attend. Well, sort of. The event, which included a prize for the most Rubenesque dog, was outside while most of the art was inside.

"Oh no, dogs are never allowed in the museum," says MFA spokeswoman Mary Keith. "Dogs are recognized as very important in the art world, but as far having them come into the museum? That's different."

Sometimes life's ruff, even for dogs.