I have transcribed the following article from the Victoria Times Colonist, April 17,2004.

By Camilla Cornell
CanWest News Service

TORONTO- Sharon Childs had the walls of her 2800 square foot Caledon home painted a distinctive red-brown colour with black-and-gold accents, the same colours as the coats of the eight dogs who are her housemates."I don't have to worry about dusting," says the owner of the pet shop For Dogs Only in Mississauga, Ont. "If hair gets on the walls, no one notices."

Child's home boasts two pet doors, a bathtub dedicated to the pooches, a gravel driveway (because it's good for their paws and keeps mud to a minimum), a black carpet on the lower level so dirty paw prints blend in, and a natural stone floor that doesn't scuff or mark under their nails, not to mention their own beds. Some of her less successful innovations include a permanent watering system she installed so her dogs would have access to cool, filtered water at all times. (Her Rottweiler kept drooling in it, causing the five Salukis to turn up their noses, so she took it out.) There is also a large custom-built doghouse in the backyard that matches the main house, complete with a Marley-tile roof, but "they don't use it," she says. "They'd rather be inside."

While some people may think Childs has gone over the top for her pups -she freely admits they are her children- there are a lot of people who feel the same way about their four-legged friends. A plethora of products and services have arisen in the past few years to cater to pampered pets. It was only a matter of time before someone thought about how our animal companions could be better accommodated in our homes. "People no longer see pets as animals to be relegated to the backyard where they can chew on left-over bones," says Debra Svicki, owner of Toronto's Kennel Cafe, which sells everything from organic pet food to herbal grooming products and funky accessories. "They're considered part of the family."

And homeowners are not the only ones taking that into account. When U.S. developer Arvida introduced its 2003 Ideas House in Tallahassee, Florida earlier this year, it featured a pet suite. Located at the back of the house, the room allows access for Bowser via a doggie door and features easy-clean tile floors, a drinking fountain that continuously circulates and filters fresh water, and a pet-height shower for a quick rinse after a long walk.

"The way we live has changed," says Mike Reininger, senior vice-president of creative services for St.Joe Co. "Housing isn't about shelter anymore, it's about lifestyle." The pet suite adds convenience and ease to pet ownership and is meant to appeal to Baby Boomers and empty nesters. "Research told us Boomers were spending increasing amounts of time and money on their pets, probably as a transference of emotion from kids that had grown up and moved out," he says. "We had the idea of creating a room that was convenient and luxurious for the pet and its owner. It made it easy and practical to feed, water and bath the pet, and gave the pet an air conditioned place to hang out, water on demand, a comfy bed, and so forth." Reininger says, unfortunately, he was not able to dedicate ample time to considering the needs of his pet in his own home. Consequently, "we have a few people rooms in our dog house."

That is something Calgarians T.Jay Morgan and Tom Rich hope to avoid. The couple are building their dream home as much to accommodate their three furry companions as themselves. They are incorporating limestone floors instead of hardwood to provide better grip, and greater durability under their dogs' paws, a tiled, locker-room style dog shower in the basement and a picture window placed low enough for the dogs to look out. A sliding wall of stainless steel and glass will provide a mechanism to lock the 75 pound mutts away from the dining and living rooms, while maintaining the integrity of the home. Although the couple prefer open-tread stairs, they have opted against them because they're terrifying for dogs.

Most people aren't willing to go quite that far, says Karen Norton, decor center manager for Great Gulf Homes. "You might get a request for tile over hardwood floors because it's easier to clean and its more durable. Their nails scratch the hardwood flooring."

For Childs, though, it makes sense to consider the needs of all of a home's residents, whether they have two legs or four. "They were a prime consideration when we designed this house," she says. "They mean everything to me. After all, there are a lot more dogs in our house than there are people."