Dog Goggles = Doggles!

www.doggles.com.au sells fashionable eyewear for dogs; some of it is for fun, some is protective, says owner Jill Doyle. Doyle bought the distribution business three years ago, and while she says consumers are price sensitive, pet owners love the practical benefits.

With goggles, you're stopping dust and dirt getting into the animal's eyes, she explains, as well as getting UV protection.

Farmers with working dogs are interested in doggie eyewear; owners with dogs on utes like them for the dust protection; and owners with breeds, such as German Shepherds, which are vulnerable to eye disease relating to UV light, also find them handy.

If your dog has had eye surgery, then goggles are also helpful. Jill Doyle, who owns a foxy chihuahua cross, says it's a full-time business, but you need a wider range so she has reflective travel vests, eco-friendly bowls made out of recycled plastic bottles, apparel, such as sweatshirts and jumpers ("Elderly people like to put a warm jumper on their dog,"), and monster toys and baby bears all made out of cotton.

Pets are children so they get treated in the same way. I haven't got into pet prams yet, that's a niche market for older women, who may have trouble walking, or for arthritic dogs. Doyle says the downturn hasn't really hit the pet industry hard: I wouldn't say we're recession proof, but it's a bit like your child, you don't deny your pet.