In the Doghouse

Maybe you're feeling just a tiny bit guilty after having that nice new home built for yourself. Thinking back, you realize all those extras you installed—that giant Jacuzzi tub, the granite countertops, the roomy closets—were really all about pleasing you.

Did you once think about Fido's needs?

No? How selfish can you get?

Now here's a chance to make it up to your furry companion: Just give Michelle Pollak and Alan Mowrer at La Petite Maison a call, or go to www.lapetitemaison.com, and your pooch can have a custom-made puppy palace for somewhere between $6,000 and $15,000, depending upon how upscale you want to go.

Your guilt will be gone, and you'll have an intriguing new lawn accessory to show off to your friends. (OK, that part is about pleasing you again.)

If you can imagine it, craftsman Alan Mowrer can build it—whether a hand-crafted version of your own home, a Versailles for your French poodle or even a Swiss chalet for your Bernese mountain dog.

And these aren't just shell doghouses. They're finished with drywall inside, and some buyers trick out the interiors with the same finishes as their big houses—crown molding, wallpaper, marble flooring and even miniature chandeliers. And you wouldn't want your pet to be without air conditioning, would you?

Buyers of these high-end pet haciendas fall into two categories, says Pollak, an interior designer who handles the business end of the company.

"For the first type of customer, it's all about décor," she says. "They don't even care if the dog ever uses it. The other side of the coin is the client for whom it's all about the dog. It's all about making it comfortable for the dog."

La Petite Maison's biggest project was designed so that people could come inside and visit the canine occupant. The dog was arthritic, so all the windows were placed low enough for him to see outside without having to get up.

"It was big enough for 10 people to stand up inside," says Pollak.

More typical was a Virginia woman who wanted a doghouse in her garden so her pet could stay in the shade and still keep her company as she worked.

"These people are treating their dogs like their children," Pollak says.

And speaking of children, La Petite Maison also builds custom playhouses. "The playhouses make the doghouses seem affordable," Pollak says.

And in case you think cats are being short-changed, you should know that La Petite Maison has been called upon to build cat houses as well (houses that felines live in, that is—not houses of ill repute).

One of the most memorable cat houses Le Petite Maison built was for a stray being cared for by a woman who lived in a condominium that didn't allow cats inside. So she had a three-room cat condo built for her porch. She didn't care so much about how it looked, but she did want it to include a bedroom, a living room and a litterbox room for her fastidious feline friend.

"He was a really lucky stray cat," says Pollak. "He came home every night to his own condo."