No longer are canines in Central Oregon sitting around in doghouses in the backyard.

Pooches are being pampered with full-body massages and pedicures, puppies’ names are popping up on registered gift lists, similar to baby registries. Soon, dogs will even be able to join their owners in performing the downward-facing ”dog pose” in yoga class.

While other sectors have suffered during several years of a weak economy, pet spending nationally has doubled from $17 billion in 1994 to a projected $34.3 billion for 2004, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

And with Bend boasting the highest ratio of dogs-per-resident in the state, according to the Economic Development for Central Oregon Web site, those numbers haven’t been lost on local business owners.

”It’s amazing because even with other businesses hurting, in Bend, this industry always stays strong,” said Julie Hunter, owner of Bend Pet Express. ”People will miss going out once a week to buy that $30 bag of food.”

But pet essentials aren’t the only things being bought. Pet owners are splurging on services meant to keep Spot and Fluffy happy.

Within the last five years, Bend has become home to a dog daycare, doggie spa, a dog waste removal service and a veterinarian clinic offering homeopathic, acu-puncture and holistic medicine.

The Bend Pet Express started as a delivery company 10 years ago. Today, Hunter has a new eastside retail store complete with on-site bakery and dog wash.

”It’s the Nordstroms of shopping for people and their pets,” Hunter said.

Hunter is also building a new westside Pet Express store just a few steps north of its current location. The store is slated to open in early August.

The bigger store will have some of the same amenities as the eastside store, along with a wellness center that will offer dog yoga.

”It’s something that has really hit the bigger cities,” Hunter said of the class. ”It is an incredible way for the owner to bond with the animal.”

Hunter estimates that her two locally-owned stores will bring in around $1.8 million in sales this year.

Three years ago, certified dog trainer Mare Shey was looking for a way to live in Bend and have a full-time job.

What she came up with was a dog daycare center.

”There are several all over the country,” Shey said. ”It’s been a trend over the past 10 years and what I wanted to do is provide the dogs in Central Oregon the opportunity to have an environment where they can get highly socialized and get a ton of exercise.”

The daycare portion of her business Dancin’ Woofs, started with about 30 clients in its first year, and has grown to about 110, Shey said.

Owners commit to bringing their dogs to daycare at least once a week for eight visits. Costs range from $125 for five visits to $460 for 20 visits, according to Dancin’ Woofs’ Web site.

During daycare, dogs participate in supervised play for the majority of the day in addition to a scheduled nap and treat time. Each week dogs get a report card.

”The quality and character of the people who come love and adore their dogs and want to build a relationship with them,” Shey said.

After pets play all day, any sore muscles can be taken care of with a hydro-massage, full-body massage or hot oil treatment at the Doggie Day Spa in Bend.

Angie Walkup, co-owner of the spa said it was started two years ago as a twist on a traditional pet grooming business.

”We decided that we wanted to be more than just a grooming shop,” Walkup said. ”We wanted to spent time and pamper the pet with a massage and different products you wouldn’t get anywhere else.”

Spa services include a range of massages along with medicated baths, tooth brushing, pedicures and grooming.

Walkup estimated that the business has about 500 clients. The spa also welcomes cats that are willing to cooperate.

But pets aren’t the only ones getting pampered by the growing range of services.

Owners can now avoid perhaps one of the most unpopular aspects of pet ownership: cleaning up after them.

In 2000, Melinda Hofmann started The Bomb Squad, a waste removal service that specializes in the removal of ”canine landmines.”

”I used to used to work in the computer industry,” Hofmann said. ”I was looking for something else to do when I was cleaning up and I thought, there are a whole lot of dogs in this town.’”

Now Hofmann spends her days going from yard to yard collecting doggie doo-doo.

Hofmann said her clients range from people who don’t have the time to clean up after their pets to the elderly who can’t pick up the waste.

Hofmann’s rates start at $6 a week for one dog.

In the first three years, Hofmann said her business doubled each year. Today she has about 100 clients.

For Lisa Joy, owner of Biscuits of Bend, the idea to open her downtown pet boutique came after looking at the city’s pet demographics and from the desire to have a business where she could bring her own dogs to work.

”It functions as a dog-networking center for people and vets and kennels,” Joy said.

The store sells high-end products that can’t be found at large chain pet stores, like booties, special collars and carriers.

Joy even offers a special registry for pets.

”People will register with me … the way they would at the Bon,” Joy said. ”I have a list of new puppies in town. One girl just came in and registered for her puppy party, and all her friends have been coming in and buying things for the puppy.”

During the four years Joy’s store has been in business, she has noticed an increase in the amount of money people are willing to spend on their pets.

”They are very catered, treasured members of the family,” Joy said. ”Younger couples get a dog first and practice on that as their kid. Some people have pets and no children at all.”

As pets take on a new role in families, even actions to preserve a pet’s memory after their death has become more mainstream.

Troy Kerstetter, animal welfare director with the Humane Society of Central Oregon, said the number of people requesting private cremations of their pets has risen more than 350 percent in the last three years.

In 2003, the humane society preformed 666 private cremations, up from 147 in 2000.

Kerstetter said the cost of a cremation ranges from $80 up to $120 depending on the weight of the animal.

Cremations have been preformed on dogs and cats, in addition to guinea pigs, birds, a swan and even pot bellied pigs, Kerstetter said.

”Anything that means something to someone,” Kerstetter said.

The owners keep the ashes and the Humane Society even works with an artist who can create small glass artwork for $75 with a bit of the pet’s ashes inside.

”I think our culture respects our pets and it is becoming more and more evident with the way they respect the remains of their animals,” Kerstetter said.

Kristy Hessman can be reached at 541-383-0350 or khessman@bendbulletin.com.