My life has gone to the dogs.

Where once I wore black fearlessly, I now carry a lint brush wherever I go. Snoutprints cloud the windows of my car. At night, I trip over paws on my way to the bathroom. And you wouldn’t believe the shoe casualties I’ve suffered in the past year.

It’s a small price to pay for the ladies in my life. I’m talking about Stella and Cassidy, ShopPup and ShopDog, respectively. Sure, they sniff all of our guests in a most embarrassing way. Yes, we’ve considered passing out protective gear to all men who visit our house, in light of the all-too-frequent errant snout. But I adore them. And they adore me. Especially when I take them for a walk. Or a swim. Or on a shopping trip.

Don’t get me wrong, my cat, The Murph, is like no other. But have you ever tried to take a cat anywhere? Bet you didn’t get too far. Stella and Cassidy are easy. You open the back door of the car and say “Wanna go for a ride?” In they hop. We could be headed to Cruella de Vil’s house and they wouldn’t care. And when we arrive at our destination, tails are wagging, snouts are snouting, and all is right with the world.

Such was the case during a recent shopping extravaganza. Our first stop was Dirty Dog, a new self-service dog wash in Orono. I wanted to check it out because trying to get Cassidy into our tub is about as easy as getting Paris Hilton to say something intelligent.

She’s not a huge fan of the groomer – you should’ve seen the getup they dolled her up in the last time we visited. Even she was mortified. When I arrived, she gave me the “what am I, a toy poodle?” look. Let’s just say she isn’t one for accessorizing.

Dirty Dog has everything you need to clean, groom and pamper your pet, including a full selection of after-bath treats and a bunch of cool bandannas fit for dogs that wouldn’t be caught dead in a sweater.

Next, we headed to Petco, where I decided to break down and buy a coupler so we could all shop together. They’re huge, and on two leashes, they walk me – Cassidy’s a golden retriever mix, and Stella is a Belgian Malinois, both adopted from the Bangor Humane Society.

They wanted to sample freely from the rawhide bar and the dog-treat bar, but I steered them in the direction of the leashes. Then I untangled myself, tethered them together, and things went much more smoothly. I picked up a jumbo tennis ball for Stella – she’s obsessed with tennis balls. She spends hours herding them, bouncing them to herself, and trying in vain to extract them from under the couch. I needed one that wouldn’t roll under the couch and cause her hours of stress, and I found one for $3.99.

Then I got a Greenie for Cassidy, a breath-freshening natural treat in the shape of a toothbrush. After a brief stop at the treat bar for animal crackers, we left. Lucky dogs.

Next, we headed to Pet Quarters, a Maine-based superstore with headquarters in Westbrook. Inside, they immediately started sniffing the rawhides and chew toys, but when Stella saw the tennis ball toys from Kong, it was love. I grabbed a bacon-flavored Nyla Bone and a Planet Dog frisbee for Cassidy and we headed back to the car.

The luck continued at Target. But I had to leave them both in the car, with the windows open, of course. Inside, I strolled right past the “bling-bling” rhinstone-bedazzled doggie T-shirt and the Michael Graves dog raincoat, but I did grab an Isaac Mizrahi chew toy in the shape of a black high-heeled shoe for Stella – much better than the alternative. Next, I picked up carob-dipped dog cookies for Cassidy, a rope toy for the two of them to fight over, and a fold-up water bowl for their walks. Then I grabbed another lint roller for myself. (Note to savvy shoppers – DON’T buy the rollers in the dog aisle. They’re less expensive elsewhere in the store).

We hit the road again for Green Acres Kennel Shop, which was fabulous – great prices, a great selection of products, and great service. I wanted to get Stella-belle a leash to replace the one she chewed through several months ago, and I found one by Lupine – guaranteed for life, even if it’s chewed, for less than at other stores. I contemplated buying some Yip-Yaps (like Altoids for dogs), but I didn’t want to offend my canine companions.

After all the excitement, I was tired, the dogs were restless, and it was time to go home. But that’s not to say I’ve stopped shopping for my sweeties.

I love to pop into Animal Crackers on Hammond Street in Bangor – their selection is fantastic and the service can’t be beat. Soon, I’ll stop at Mardens and buy the girls matching faux-shearling dog beds (a bargain at $20). And I’ll probably peruse the decent selection of beds and dog-cessories at T.J. Maxx ‘n More.

When I’m working on the road, I always like to visit Fetch and the fabulous Bark ‘n Roll, both in Portland, for unique dog supplies, cool collars and ID tags, and cute accessories for humans, too. On Mount Desert Island, Bark Harbor can’t be beat for puppy pottery and a treat bar that looks like a bakery case. Under the Dogwood Tree in Southwest Harbor has the coolest dog-themed gift items. Both are already open for the season. And in Freeport, Pet Pantry has a selection of treats that looks good enough for humans to eat.

Maybe next time I travel, I’ll take the girls with me. It’ll be a dog-gone good time. Even better now that I have the coupler. Now I can walk them instead of vice-versa.

Reader question

Dear ShopGirl,

Have you ever heard of Byer of Maine, a company that made “Buoy Bags”? I bought one in Ellsworth a few years ago. The company went out of business. The bag was shaped like a buoy with navy blue stripes on the bottom. Would love another one.

Thanks,

Libby Smith

Dear Libby,

Byer of Maine is an Orono-based company that is still in business, but it stopped making the buoy bags years ago. Byer continues to make tote bags, however. I’d urge you to stop at the Byer of Maine factory store at 74 Mill Street in Orono. For information, call (800) 338-0580 or 866-2171.

As always, happy shopping!

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329, or by fax to: 941-9476. Tune in to ShopGirl at 5 p.m. Fridays on WLBZ-2.