04 JunWhy your dog might actually benefit from a pair of sunglasses

Sure, you might have a lobster costume for your corgi in the closet. And pet-safe nail polish in the bathroom. But here's a gratuitously cute item that might be something that could actually benefit your dog: Glasses.

Doggles are goggles for dogs. They are used to help provide some UV protection (especially important for dogs suffering from pannus, a canine corneal disease), or to protect the eyes of Search and Rescue dogs from debris and danger and sand. Or, you might get them if you want your dog to ride in your sidecar. The company has even experimented with making dog goggles with corrective lenses, and completely opaque ones for blind dogs

At School For The Dogs, we just got a few pairs, but not so that our clients can learn how to dress their pup as Jacques Cousteau for Halloween. New York's premier (and only) veterinary behaviorist, Dr. E'Lise Cristensen gave us a new idea for their use: Smear some vaseline in them and they can help obscure a dog's vision in areas were he might other wise be overly stimulated. The calming cap, made of slightly sheer nylon, is a similar idea. But they look sort of Abu Graib prisoner-y.

Whereas doggles make every dog look like Tom Cruise circa 1986.

In the photo above, our spokesdogs Disco and Amos are modeling them. They must actually be pretty comfortable — we thought it'd take a while to desensitize
 them to having something over their eyes, but they were pretty psyched to try them on. Although Amos is holding out for Ray Bans.

Of course, they do not yet make dog contacts. Or monocles. Although Warby Parker did get our hopes up about that one.