Go Gadgets:"All style, no stink" collars from Dublin Dog of Charlotte, North Carolina, are made from the same sort of plastic as sports watch bands, so the brightly coloured designs don't absorb the smell of the sea or whatever else your mutt just rolled in.
And, unlike a dog, they're easy to clean with a wipe from a wet cloth; €16-€25 from www.dublindog.com.
• Another US company, Orvis, corners the market for those who travel with their furry friends. Lightweight ramps for heavyweight doggies that can't make it from ground level up into the boot (€72, www.orvis.com). Back-seat barriers (€50) for the hound that insists on attempting to ride up front. It's worth it just to stop you from shouting "Get back! Get back!" all the way to town, like some demented Paul McCartney impersonator. And, if you want to preserve your upholstery and stop a dog from slipping into the gap behind the front seat, there's the hammock-style seat saver (€103).
• Having wasted too many hours untangling the knot of headphone wires and charger cables that gather in the bottom of bags and drawers no matter how carefully wires are stowed, I've started packing each cable away in its own Ziploc bag. The slightly cooler alternative is Proporta's magnetic cable tidies; the cables are locked behind a little magnetic clasp, which pull open and locks shut easily (€4 for two, plus postage, from www.proporta.com).
• aharvey@irish-times.ie