Doggles are a commercial brand of

eye protection Eye protection is protective gear for the eyes, and sometimes face, designed to reduce the risk of injury. Examples of risks requiring eye protection can include: impact from particles or debris, light or radiation, wind blast, heat, sea sp ...

for

dogs The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers ...

in the form of tinted

goggles Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...

designed and manufactured to fit the shape of a dog's head. While marketed as a fashion item, several practical and medical uses have been reported, and prescription lenses for dogs with impaired eyesight are available.

Invention and construction

Doggles were invented by Roni Di Lullo after she noticed her dog, Midknight, squinting in the sunlight. Experiments were made with human sunglasses and sports goggles before a pair was developed to fit the shape of a dog's head. They are now produced by the Doggles Company in Diamond Springs, California. Doggles are constructed out of a tinted

polycarbonate Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate ester, carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, toughness, tough materials, and some grades are optically transp ...

material for UV protection, with elastic straps to secure them to the dog's head. Doggles were ranked No. 6 in a list of "10 ideas that shouldn’t have worked – but made millions" by MSN Money, and by 2004, were being sold in 4,500 shops in 16 countries and now include the option of prescription lenses.

Uses

left, upA Jack Russell Terrier wearing a pair of blue Doggles. In 2004, Linda Cunningham was organizing supply packs to be sent out to U.S. Army

working in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. During her research she came across Doggles and thought of them as protection from the sun and also from the effects of the desert sandstorms. She contacted the Doggles Company and together they have sent over 120 pairs of Doggles out to Iraq for the military working dogs. Doggles were also featured in a

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

Saturday Morning News segment about equipment being sent out to military dogs on 30 July 2005. The British newspaper '' Metro'' reported in March 2007 the story of a dog suffering from a rare autoimmune disorder which means its eyes cannot produce tears. The owner, Diana Stephens, has the dog wear Doggles in order to prevent its eyes from drying out. Uses of Doggles for other eye conditions have also been reported.

Veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

Pete Wedderburn reported in his ''

Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was foun ...

'' blog in 2009 the case of a

terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, game, and fearless. There are fi ...

that suffered from an ophthalmological condition in which tiny specks of debris were floating around inside its eyes. When exposed to bright sunshine, the dog would twist to its side while snarling and yelping; something that was originally thought to be the exacerbation of an existing

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

condition. A pair of Doggles was ordered, and while the terrier did not initially like wearing them, they did solve the problem. Eventually the owner found that a baseball cap designed for dogs proved to be the solution as the terrier did not mind wearing it. Many dogs seem to become used to the Doggles after a few minutes.

References

External links

Official Website
{{Eyewear American inventions Sunglasses Dog equipment Eyewear United States Army equipment