How many times have you left your older dog behind? Perhaps you have a younger dog that is still full of energy and your senior dog can no longer keep up? Or maybe your older dog has too many mobility issues to even make it down the street.

I know this because I live it. I have a 5 year old French Bulldog who is extremely active and I have a 15 year old Pug who suffers from arthritis. I personally can’t look at Mackenzie’s face and leave with just Paige and equally so, I can’t look at Paige and say that we can’t go for a walk today.

The Dogger is the perfect way to help both your dogs. I can walk Paige while Mackenzie rides. He gets out for as much exercise as he can manage and enjoys the ride the rest of the way. It is such an amazing way to keep everyone active – including you

Enjoy the video

Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.

We have had a very exciting past few days fresh off our participation in PIJAC’s Western Pet Expo held here in BC. This event was directed towards pet industry professionals such as pet stores, groomers, pet services etc and represented our first big opportunity to get our products in front of local pet retailers.

Here’s some behind the scenes footage of our experience. I have an overwhelming urge to share every step that we take to grow our business. I feel like all of you are a part of this and I want to share each milestone with you so that one day we can look back on this time and say remember when.

The show was a big success for us. We now have 5 stores across the lower mainland testing out the Dogger and its accessories (drink holder, safety lights & memory foam pad) as well as our Washable Wonders dog diapers and pads. I am confident that once pet owners see our products they will fall in love with them so I am very happy to see retailers starting to introduce these senior dog products into their stores. We also had meaningful conversations with several other BC based stores so hoping to find success in follow up conversations.

Recording the interactions in the booth was tricky since when we are speaking with people there is no one to record…I think I need to invest in a tall tri-pod to truly capture the vibe next time.

I realized something important at this event and that is the power of seeing our products up close and personal. The impact they made and the amazing feedback we received may not have been possible if these items were not there in front of them so they could touch and feel them (and in our case also push them). As a result, I see that trade shows need to play a key role in our marketing efforts and we look forward to doing many more – some retailer based, but also consumer facing shows.

A very special thanks to Ozzy – the true star of the show!!

For more info on our wholesale program please visit: http://www.dogquality.com/wholesale

Thanks for sharing this experience with us.

Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential people in history and beyond that she is an amazing dog lover. She has had many dogs past and present and understands how big a part of the family our dogs are. If you witnessed her heartbreak at losing her beloved cocker spaniels Sophie and Soloman as they struggled in their senior years and eventually passed on, you would understand why so many dog owners can connect with Oprah on such a deep level. It takes a true dog lover to understand the significance of losing one of our four-legged family members.

I would love to be able to talk with Oprah about all the wonderful options people have for their older dogs. I have been there, when you are heart broken at seeing your once vibrant dog struggle with the challenges of age, not knowing how to help and feeling powerless. My mission is to raise awareness among senior dog owners, letting everyone know how they can help improve the quality of life for their older dog. There are amazing, life changing options that can help extend the time you have together, so here is what i’d say if Oprah would listen.

Watch video

If you feel that Oprah should do a piece on older dogs please let her know – suggest a show topic

Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.

If your family is like mine then Christmas is a time where the dogs make out way better than the humans Our Christmas tree is usually filled with more gifts for our family dogs than for any of the two-legged members and I couldn’t be happier.

I am often asked for suggestions on the perfect gift to get an older dog so I thought I would write a post that summarized my top 5 picks for Christmas gifts this year.

1) If your dog is like mine then food is the number one favourite gift. For senior dogs I have started to give Greenies for seniors. For those of you not familiar with Greenies, they are treats that also act as a dental aid and breath freshener. The type especially made for senior dogs have the added bonus of ingredients that help promote healthy  joints, bones, skin, and coat health. They are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Dogs seem to love these and they are just soft enough that even our older dogs can enjoy this healthy treat. All of my dogs are getting some of these in their stockings.

2) Another great gift for an older dog, especially one that struggles with mobility, is a dog stroller. I know there is likely snow outside but winter is not forever and before you know it the roads will be clear and your dog will be ready to feel the wind beneath their wings. Or you could plow through the snow with our very own product, the Dogger dog stroller. It has 12 inch air-filled tires that have proven to do quite well on snow covered roads and sidewalks.                                                                       

3) If your dog is suffering from arthritis then they may appreciate the therapeutic help that an orthopedic dog bed can bring. I recommend going with a bed that is made of memory foam because this helps to evenly distribute their weight and reduce the pressure on sore joints. I tested these against a regular fluffy bed and the difference was significant. Mackenzie, my 14 3/4 years old pug used to get up limping and at times would even fall over and now that he only uses orthopedic beds, he gets up without any difficulty. I was so happy with the results that I filled my house with these beds.

4) Outside of the product world another terrific gift to give your senior dog is a canine massage. There is a growing number of professional dog massage therapists popping up to address the growing demand for this alternative treatment. If you have ever had a massage yourself you should understand just how great it can feel, not to mention the therapeutic benefits for your dog.

5) My fifth pick for the top Christmas gift for your older dog borders on controversial, but I am becoming a believer. Stem cell therapy is a fast growing treatment that is showing some tremendous results in the treatment of dog arthritis. I am confident that before too long this form of treatment will become much more mainstream as the number of vets that are offering this type of treatment continues to escalate. Keep in mind that this is an expensive treatment, but from what I have seen so far in terms of results, it seems to be worth it.

This of course is not an extensive list, but hopefully I have given you a few things to consider this Christmas for your older dog.

What are you giving your senior dog this year? Please feel free to share you Christmas gift ideas.

Wow what a day this was! We received our first production run of our Doggers, our new dog stroller that I believe will set a new standard in the dog world. We had a long list of excited customers waiting on these so I could not unload them fast enough Since this day was so special for us I wanted to capture it on video so you could be right there with me.

The Dogger is now being shipped to our excited customers and I cannot wait to get everyone’s feedback. I just know they will love it.

To get your own Dogger or for more info on what all the buzz is about please visit: Dogger – Dog Stroller