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.

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.

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.

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.

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

One of the products we presented was our soon-to-be-launched, super cool dog stroller called the Dogger™. To capture the crowd’s reaction to this amazing new product, which helps older dogs with mobility issues, we recorded some of today’s interactions. We couldn’t be happier with the response.

Check it out:

*UPDATE: The Dogger is now available. For more info or to order your own Dogger click here

Want your own Dogger? Click here

As many of you are aware Dog Quality has been selected as a finalist for the BizBreak contest. The winner is awarded a cash prize of $3,000 plus mentoring from some very successful business people. Winning this contest is important to us as it will help to fund the development of our newest products (eco-friendly, self-absorbent washable dog diapers and a super cool dog jogger/stroller) to improve the quality of life for older dogs.

Voting only takes a second and we’d really appreciate it.

The washable dog diaper will be totally self-absorbent eliminating the need to ever use a pad again – the whole diaper can be tossed in the wash and reused.

The Dogger will be a rugged yet stylish dog stroller/jogger with air filled tires, rain cover and the option for a variety of accessories. We are working very hard to make these products happen because we believe that they can truly make a positive difference in the quality of life for senior dogs.

As part of our quest to produce these products we have entered the BizBreak entrepreneur contest with this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeazfAQBoyo It is a 2 minute pitch with a bit of humor thrown in. The finalists are chosen based on the videos with the most views so I’d appreciate it if you could take a quick look. The winner is ultimately chosen by a vote but i’m willing to take it one step at a time so for now my goal is to become a finalist.

If we win, the funds will go to the production of these two exciting new products.

Thanks for listening and feel free to spread the word. We need all the support we can get.

Here is Sammy’s story by Jo Klitzke

Every year we go out to Kananaskis on a family/friends camping trip and rent a group campground. As these are far from any roads, we all let our dogs loose and they love it.

This year we rented Pinegrove B group camp (where my husband & I were married 7 years ago). It is in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and in the middle of nowhere.

We have 2 beagles (8 & 10 years old) and a Shitzu Bichon – Sammy (12 years old). We lost track of the beagles so we were calling for them. Sammy must have been following one of us. When we found the beagles, she may have been sniffing at something – who knows, but when we got the beagles tied up we realized that Sam was gone. She must have wandered off in the direction she thought we took. We had noticed in the last few weeks that her hearing was going.

This was Friday night around 10 p.m. We had 25 people (plus dogs) out looking for our little “Muffin”. We looked until around midnight, then called off the search.

We started searching again at 8 the next morning. People were walking for miles, and others were on bicycles. I drove to the next campground around 1 p.m., Sibbald Lake, because I knew there was a manager there, to report her missing. He said that a man had come around 10 a.m. & had found a small
tan coloured dog on the road. The man drove around the campground but no one had a dog missing, so he told the manager that he was going to turn the dog into the SPCA.

I drove back to our campground & told everybody what I’d heard & my husband & I drove up to highway 1 to get cell phone reception. We called Calgary Humane Society, Cochrane H.S., Bow Valley, Big Horn, Canmore…..but no luck.

We basically gave up the search because we thought that we would locate her Sunday or Monday at one of these locations. I cried most of the weekend, thinking that a predator may have gotten her. She is terrified of thunder and we had it both nights that she was gone.

Sunday we called all the agencies again, and nothing. We were devastated.

Monday I called and still nothing. I registered her on Pet Lynx on the internet and anywhere else I could think of. I placed an ad on kijiji, and even paid extra for her to be featured on their home page and the top of the category. Once I did that, I thought I should look through the ads that were placed, and lo and behold, someone had found a small dog running down the road in the middle of nowhere in Kananaskis Saturday night!

That confused me, because the campground manager said the man had found a dog Saturday morning at 10. Anyway, I replied with her description, then started to shake. I called my husband & daughter and they both were a bit skeptical because of the time line. I sat in front of my computer, but nothing, so I went out and did some yard work for 1/2 hour.

When I came back to the computer, I had a reply, but it didn’t sound like our Sammy, so I sent a picture and more details of where we were when we lost her. I asked if I could drive down to Calgary & see if it was our “Muffin” and gave my phone number.

2 minutes later, Amy Williams called me & said “I think I have your puppy”. I told her it was my birthday the next day and if it was Sammy, it would be the best birthday present I had ever had.

Amy, her husband Steve, and 2 year old daughter Kayla were visiting friends at the Sibbald Lake campground Saturday night. Amy was going to have one more cup of tea before they headed home but something told her that they had to get going NOW. She was driving very slowly down highway 68 looking everywhere. Steve asked her what she was looking for and she said “I don’t know!”

It’s about 12:45 Sunday morning and Amy spots a little dog running down the road. Steve got out of the car and Sammy flew into his arms. Her collar was tattered and she was covered in pine sap. They immediately drove back to their friend’s camp site to give Sammy water, the headed home, & stopped at a 24 hour place to pick up some dog food. The next day they bought her a new collar, leash and dog shampoo. They had her all cleaned up and she mostly slept and drank.

We live an hour north west of Calgary, and I loaded my beagles into the truck and headed down. I stopped at the bank in Carstairs to get some cash to give Amy a reward, and several people in Carstairs honked and stopped me to congratulate me on finding Sammy. Apparently my daughter had posted it on Facebook!

When I got to Amy’s place, she was sitting on her lawn with Kayla and my Muffin!

We cried and hugged, and when Amy adamantly refused any money, she hugged me and whispered “Happy Birthday”.

Since then we have become good friends. They came to visit last weekend and Sammy was so excited to see them. She sat on Steve’s lap most of the time.

Thank God for the angels in this world.