You CAN teach an old dog NEW TRICKS
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By NANCY VAN VALKENBURG
Standard-Examiner staff
Krista Wickens was a child when she opened her first business.
"It was a cookie stand, set up on the dirt road where I lived in Montana," the Ogden woman recalled. "We would maybe get a car every hour, but they all stopped. My brother was a good employee, and we shared the money."
Wickens, a born entrepreneur, has learned a few things about marketing and product development since then. Her new business, opened in February with business partner Amy Eskelsen of Logan, is PetZen Products.
PetZen, run from a small store on Ogden's Historic 25th Street, sells innovative products for pets. Getting the most attention is the DogTread, a motorized exercise treadmill for dogs.
"The pet industry is up to $43 billion sales per year, and estimated to be at $52 billion by the end of the decade," said Wickens, whose resume includes numerous jobs in consumer product sales, packaging and marketing. "And with 40 percent of dogs overweight or obese, the DogTread seemed like a natural choice to launch the business."
PetZen also sells more than a dozen other grooming, travel and play products, including collapsible food and water dishes for pets on the go; roll-up pet beds for use during travel; portable ChowPal kits, a two-dish unit with food storage below; the Woof-Ah portable bathing system; and a Pack-It-Out Waste Containment system, for leak-proof, odor-concealing storage of dog droppings until a trash can becomes available.
All products are designed by Wickens and Eskelsen.
Although Wickens has pets, dog Jasper and cat Mousy, it is Eskelsen who has the most experience with dogs. She owned a pet-sitting business for a decade, has worked as a dog trainer, and she owns eight dogs, including a sled team of Huskies and two indoor dogs.
One house dog is Jack, the Jack Russell terrier who serves as PetZen's spokesdog and DogTread demonstrator.
"I've always loved animals, in any shape or form," Eskelsen said. "I can't imagine my life without dogs. I have visited hundreds of animals over 10 years, and I've seen a lot of products people use.
"Ideas have always come into my head about how we could make things better, like a bowl and water bottle that could clip to a backpack, or collapsible bowls that don't leak."
A common friend introduced Wickens and Eskelsen, the born marketer and the longtime dog expert, and PetZen was born.
A plan
Wickens did market research, and drew up a formal business plan. The partners drew up designs of their product ideas, selected the materials to be used in construction, and sent them off to a manufacturer in China.
Two other companies sell dog treadmills, but PetZen's has a lower cost and different design. It has safety features, such as side guards; it's easier for owners because of its wheels and a fold-away feature; a playful design (a bone-shaped control console and a dish for treats) and a lower cost. The unit for small dogs of 30 pounds or less costs $500, a price $100 to $500 less than that of competitors.
The small PetZen DogTread moves .3 miles per hour to 5 miles per hour. A PetZen model for medium dogs costs $700, and goes up to 8 miles per hour. A model for large dogs is in development. The Web site is www.petzenproducts.com.
Jack quickly mastered the treadmill.
"He loves it," Eskelsen said. "It helps relieve some of the energy he has. He seems to love demonstrating the treadmill, and always gets on with no problem." The unit comes with instructions to help pet owners train their dogs to run the treadmill.
Tania C. Stewart, Jack's veterinarian at Bridgerland Animal Hospital of Logan, said the terrier is in excellent shape.
"He is really fit," Stewart said. "I'm not that familiar with dogs working on treadmills, but I have read reports that dogs can be quite easy to train on treadmills, and it's a good source of exercise. I don't really see how training on a treadmill could cause a problem. Jack is in really good shape."
The market
So why wouldn't a pet owner just walk the dog on a leash, enhancing the fitness of both the dog and the walker?
"This is a good option for when the weather is not great, to have an alternative when you can't get outside because of rain, snow, ice or darkness, or because of your own injury," Wickens said. "People have busy schedules, and are gone early in the morning and back late at night. People think letting the dog run in the backyard is enough exercise, but dogs need a brisk walk of about 45 minutes every day, or they get unhealthy and even depressed."
Dogs have problems walking on treadmills made for humans, Wickens said, because of the excess width, a lack of side guards and speeds not geared to dogs.
Beverly King, director of Weber State University's Small Business Development Center, said there is a market for high-end pet-care products.
"My sense is very definitely that it is a growing field," King said. "Veterinarians are broadening the scope of products they offer, and in other states you will see stores that specialize in dog cookies and biscuits. I personally receive catalogs for pets with luxury items and prices that blow my mind. But this is what people want for their pets."
Wickens and Eskelsen were hesitant to release too many sales details, due to the competitive nature of the market, but said their sales are on track with their early projections.
"Sometimes things take longer than you wish they would, but in reality, everything seems to be going along according to plan," Eskelsen said. "We are working on other things, trying to get dog collars and leashes, and every time I go camping, I think of new ideas.
"We will always be trying to think of new things to make life more convenient for people and for dogs."
Reader Comments
How wonderful! Training dogs on a treadmill. That would solve the problem of exercising in winter. Great idea.
Linda Corpe
Everything Natural Pet Food
Hello, Could you tell me your address. thank you. stacey e-mail address s.31ford@msn.com