Small Business Stories - QT Dog Video

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Small Business Stories - QT Dog

Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees for small business television SBTV.com. We are on location in Baltimore at the 2009 pet industry spring trade show. It is brought to you by HH Backer associates publishers of Pet Age Magazine. Mike what is QT dog Michael Thomas: We have been in the pets business about 13 years. We manufacture anything from stainless steel pet food balls to deer antler dog shoes to flea paste to dog toothbrushes. Whatever else we can figure out, kind of to be innovative in this business. Alex Fees: Talking about this, what is this? Michael Thomas: Well this is the doggie dent, it is Alex Fees: The doggie dent? Michael Thomas: The doggie dent Alex Fees: A doggie toothbrush? Michael Thomas: A doggie toothbrush. Its got a dog friendly toothpaste already pre impregnated into the bristles. Alex Fees: Wow. Michael Thomas: So it is good for a one time use. Retail point for a dollar and what it is to get the consumer into the habit of brushing dogs teeth. The competitions out there is like a $15.00 to $18.00 retail point and it is─ yeah it is not a simple process here. The consumer can go to the store, pick one up and say, “I will try it.” And go ahead and experience the joy of brushing your dog’s teeth. Alex Fees: Mike, talk to me about that joy. How often do I need to be brushing my dog’s teeth? Michael Thomas: About once a week. Alex Fees: Really? Michael Thomas: About once a week and you can, you can get—if he’s eating hard bones or like chewing on the antler, that is really a tremendous way to knock the tartar off the teeth but it is also a bonding thing with your dog. You know, if you are able to get to the point where you can brush his teeth and he is not, not having a complete fit, and wanting to bite you. It is just a, it is a little more interactive time. Alex Fees: It is the fit I’m worried about though. I mean do most dogs go for this or not? Michael Thomas: They tolerate it, and then they get to like it after a while. Another application with this is, you know, it is on the professional side, the dog groomers. They will, you know 90 percent of them offer teeth brushing as a service. Well they do not want to use the same toothbrush the dog, after dog, after dog. Here they can ensure their customers got a fresh brush every time, and then they put some on the front and sell them to their, sell them to their customers there. Alex Fees: Okay Mike, take me back here and show me these antlers. What is this all about? Michael Thomas: Well, what we did is we take an actually shed deer antler. This is not a slaughter house product and we have sterilized it cut into five inch pieces and as a dog chew. We have got it from small up to monster. Alex Fees: That was a big dear. Michael Thomas: Yeah it is an Elk. Alex Fees: Okay. Michael Thomas: They don not splinter, they do not get soft, they do not smell, they do not stain the carpet; it is not a slaughter product, very very long lasting. This would last; even the very aggressive chewer six months to nine months. Alex Fees: So why do dogs go for this because that is essentially what, bone marrow? Michael Thomas: Well it is basically calcium phosphorous sodium, a bunch about 50 percent minerals, and about 40% protein, and the balance is, you know is two percent fat. I think dogs back in the old days, they, when they would take down a dear, they would eat everything but the eyeballs. I mean from antlers to ass, if you pardon the expression. And dogs some have not had the chance to chew an antler, you now, generations and generations and generations. So when they smell and they taste it, I think they are hard wired and then something─ a light bulb goes off in their brains it is like, “I remember this.” And they just go out with a gust though, I mean it is amazing, I have never─ this product is growing 80% in a year right now. I mean bananas. Alex Fees: What about bananas? You have bananas? Michael Thomas: Dogs do not go for bananas. Alex Fees: If you go for antlers—and you got your teeth brushes, where can people go to get more information about these products? Michael Thomas: You can check our website as QTdog.com and ask you local distributor, Pets Plus distributor about it and there also a lot of, you know online retailers everywhere. We do not─ we are purely whole sale operations so we sell to folks who just get it out there. Alex Fees: QTdog.com? Michael Thomas: Yeah. Alex Fees: Well thank you very much sir. Michael Thomas: Thank you sir.

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Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees for small business television SBTV.com. We are on location in Baltimore at the 2009 pet industry spring trade show. It is brought to you by HH Backer associates publishers of Pet Age Magazine.

Mike what is QT dog

Michael Thomas: We have been in the pets business about 13 years. We manufacture anything from stainless steel pet food balls to deer antler dog shoes to flea paste to dog toothbrushes. Whatever else we can figure out, kind of to be innovative in this business.

Alex Fees: Talking about this, what is this?

Michael Thomas: Well this is the doggie dent, it is

Alex Fees: The doggie dent?

Michael Thomas: The doggie dent

Alex Fees: A doggie toothbrush?

Michael Thomas: A doggie toothbrush. Its got a dog friendly toothpaste already pre impregnated into the bristles.

Alex Fees: Wow.

Michael Thomas: So it is good for a one time use. Retail point for a dollar and what it is to get the consumer into the habit of brushing dogs teeth. The competitions out there is like a $15.00 to $18.00 retail point and it is─ yeah it is not a simple process here. The consumer can go to the store, pick one up and say, “I will try it.” And go ahead and experience the joy of brushing your dog’s teeth.

Alex Fees: Mike, talk to me about that joy. How often do I need to be brushing my dog’s teeth?

Michael Thomas: About once a week.

Alex Fees: Really?

Michael Thomas: About once a week and you can, you can get—if he’s eating hard bones or like chewing on the antler, that is really a tremendous way to knock the tartar off the teeth but it is also a bonding thing with your dog. You know, if you are able to get to the point where you can brush his teeth and he is not, not having a complete fit, and wanting to bite you. It is just a, it is a little more interactive time.

Alex Fees: It is the fit I’m worried about though. I mean do most dogs go for this or not?

Michael Thomas: They tolerate it, and then they get to like it after a while. Another application with this is, you know, it is on the professional side, the dog groomers. They will, you know 90 percent of them offer teeth brushing as a service. Well they do not want to use the same toothbrush the dog, after dog, after dog. Here they can ensure their customers got a fresh brush every time, and then they put some on the front and sell them to their, sell them to their customers there.

Alex Fees: Okay Mike, take me back here and show me these antlers. What is this all about?

Michael Thomas: Well, what we did is we take an actually shed deer antler. This is not a slaughter house product and we have sterilized it cut into five inch pieces and as a dog chew. We have got it from small up to monster.

Alex Fees: That was a big dear.

Michael Thomas: Yeah it is an Elk.

Alex Fees: Okay.

Michael Thomas: They don not splinter, they do not get soft, they do not smell, they do not stain the carpet; it is not a slaughter product, very very long lasting. This would last; even the very aggressive chewer six months to nine months.

Alex Fees: So why do dogs go for this because that is essentially what, bone marrow?

Michael Thomas: Well it is basically calcium phosphorous sodium, a bunch about 50 percent minerals, and about 40% protein, and the balance is, you know is two percent fat. I think dogs back in the old days, they, when they would take down a dear, they would eat everything but the eyeballs. I mean from antlers to ass, if you pardon the expression. And dogs some have not had the chance to chew an antler, you now, generations and generations and generations.

So when they smell and they taste it, I think they are hard wired and then something─ a light bulb goes off in their brains it is like, “I remember this.” And they just go out with a gust though, I mean it is amazing, I have never─ this product is growing 80% in a year right now. I mean bananas.

Alex Fees: What about bananas? You have bananas?

Michael Thomas: Dogs do not go for bananas.

Alex Fees: If you go for antlers—and you got your teeth brushes, where can people go to get more information about these products?

Michael Thomas: You can check our website as QTdog.com and ask you local distributor, Pets Plus distributor about it and there also a lot of, you know online retailers everywhere. We do not─ we are purely whole sale operations so we sell to folks who just get it out there.

Alex Fees: QTdog.com?

Michael Thomas: Yeah.

Alex Fees: Well thank you very much sir.

Michael Thomas: Thank you sir.

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