An experienced pet sitter has designed a portable internal gate system that helps to prevent attacks on postal workers from over-protective dogs.
Peter Maxted, founder of Dog-G8, devised a gate system that prevents dogs escaping out of the front door when the postman comes to deliver.
Royal Mail announced there were 1,673 dog attacks reported on its staff last year, an average of 32 attacks every week across the UK, with some leading to permanent and disabling injuries.
A pet sitter for over 19 years, Peter was aware of the risks associated with dogs at front doors – escapes, attacks and thefts. Although there were other gates on the market, he felt they were inadequate and ineffective enough to work for all breeds. He therefore decided to design and sell his own version so he could keep his and clients’ dogs safer at the front door.
Peter’s son Chris is also a director in the business and has been working alongside Merseyside Dog Safety Partnership and the University of Liverpool to raise awareness of dog attacks and their impact on delivery workers.
The Dog-G8 product is British-made which features a concertina, modular and retractable design. The product is incredibly versatile and can be used on multiple configurations ranging from the front door, to stairways, hallways, motor homes, horse boxes and more.
The gate’s modular design enables it to be spanned to any width, allowing the gate to be fitted to the widest of configurations such as patio doors where standard, conventional gates cannot fit.
The gate is made from mild steel, coated in chrome or white powder coat, bolted together with bespoke, customised clips which give the gate strength and durability.
When the gate is not in use it sits flat and compact to one side it’s neat, unobtrusive, and out of the way. Finally, it is removable, enabling it to be easily stored away or docked to other configurations such as the Stairway to the Doorway (if extra brackets are purchased).
Since launch the company has seen massive growth and now sells directly to the consumer in the UK, Canada, United States, and Europe. The product went viral on Tiktok receiving over 55 million views across all videos and they attended Crufts last year for the first time where the product was well received. The Dog-G8 Company were the Theo Paphitis' Small Business Sunday Winner in March 2021
The Dog-G8 Company is currently working on bringing out variants of the current products. The business will launch a taller version of the gate within the next 6 months, ready for Crufts 2023, alongside offering customers a range of new colours. Now only two colours are available, Chrome and White in one height.
The business is looking to widen its distribution network by targeting the trade and wholesalers in the next year.
The gates are available to buy on Amazon or directly from www.dog-g8.com
