FAQs and interesting stuff

We get asked lots of questions - here are the answers to some of them:

Why do you only sell stuff for big dogs?

Because we are obsessed by them and have 5 of our own so we like to think we know about big dogs. There are plenty of people selling stuff for little things you can put in handbags and dress in leather jackets or for labradors or german shepherds but the BIG dogs need fab stuff too and so do their owners.

How many people work with you?

Well there is mainly me, Llynda, then there is Jake who does the graphics and arty stuff once I have come up with the idea, there is Richard who sorts the website when we can't, we have Dan who lives in Chile and does the cartoon type graphics and Simon who doesn't live in Chile but probably would like to - he created the basic dog outlines. Joe lives in London and gives us advice and help on Marketing - he is one of my sons and it is payback time for those food parcels I kept sending to him at Uni. Lesley makes the bibs and other sewn things. That's it really and my husband Darryl does things that involve tools like mending the trailer and loading it up (and emptying it) and general heavy lifting stuff. Of course, our dogs all try out the stock and my friends give me ideas in return for tea, coffee and food.

How do you work out the postage rates?

We have this clever website that adds up the weights then we have to take into account the cost of the packaging, how long it takes to pack it and the cost of someone going up to the post office and standing in a long queue of two waiting to be served (usually at five to five). We sometimes use recycled packaging because it is silly to throw it away when it can be used again and is a little way of saving the earth (we think).

How long do things take to come?

We suggest you give us 28 days but we always try to deliver in 5 days. We make most of the things here so that can take a little while. Sometimes, we run out of things and have to wait for them to be delivered. If we are going to be late delivering, we will always let you know and hope you understand.

Why don't you sell things that we see on other websites?

What is the point? If you see it there, you can buy it there. We like selling our own stuff that is a bit different.

Where do you come up with the ideas?

Just from living with dogs, working our dogs, showing our dogs and generally being taken over by them. I used to be a T shirt and Knitwear designer so that has come in handy. Other people give us ideas and, if we like them, we give them a T shirt for free. We love suggestions for new things.

What are your plans for the future?

Well, we would like to keep going. We are just into our 3rd year now and can't believe how much we have grown. One day, we would like to make a profit instead of ploughing it all back in but we love what we do and we love making things for you people but... its a business. I would like to go to bed early with a book sometimes instead of updating the website at midnight!

Do things ever go wrong?

Ha, ha, not that you would notice but yes, they do. We work with technical colour profiles so that is a headache or, we forget to reverse the writing before it goes to the printer so it comes out as a mirror image. We still have the first mug we made like that. Rarely do things go wrong with our customers but if they do, we always try to put it right quickly because we like you (and need you).