Good morning Coddled Crew!  I am writing this post on Friday morning and by the time it is posted on Monday morning, the Canine Carnival in Syracuse, NY will be over.  It has been a lot of work to prepare to it and I am so excited that it is finally here!  I will let you guys know how it went.  Preparing for the Carnival got me thinking about how this all started and I want to share in more detail the story of how Coddled Canine began.  ​
 

We got Riley when I was 15.  My parents told me that I would have the sole responsibility of taking care of all of his needs.  We took books out of the library on how to train puppies and I learned as much as I could about how to be the best dog mom I could.  In reality, my parents, in particular, my mom, helped me out tremendously in raising and training Riley.  To this day I am still learning what it means to be responsible for a dog and I am not perfect.

According to the books that we read about puppies, we knew that they would need to be taken outside every hour.  The books were right!  Baby Riley would go potty every time we took him outside.  Once he grew to full size, he could hold it for about 3 hours.  Of course he would have some accidents sometimes, but I don’t blame anyone but myself for his accidents.  It is always my fault that I didn’t take him outside in time.  Sometimes Rye would try to get my attention to tell me he needs to pee, and sometimes he would just go find his own place to pee.  I’m not perfect and I feel bad when he has an accident because he couldn’t hold it anymore.

Fast forward a few years and my parents decided to get new carpet.  They told me I better make sure Riley didn’t go potty on the new carpet.  So, we did some research and learned about belly bands.  At the time, people were making belly bands with cotton for the band and putting sanitary napkins in them to catch urine.  Since my parents have their own business and they always have materials on hand, I started developing my own version of belly bands so that Riley wouldn’t pee on the new carpets.  

After a few prototypes and Riley standing awkwardly as he looks at me wondering what the heck he is wearing, we finally found a winner.  Fleece makes for a stretchy, breathable band that conforms to his waist and is less likely to fall off.  Special velcro that is quiet yet still strong creates a more pleasant experience for Rye when putting on and taking off the band. Regular velcro made him wince at the sound of peeling it open.  Finally, a super absorbent material and barrier fabric sewn right into the belly band ensures that all urine is captured and doesn’t leak.  

Riley was comfortable in his belly bands and my parents were happy because he wasn’t having accidents on the new carpet!  Now, if you have read my “ABOUT ME” page, you will know that I come from a line of entrepreneurs and I started to realize that this could be a business in the making.  I truly felt that my belly bands out-performed the belly bands on the market and so Coddled Canine was born in the Fall of 2012.

Immediately, Coddled Canine belly bands were a hit and I was getting such good feedback and repeat customers.  I was and am still so happy to be able to help fellow dog owners with the same problems I face.  It is so rewarding to own a business and know that you are able to positively affect the online community.  Thank you to all of my customers who have helped Coddled Canine become what it is today.  I am so blessed!

Yes, Riley still uses his belly bands and yes, he still has accidents when I forget to put his belly bands on him.  You would think I would learn by now!  But no one is perfect!

So that is how I got started in a niche business!  It’s all thanks to Riley, the gift that keeps on giving!  Has your dog opened doors for you that you wouldn’t have thought possible?  If so, let’s hear about it in the comments below! I’d love to hear any comments and suggestions you may have for me.  
Thanks for reading and have a great week!