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We started with a standard aluminum 5×8 utility trailer and added vents to keep things cool.  That is those "D" shaped things front and rear.  The supplier didn’t have 6 of all the same color so we ended up with 2 black covers.  I’ll paint them white eventually.  I’ll explain what the round things are in a minute.  The next thing we did was add compartments inside.  I wanted to avoid using airline crates, and each compartment needed to be roomy enough that 2 large dogs would be very comfortable together.  We divided the interior into a total of 5 spaces – 4 compartments measuring 2.5 ft by 6 ft. and a 2 ft space just inside the door for supplies.  This is what we came up with.

We live in a part of the country where hunting with dogs is very common and it is not unusual to see a pickup truck with a wooden or metal box in the back that has holes cut into the side to allow the dogs confined within, to poke their heads out while they are being transported.  Well, my dogs are too spoiled to be treated like hunting hounds and I certainly did not want to just cut any old hole in the side on my trailer, but I did want to give the dogs the freedom to poke their head out and see the world in style.  Many long hours of research, looking for an affordable solution, led me to the idea to use marine deck plates as port holes.  We used the 10 inch size to accomidate Cypher’s large European head.

As you can see, Miya and Inv y like that idea!  The problem is that 4 ports just aren’t enough room, so as a consequence, there is a lot of pushing and bickering going on over who’s turn it is to poke their head out, so we are planning to add more deckplates for a total of 8 portholes.  The other really nice addition is a small sliding window that is installed in the door that not only provides more ventilation, but gives me the ability to take a peek inside to check that everyone is doing ok. Next time I will share what I came up with as a solution for the hot stagnant air that happens during the hot days of summer on the road, and how we plan to instantly know the interior temperature of the trailer to keep everyone happy and healthy.  Before I go I would like to explain a little bit more about these deck plates we are using as portholes.  They are meant to be installed on the deck of a boat where there might be sensitive equipment that needs to be closely monitored, but might be damaged by exposure to the elements.  To accomplish this, the center of each unit is clear like a plexi-glass window, and they screw in and out as needed.  By using these plates I have added lots of light as well as the flexibility to open and close them as the weather dictates.  It couldn’t be a more perfect arrangement! Stay tuned, more photos are on their way!

As I started to do some research into what the current Top 20 Pet Businesses were I found myself drawn into the online marketing effort to sell people a turnkey pet business. That is a huge business all on its own!

I was amazed and at the same time horrified to see all the effort that was being put into convincing the poor hapless soul who stumbled across those sites that all a person needed to do was fork over several hundred to several thousand dollars and whalla! Instant pet business, complete with over priced merchandise and an ongoing contract to keep paying, and keep paying, and keep paying, for the privilege of chasing the dream and ending up broke. It was very sad.

I hope to save some of my readers from that fate, and if you are one of those who got sucked into that hype at sometime in the past, you have my sympathy because – yes, I have done it too.

But I’ve learned my lesson. Have you? Let’s explore some REAL pet business opportunities and discuss the possibilities for each of them.

For today I want to share the list I created during my search. I was taking into consideration both brick and mortar business models as well as a virtual store via a website.

Here is the list:

Dog Grooming – Full drop off service

Dog Trainer – Basic obedience, custom applications, service dogs, behavior modification, entertainment, pet actors, drug/bomb dogs, search and rescue, therapy dogs, aid dogs, protection dogs.

Dog Breeder / Kennel operator – Preferably NOT the backyard bred variety!

Gourmet Dog Treats – Prepare them, package them and then find buyers for them.

Custom Dog gifts – Manufacture of hide a treat bones, dog beds, dog toys, etc.

Dog accessories – The manufacture of collars, leashes, packs, harnesses, muzzles, ambulatory aids, etc.

Gifts for the Dog Lover – Wood crafts, candles, candy, drawings, jewelry, wall art, sculptures, metal art, magnets, vinyl products like decals & bumper stickers, etc.

Pet Supply Store – Franchises like PetCo., PetSmart, or the like.

Dog clothes – Booties, coats, sweaters, costumes, bows, ribbons… you get the idea.

Pet Photographer – In a studio or on location ie…dog shows.

Handler – Usually for conformation competitions, but I guess you could also think in terms of a police/military dog handler.

Pet Loss Prevention – Tattooing, micro-chipping, ID tag manufacture.

Pet Medical care – Massage therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, veterinary, holistic therapy, physical therapy, etc.

Boarding – Long term care, doggy day care, quarantine facilities, etc.

Dog Wash – Self service grooming facility.

Pet Food Supplier – Raw & custom diets, commercial reseller, home delivery service

Pet Cemetery - Urns, caskets, memorials/markers, plaques, etc.

Pet Rescue – Purebred dogs & cats, exotic pets, birds.

Pet Furniture – Custom designed scratching posts, beds, ramps, etc.

Taxidermy – Preserve your pet forever!

Pest elimination – Fleas do have a habit of returning again and again.

Dog Spa – Pampered Pooch type facility with all the bells and whistles.

Pet Waste Removal – A must have for city dwellers.

Invisible Fence Installer – Hey, this could be regular fences too I guess, if the specialty was escape proofing!

Security Dog Service – Not recommended for toy breeds, but hey – they sure can sound the alarm!

Mobile Pet Care – Service for seniors and disabled pet owners, spay neuter clinics, vaccine clinics.

Online Possibilities:

• Breeder directory
• Pedigree database
• Advertising site (think classified ads)
• Paid information site (medical info usually)
• dog names, horoscopes and other fun stuff
• breed specific info sites
• Membership site
• Dog blog
• Retail site
• Consignment site
• Stock photo producer/seller

I think the list could actually keep going on and on. Every time I go to a dog show and walk thru the vendor area I see some new, extremely creative product or service that I never would have thought of in a million years, but boy would I like to have!

As for my experience with this list, let’s just say that I have taken a shot at 6 or 7 of them. I think most dog lovers have played around with making a business out of their hobby on more than one occasion. Some of these businesses, or services, I still provide to a certain degree.

I have taken what works for me and condensed it into a viable business model. Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and most importantly, willingness to learn, is paramount to finding a pet business model that will work for you.

Next let’s weigh some of the pros and cons of each item on the list and I’ll see if I can come up with some links for you for training programs for acquiring the skill set necessary to be successful in that business.

Until next time – here is my quote of the day…

Dogs are miracles with paws. ~Attributed to Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy

Because of that interest I have decided to explore the possibilities, the pros and cons of each and what considerations need to be examined before starting any type of pet business.

I will post a series of reports on this subject and some of the topics I will cover for you are:

• What are the most popular pet businesses?
• What is the easiest pet business to start?
• Where is the best money?
• How much does it cost to get started?
• What unique pet businesses are out there?
• What about the basics like getting a business license?
• What pet businesses do well online?
• Where can a person get training to start a pet business?

And as I go along I am sure that there will be so much more.

This is a subject that is dear to my heart because I have struggled to be a stay-at-home mom for more than 20 years and my pet businesses have helped to make that possible. As this series unfolds I hope to share some of my passion for this subject and a great deal of my experience in how I went about building several successful pet businesses.

Do you have a question about building a pet business? If you have questions you would like me to address please leave them in the comments area below this post or submit them via the contact us tab at the top of the page.

It doesn’t matter if you are considering starting a brick and mortar business, building a home based business or launching an online business that is focused around pets, you are going to want to keep up with this series.

If you already have an enterprise then you will benefit from the information about how to promote your business both online and off to drive more traffic and make more sales. Who knows, you just might find yourself inspired to launch a new business venture that makes all the difference in your family’s budget, it certainly does for mine.

Check back tomorrow for my first article in the series: “The top 20 pet businesses”

See ya then.

One of the areas that I want to give special attention to is the question of “How do I afford my ‘Boxer habit’?”

I currently have 10 adults and 5 new puppies in my house and the care and feeding of this many dogs is definitely a challenge at times and while it is true that one of the ways I provide for them all is of course via the sale of quality Boxer Puppies and Stud service to approved bitches, in reality those activities alone are inadequate to the task. I just don’t produce enough puppies to pay the day to day bills, much less turn a profit.

So where does that leave me? Well, like so many other pet lovers, I have looked for other ways to earn income from my dogs. If you take a look around this site you can see a few of them. I run ads for training programs and other dog related products, I do training classes for youth groups and neighbors, anything I can find to do.

Sharing this and other similar information with you, my fellow dog lover, I hope to help you find creative ways to afford your own “dog habit”. Keep watch for my next post of “Inquiring minds want to know…pt 2″ where I will share other ideas that I have either heard of, done in the past, or currently use to keep a profitable home based business alive and well and centered around a subject I love so well…my Boxers!