Sit. Stay Safe! By Something Special Pet Supplies

[jetcitywoman]

Hi Everyone,

I've purchased a new domain and have started re-branding my shop. I'm going to take this whole year to change over the brand so that I don't lose anyone who knows the current name. For the rest of this year my shop is called:

 

Sit. Stay safe! by Something Special Pet Supplies

 

Starting next year we'll drop the last part and only be called Sit. Stay safe!

 

Over the past two years of running the shop I've had the most success selling the Irish muzzles, and no success at all selling things for birds, bunnies and cats. Also with the dog products, toys and slow feeders and such can easily be found on Amazon, Petco and etc. so those didn't sell well for me, either. What I decided to do was get rid of all that stuff and focus my shop around the muzzles and similar items.... so safety products for dogs!

 

In the last 6 months I've also stumbled over (and then met and joined forces with) a non-profit organization called The Center for Pet Safety. They are like the pet version of the Consumer Products Safety Commission.... they do scientifically robust safety testing of pet products. By aligning myself to them, and using them as a resource for selecting which products I sell, I know that I can offer truly safe products. Why is that important? Most things manufactured for pets (and heck, people too) claim to be safe, but are not actually tested. (check out their videos for the car restraint systems and kennels that fail crash testing, you'll be shocked) You cannot trust manufacturer claims. CPS certification on the other hand, can be trusted!

 

The first product I'm working on acquiring for my shop are CPS-certified car restraint systems. It will be a while before I get them in stock but I am doing research and connecting with the vendors/manufacturers.

 

In the meantime, my line up includes:

 

• The super-popular double-padded Irish muzzles, feather-light coursing muzzles, and whippet muzzles
• high quality life jackets (that actually fit greyhounds too!)
• Puplights
• Rechargeable LED leashes, collars and harnesses (I may drop the harnesses when they sell out and only continue the collars and leashes)
• Doggy boat ladders!
• Doggy pool steps!
• HarnessLeads
• Spook Harnesses
• Furniture steps to help ailing small doggos get on the couch/bed
• Car back seat hammocks

 

 

[XTRAWLD]

This is wonderful, and I think you have refined your niche market. Way to go!

[racindog]

Glad to see you moving onward & upward! Continued success and God bless! The best is yet to come. BTW I like the Center for Pet Safety too. Their testing and the actual crash vids they post are the reason I bought my Gunner Kennel. It is the only one that passed for the bigger dogs and actually exceeded the test requirements. Dogs in Gunner kennels have been involved in some pretty good wrecks(pics on their web site) and so far all have been uninjured

[jetcitywoman]

Thanks! I'm considering selling the Gunner Kennels, too, but they're large and bulky so shipping them is likely costly. Maybe I'll get a few in stock just prior to events like Dewey and Gettysburg, though.... need to think about that.

 

I had a really, REALLY good talk with Lindsey from CPS. Manufacturers hate them, of course. Manufacturers are not allowed to volunteer or offer products for testing in order for CPS testing to be completely unbiased. What surprised me, though, was that she said retailers also hate CPS. She said based on her attempts to talk to retailers (large and small), CPS certifications - or really, the lack thereof - hurts their sales of most products. She said most retailers are only in it for the money and don't care if they're selling dangerous products.

 

Well, not me. So that's my differentiator, also. I love the CPS and what they do, and I see a clear market niche in aligning with them. As I get CPS-certified products into my inventory I'm going to market them like crazy and drop the non-certified alternatives.

[racindog]

Thanks! I'm considering selling the Gunner Kennels, too, but they're large and bulky so shipping them is likely costly. Maybe I'll get a few in stock just prior to events like Dewey and Gettysburg, though.... need to think about that.

 

I had a really, REALLY good talk with Lindsey from CPS. Manufacturers hate them, of course. Manufacturers are not allowed to volunteer or offer products for testing in order for CPS testing to be completely unbiased. What surprised me, though, was that she said retailers also hate CPS. She said based on her attempts to talk to retailers (large and small), CPS certifications - or really, the lack thereof - hurts their sales of most products. She said most retailers are only in it for the money and don't care if they're selling dangerous products.

 

Well, not me. So that's my differentiator, also. I love the CPS and what they do, and I see a clear market niche in aligning with them. As I get CPS-certified products into my inventory I'm going to market them like crazy and drop the non-certified alternatives.

Gunner just announced last week that they will no longer allow anybody else to sell their products. They are even cutting off Gun Dog Supply which was a biggie and used to ship them for FREE. So now people will have to pay for shipping I think it is wonderful that you care about the dogs' safety and are working to that end. Thank you!

[jetcitywoman]

I met another shop owner at a pet show two months ago who sold the Gunner Kennels. He said that most of his sales of them were to people in other countries so he always lost money on shipping and customs duties. It was very strange. I think Gunner could do better by drop-shipping, but they stopped doing that too. I'll keep my eye on them to see what they end up doing.

[jetcitywoman]

OMG, I just realized that I forgot to include my new url! It is sitstaysafe.com

 

Both url's will take you to my shop for the rest of this year.

[jetcitywoman]

Hey all, for those who almost bought a muzzle from me at Gettysburg or Dewey but found that it was just a touch too small for your dog, I have the solution now in stock. We have extension straps for the muzzles, made from the same high quality leather as the muzzle straps, and made by our Irish muzzle supplier. This means our muzzles can now fit Borzoi!

 

https://www.somethingspecialpetsupplies.com/collections/featured-products/products/muzzle-extension-strap

 

Edited June 1, 2018 by jetcitywoman

[greysmom]

Question - do you think the whippet size muzzle would fit a greyhound puppy? I mean, his head is only about 5-6 inches long right now, but those teeth are sharp! Do you have dimensions for the muzzles somewhere I didn't see?

[jetcitywoman]

I just added a measuring guide to the whippet muzzle page today. Sorry about that. Sometimes I don't think of handy things like that until either someone asks or I notice that a customer has trouble. (People occasionally buy an item and then want to send it back because it doesn't fit. I can't blame them if I don't have a measuring guide!)

 

I think they'll fit a bit loosely at first, but grow into (and then of course, out of) them. They fit snouts between 6 - 9 inches long.

[cleptogrey]

Your European nuzzles on the smaller hole fit both a female GH or a good size whippet. The pup will grow into it very quickly. The baskets on the european/Irish nuzzles are nice and soft. Excellent quality muzzle.

[greysmom]

So I thought you might like to see Atom in the muzzle we bought for him. It's a tiny bit big but it still works! He'll need a bigger one ina few months!

 

IMG_20180702_161759.jpg by Chris Harper, on Flickr

[jetcitywoman]

Your European nuzzles on the smaller hole fit both a female GH or a good size whippet. The pup will grow into it very quickly. The baskets on the european/Irish nuzzles are nice and soft. Excellent quality muzzle.

Thank you! Can I add this to my site as a product review?

So I thought you might like to see Atom in the muzzle we bought for him. It's a tiny bit big but it still works! He'll need a bigger one ina few months!

 

IMG_20180702_161759.jpg by Chris Harper, on Flickr

 

Lookin good! And he's so adorable too. Love me some greyhound puppy eyes!

 

I don't have larger sizes, but I do now have extension straps in stock. I had a few monstrously large hounds (and by that I mean swoon because I love those big boys) come by my booth with noses too long to fit a muzzle comfortably. So I went out and asked my supplier for a solution!

[greysmom]

His head seems to be getting wider and not longer at the moment - I'm sure it will even out soon! He's adding somehwere between 2-4 pounds a week!! So he'll be ready for a regular muzzle sooner rather than later. This one is a godsend though and my adult dogs thank you for covering up those sharp puppy teeth!!

[cleptogrey]

i know you are looking at safety items, but these are "safe" rawhides! (the professional handler/whippet breeder who i adopted my whippet from turned me on to these) and it might be nice to throw in something recreational for the pooches .

 

http://www.wholesomehide.com

 

i am always ordering them online but if i was at a show and saw them at a good price- YES i would purchase them!

[jetcitywoman]

Thank you cleptogrey but sorry. I am keeping clear of all consummable items because I can't control the quality. I've been so disappointed with all the recalls lately of dog food brands that I always thought of as high quality (like Blue Buffalo, etc.)

 

That does give me quite a challenge, though, because I don't have any products that people come back for. I'm storming my little brain out trying to find something to draw repeat shoppers. Some day I'll find something.

[cleptogrey]

grooming supplies???? better quality shampoo, nail clippers, quick stop, electric(not battery) dremel? check out cherrybrook and MAX 200, https://max200.com/index_ssl.asp excellent online catalogues. MAXX is for obedience training, but has wholesale leather leather leashes(i love them), lots of lengths of braided leads, tabs for grabbing the dog in the car, interesting stuff. the catalogue design stinks, but the merchandise is excellent.

 

https://www.max200.com/cp5200/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=647

 

https://www.cherrybrook.com

[jetcitywoman]

Sorry, I'm doing safety, not grooming.

 

I have a lovely new product in stock! High quality leather muzzle keepers, just like I've been asking about here somewhere. They came out wonderfully!

 

[jetcitywoman]

Hey, I'm running a Holiday Giveaway contest. Check it out!

 

[jetcitywoman]

Hey all, I have reflective jackets, leashes and "overcollars" in stock now! I will of course be bringing them to Gettysburg so you all can try them on. The overcollars are cool... they just slip on over your dog's normal collar and has a large buttonhole where the leash goes through. So it doesn't replace your dog's collar, it just adds reflectivity! And the jackets are made out of amazingly light, soft fabric. I'm in love, I hope you will be too!

[robinw]

Do you carry doggie first aid kits?

[jetcitywoman]

Hi Robin! Sorry, I don't. It is an idea that I play with every now and then, and have asked a few people who make them if I could sell them, but it never seems to happen. I have found some really cheap ones at wholesale distributers but don't like them. Always on the lookout for ones that are nice, though!

[jetcitywoman]

OMG, It's been too long since I updated this thread!  But I do have news and some new items to tempt you guys with:

• Sliding glass door decals - because sure you can use painters tape but isn't that hideous?  We have 5 different pretty designs in matte white.  Subtle so as to not detract from your decor but clearly visible so the dog knows that the door's not open.  (Apply them at doggy eye-height.... or at human eye-height if you have humans in the house who also tend to walk through doors! )
• Iggy muzzles!  You heard that right, I have iggy muzzles in stock in two sizes.  They're so eensy they're adorable. 
• New design of whippet muzzles that has the bottom blocked out for some pica protection.
• "I need space" warning badges.  They come in pairs, the back of each in a pair is one side of Velcro.  So you can stick them back-to-back on a leash or you can put them on both sides of a harness with a little strip of velcro on each.  They're bright and are clearly read from a short distance - before people get too close to your anxious pup.
• Leash safety straps - a lot of people use a carabiner if they think their leash clasp may fail.  Ugh, so ugly.  Use our leash safety strap instead!
• I also now carry a few bright safety colors with reflective strips of the Houndstown spook harnesses and split leashes in matching colors.  Total protection of those spooks!

Click on the url in my siggy to go browse these items.