Dog Wheelchairs - Custom or Adjustable Dog Wheelchair?

Should you choose a custom made dog cart or an adjustable dog wheelchair? This is one of the most regularly asked questions. This blurb gives you the news you need.

Dog Wheelchairs have been on sale for over 10 years. At first they were fabricated for specific animals by their owners or friends. Eventually they became more widespread and could be bought by taking dozens of measurements, sending them to the manufacturer, who would piece together a set of wheels for the doggie in as little as nine days.

This is the way many products begin, but the 'custom made' aspects of new products don't last long. Soon the dog wheelchair population became large enough to support some invention and innovation and the first adjustable dog wheelchair was made.

The most notable advantage of a custom made wheelchair is that, if made precisely, will fit your dog well. This is good, but, as dog guardians soon found out, there were a number of disadvantages with custom made K9 Wheelchairs.

a. Eight or more measurements were required in order to build a dog wheelchair that fit.
b. If the measurements were in error, the wheelchair would be unusable, or would need a return to the producer.
c. If the dog's health changed for the better or the worse, the cart could not be adjusted to accommodate this. This was a terrible problem for agingdogs .
d. Often the carts were big. In order to get them in a bag or the trunk of a car they would need to be taken apart.
e. They took as long as twelve days to construct when usually they were wanted at once.
f. Because there was so much labor needed, the dog wheelchair could not easily be brought back if the k9 was unable to use it for any reason.
g. When the dog it was made for no longer needed it, it could not easily be adapted for another dog.


In 2006, Mark C. Robinson, founder of handicappedpets.com, mortgaged his house, borrowed all the cash he could, and contracted a team of engineers to design the 'perfect' dog wheelchair.


The features he needed were:


- Adjustable - The cart needs to adjust, without tools, to fit any size animal.

- Folds Flat - So it can be toted easily.

- Looks professional - So many of the custom wheel chairs were made of tubing and clamps - this one had to be stylish and good looking.

- Modular - All components had to be easily replaceable so the dog wheelchair would last a lifetime.


Over a year and a half later the Walkin' Wheels for Handicapped Pets was introduced and immediately became the most popular dog wheelchair available. Because it was so adjustable, it could be sold in pet pet stores and by veterinarians, ordered overnight, re-sold to any other dog, given to animal hospitals, and shipped globally. It was a resounding success.


Once the Walkin' Wheels became the best selling dog wheelchair, The Company was faced with the question of whether to manufacture the product in the US or overseas. This was a troublesome question which he answered by doing "what was best for the dogs." In order for as many dogs as possible to be supported by this product, it needed to be mass-produced and sold retail. That wouldn't work if the product cost twice as much as the old-style custom cart. Finally, it was decided to make 80% of the Walkin' Wheels overseas and 20% in a factory in Cleveland Ohio.


Since then, the Walkin Wheels has been featured on Animal Planet, has won the "Best Product" award from Pet Age magazine, has been on CNN, NECN, and ABC news and featured in dozensof pet magazines. It is sold internationally.

Samuel Iams is a self-employed author for pet magazines and websites like Dog Wheelchair. In addition, he is a poet, a noted breakfast chef, and a writer of children's books. If you're looking for reviews or information on a Canine Wheel Chairs to help your best friend live a more comfortable life be sure to visit us today.