So what is a Hydro Bone and how does it keep dogs cool and content in hot weather? One happy canine demonstrates this refreshing chew toy that we created for Hugs Pet Products. The video is posted on the website of Doctors Foster and Smith, which is selling this innovative new product.

The long-awaited Hydro Bone has hit the market, landing in Doctors Foster and Smith, the largest pet supply cataloger in the nation, which started out as a small group of dedicated veterinarians. The Hydro Bone originated several years ago on a Davison design team as they were brainstorming ideas for new pet toys for another company, which did not pursue it. The hydrating chew toy, which keeps dogs and puppies cool and content in hot weather, was brought back out recently by the corporate team in its work for Hugs Pet Products.

“We married the product up with them and they kind of ran with it,” said the corporate design manager.

The corporate team did the finishing touches and resolved issues related to materials and created the packaging. The product maintained its original design.

“It’s kind of cool that it’s actually a product we did years ago that we were able to bring back and revive,” said the original design manager on the project. “It’s pretty much the same concept we came up with a few years back.”

The VP of Licensing is hopeful we also will see the product in other stores in the near future. “It’s great to see it’s up on Dr. Foster’s and selling.”

If this innovative item follows in the path of other products we’ve developed for Hugs, it is sure to be a success. It certainly couldn’t have hit the market at a better time of year, when dog owners are searching for ways to keep their canine companions cool!

Congratulations to all who worked on this great new product!

The Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show, featured more than 800 exhibitors and thousands of new products and pet product buyers from around the world. One of the most exciting new lines was Hugs Pet Products. The nearly 30 products with packaging in the Hugs booth all carried the Davison “D.”

“The show was awesome; we had a ton of products on display,” said Davison’s Vice President of Licensing, who traveled to the Orlando show with Davison’s President

The products we developed for the Hugs line were “very well received,” the VP said. They got a lot of interest from e-tailers and smaller chain stores, as well as some of the big ones. “Hopefully we’ll get orders placed there in the near future.”

The show was a wonderful venue to introduce the company’s new name and brand, which “the buyers loved,” he said. The owners also loved the new Hugs brand and logo we created for them, which gives the product a higher end look and evokes a “warm, fuzzy feeling.”

In addition to the original style, many of the products at the show featured a camouflage design so as to appeal to buyers from sporting goods stores, particularly male buyers who may not be as interested in ‘warm and fuzzy.’ Since a lot of people take their dogs hunting, it could be a good way to generate interest in those venues, he added.

The design and rebranding of the line was a “nice collaborative effort.” The brand and logo was Mr. Davison’s vision. A major role was played by members of Davison’s corporate design team, who were responsible for product design, graphic design, engineering, package design, trade show booth design and construction, as well as web design and production, copywriting and marketing. Fantastic job, everyone!

Among the products at the show that we developed for Hugs were seven we created for our inventor clients. Corporate products we created for the line also were at the show. In all, at least 25 products designed by Davison were featured.

Our client, Gary, was blown away when he found out his pet care invention, the Dog Wash, was selling in Sky Mall, an airline catalog that features luxury goods and products from specialty manufacturers. The sprinkler installer got the great news as an invited guest to Davison in Pittsburgh, PA, where his new product idea was developed. During a visit to Inventionland, he saw the packaged product for the first time and learned it was already on the market.
“That was awesome,” said Gary. “It was even better than when I submitted my idea!”

He got a bigger surprise when George Davison, founder and CEO, presented him with his first royalty check. When asked what he was going to do now, he laughed and said, “I’m going to Disneyworld!” After several years of working on his idea, the receipt of his first royalty check was “a blessing” and “perfect timing,” said Gary, who was out of work due to the poor economy.

Inventor’s story:
Gary came up with his new product idea in an attempt to help his buddy, “Snake,” who had a dirty, white dog that ran away whenever he tried to give him a bath. Gary had some scraps of pipe and hose in his truck, so he built a device that would enable his friend to contain and wash the dog. Lo and behold, it worked. He saw a need for such a device on the market, so he went online and found Davison, a new product development firm that provides services to inventors, corporations and entrepreneurs. He submitted his idea and the design team went to work.

The finished product, which was licensed by Maze Pet Products, is a portable and inflatable dog washing station that is easy to set up and use. The lightweight, heavy duty unit hooks up to a garden hose and has an adjustable full spray nozzle and gentle side spray, as well as a side entry for easy canine access.

Gary was not only thrilled with the product and royalty check, but by the royal treatment he and his friend, Scott, received at Davison. They toured Inventionland, “the world’s most creative workspace,” and met with Mr. Davison and members of the design and licensing team. The client was impressed with the “professional operation” and the work everyone has put into his product.

Gary described Mr. Davison as “a down-to-earth dude” who “really knows what he’s doing.” He was also impressed with the company’s development process.

“Davison didn’t just develop my idea, they actually expanded on it,” he said. “I was skeptical; I never saw it coming this far. But it’s there, it happened, and I can’t believe it.”

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.