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The Story Behind Clawguard And Our Pet Scratch Products

By :Kevin Dixon Posted Apr 29, 2014
The Story Behind Clawguard And Our Pet Scratch Products

The story of Clawguard started in the year 2000. Kevin Dixon, and his wife, Margo, took a casual trip to the Atlanta Humane Society intending to browse available dogs and perhaps adopt one at a later date.

If you're a dog lover, you'll understand that few people leave a "casual" shelter visit without a new furry friend in tow, and Kevin and Margo were no exception.

When a bin full of Boxer-Sharpei puppies was laid in the center of the adoption area, all the shelter visitors flocked to see them. "Next thing I know, Margo is holding a 12 week old puppy that was wiggling around in her arms," Kevin remembered, adding, "It was love at first sight."

An hour later, Foster was headed to his new home. 

Of course falling in love with a puppy is the easy part, but raising a good dog is more challenging.

The Clawguard Story: The Beginning

Door Scratching Was Getting Expensive

As Foster grew, signs of Foster's anxiety began appearing around the apartment. "He would chew on the cabinets, furniture, and carpet by the door," Kevin said. 

We tried everything to discourage Foster's scratching and to protect our doors. We lost so much money from pet deposits at each apartment.

They tried deterrent sprays, cardboard shields, kick boards, even sliding furniture in front of the door. But nothing worked to stop the scratching. "We started to accept that there was no other solution to this problem," Kevin recalled.

In 2009, Kevin and Margo bought their first house and barely 6 months later, Foster had already torn up their new front door. They needed to find a solution to Foster's scratching problem once and for all. 

The First Clawguard Door Shield

Kevin tried creating a cardboard door shield that fit over the door and doorframe. It's worth a shot - right? After a few days it was shredded.

Kevin bought several door protectors online, but each door shield had its own drawbacks, such as clunky hardware installation that damaged the door, not enough coverage or flimsy construction. It just didn't make sense.

Without a good solution, Kevin decided to take matters into his own hands. He created a sturdier door shield design then talked to a local manufacturer who made just 10 Clawguards as a test.

Kevin took a prototype home for Foster and gave the other nine to friends. The positive feedback was amazing. This product saved people's doors, and helped their pets learn to stop scratching.

Foster's Reaction To The First Door Shield

Foster's reaction to the plastic door shield was, as Kevin put it, "unbelievable."

Foster stared and sniffed the door shield for several minutes and he took a first swipe. It moved slightly and Foster jumped back. Then, remarkably, Foster sat by the door! He stayed there for 15 minutes until we came back, praised him and gave him treats.

We tested and changed the design a few times before we were happy with the final Clawguard. We chose the clear finish because it can blend into any decor.

Our Clawguard Business Was Born!

In 2009, Kevin placed a large custom order with a local manufacturer in South Carolina. It took guts to put money behind this brand new product idea, but what a good decision it was.

The Story Behind Clawguard

Since he started selling online, the popularity of the product has grown exponentially. Clawguard is the top selling door shield on Amazon.

Kevin still runs the business out of his garage in Charlotte North Carolina and it still feels like a friendly family operation despite the huge growth year over year.

 

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and sometimes necessity comes with four paws, a wagging tail, and an appetite for door destruction.Â