Pepper the Cockerpoo helps launch treats range in Exeter Waitrose
The dogs of Exeter are in for a treat!
With the help of a one-year-old cockerpoo, Pooch & Mutt have just launched a range of healthy, environmentally friendly dog treats in Exeter Waitrose.
There are many ways that having a dog in the workplace can be beneficial for businesses. A study by the Virginia Commonwealth University has shown that having a dog in the workplace reduces stress, which is a major contributor to absenteeism, low morale and burnout, all of which can lead to significant loss of productivity and resources. However in some companies dogs can do even more than reduce stress.
At Pooch & Mutt a 10 month old cockerpoo (cocker spaniel cross poodle), Pepper, is no ordinary office dog. She has the official title of New Product Development Executive. Her role is focussed on both trialling samples received from third party manufacturers and testing other products on the market to see where improvements can be made.
Pooch & Mutt’s director, Guy Blaskey, who is also Pepper’s owner says: “Pepper comes to the office every day and is very much part of the team. She even joins us for after work drinks.
"When she first started coming to work we joked that she was here for NPD purposes, but it turned out that she played a very key role in the development of our treat range, which launched in Waitrose this month.
"We received a variety of samples from different manufacturers and Pepper had her clear favourites. These were the ones that we developed. As well as trialling the products herself she also made it much easier to approach other dogs and their owners whilst walking across Clapham Common, her daily commute. This meant that we could get very good feedback, very quickly from a large sample of dogs. I can honestly say that without her input we would not have the products on the Waitrose shelves now”.
Pooch and Mutt launched in 2008 and is well known in the dog world as the UK’s number one ethical health supplement manufacturer. They make a range of products that use natural ingredients to help with a variety of problems common to dogs such as itching, runny stools, arthritis and obesity.
Pooch and Mutt is constantly searching for new, natural active ingredients to help with canine problems. They decided that instead of creating a new health supplement they would include these ingredients in a range of treats that incorporated these ingredients, so that the range had functional health benefits.
The range includes; Fresh Breath, Active Mobility, Brain & Train, Digestion & Wind, Calm & Relax, Puppy Development and Charity Chicken. Charity Chicken does not have specific benefits for the dog who eats it, but 10p from each tube goes to dog charities, to help other dogs get healthy.
A selection of five of the treats in the range is now available in 86 Waitrose stores nationwide. All seven treats are soon to be launched in 150 Pets at Home stores and are available to independents via the main UK wholesalers and Pooch & Mutt are looking at some impressive export sales to countries including Finland, Sweden and Greece.
Not bad for the work of a 10 month old puppy!
