Challenge
It is estimated that there are over one billion pets worldwide, and more than 471 million of these are dogs. With more households having at least one dog in them than any other pet, they are certainly the most popular choice when it comes to choosing a domestic companion. While studies show that dog ownership leads to improved human health outcomes, such as better heart health and lower levels of anxiety and depression, at least 80% of people lack access to information on how they should care for their pet.
While pet ownership can be stressful on a myriad of levels, research has shown that basic pet hygiene standards aren’t being met within the home. According to a 2021 survey by Honest Paws, more than 56% of people aren’t bathing their dogs as much as they should. While the frequency of bathing can vary depending on coat condition and activity levels, the most common reason for avoiding canine care at home is linked to frustrations with keeping a dog calm. In fact, almost 33% of pet parents struggle with keeping their dog still during bath time.
Furthermore, most household bathing facilities are also either located upstairs, or towards to rear of the house, making it all the more difficult to lead an already anxious pup to the shower stalls.
Solution
However, new solutions that bring greater convenience and flexibility are setting a new standard for canine care in the home. Take the Incredible Dog Shower for example – an innovative showering system for dogs designed by Fabricon Group. Having noticed a gap in the market, Fabricon Group designed and manufactured an innovative shower unit specifically for dogs that could sit alongside other domestic appliances in a kitchen or utility room setting, making it more accessible. The shower is plumbed using a hot and cold feed for extra comfort, and water is drained from the system via a specialized pump.
With 56% of people not bathing their dogs as much as they should, the Incredible Dog Shower brings greater flexibility and convenience to canine care at home.
In designing the dog shower, Fabricon Group trialled several pumps to find the perfect drainage system that would meet the required specifications. Those tested were either too noisy, too big or of poor quality. In a bid to troubleshoot and identify the right pump for the job, Fabricon turned to leading global water technology company, Xylem, whom they have partnered with on other innovative shower systems for more than ten years. The Incredible Dog Shower required a pumping solution that could not only eliminate noise issues within a small footprint, but one that could stand the test of time and meet the performance standards needed.
Xylem supplied its innovative Rule shower drain system – a pumping solution that has been rigorously engineered to support the toughest applications in both domestic and marine settings. The pump, available in either 800 or 1100 gallons per hour (GPH) models, offers high-capacity pumping to cope with incoming grey water. In addition to its reliable and fully automatic operation, the Rule shower drain system is easy to install and has a sealed polycarbonate clip-on lid to prevent unwanted water splash. The ‘fast fix’ system is also fully serviceable without the need for any tools, and the pump’s built-in back flow prevention reduces the amount of water that can siphon back into the shower basin.
Result
In addition to Xylem’s Rule shower drain system, Fabricon developed a fur trap and dip tube designed to remove the risk of blockages which may lead to flooding. The fur trap offers three layers of protection to stop fur and debris from blocking the pump, and was engineered specifically to work with the Rule shower system, with the dip tube feeding directly into the pump chamber. Fabricon also added flow sensors into the pump, which activate if the water gets above a certain level.
“It’s great to see that one of our products has been chosen by Fabricon to provide a reliable pumping solution for the Incredible Dog Shower,” said Matthew Edmond, Global Product Manager at Xylem. “It is a testament to the brand that they’ve decided to put their trust in the reliability and quality of our renowned Rule products. At Xylem, all of our products go through rigorous testing and validation to ensure they meet the most stringent guidelines, and we’re proud to have delivered a suitable solution for this one of a kind application.”
After several years of development, the Incredible Dog Shower is the first domestic home dog shower available in the market. The innovative solution brings greater flexibility and convenience to canine care at home, offering pet parents and their dogs a more efficient and comfortable shower experience. Fabricon are now working on developing different shower sizes to accommodate different breeds of dogs. The system is designed and manufactured in the UK and meets household appliance regulations EN60335.
