It all started here
Our Story
In 2021 I decided it was finally time to fulfil my long term dream of adopting a greyhound. I was always told a greyhound is a couch potato who doesn’t require training because “you can’t train a greyhound”, which suited me just fine because I didn’t know how to train a dog anyway! I adopted Denver who was advertised as a confident, well behaved, low maintenance boy … which unfortunately turned out to be not true at all! I, however, had made a promise to Denver to always look after him and provide him with a rich and fulfilling life; so we enrolled in our first training class (a six week greyhound skills introduction course) and that’s where the training addiction began.
Within a year of completing the six week introduction course, Denver and I became the second ever team to reach the highest level obedience with our training academy. Denver is the first greyhound in Australia (and second in the world) to obtain his Advanced Masters Trick Dog Title and Expert Trick Dog Title with DMWYD. He has also completed his foundation course in agility and is part way towards his ANKC Novice Scent Work Title. A pretty great resume for a human who knew nothing about dog training, and a dog who knew nothing about the world outside of a racing track.
and then they said
“You can’t train a greyhound”
When undertaking each new venture in training, particularly when starting a new dog sport, I noticed recurring themes when asking about the required equipment:
- They’re not available in Australia, so you had to pay exorbitant amounts in international shipping fees, or
- They’re available in Australia, but only in poor quality mass produced form, or
- Professional grade equipment available in Australia generally at a higher cost that’s typically not accessible for the average person, or
- What you need only exists if you make it yourself, which can be inaccessible or demotivating for someone just starting out in a new sport.
Luckily for me, I'm not half bad at “MacGyvering” equipment together, whether it be creating an agility tunnel big enough for a greyhound from hula-hoops and a tarp, or making scent vessels from a modified car vent aromatherapy diffuser and a magnet. Each time I had a vision of what I needed, I would have to figure out a way to use random materials to create the product … but wouldn’t it be better if all of our equipment didn’t involve mass amounts of duct tape? This is where one decision changed everything. I decided to purchase my first second-hand 3D printer.
so then we thought
Wouldn’t it be better if all of our equipment didn’t involve mass amounts of duct tape?
When people say “3D Printing is not as easy as it looks” they aren’t kidding! It’s tricky work, especially when you’re also designing your own models from scratch. It is, however, incredibly rewarding work, as I have discovered as I gained the ability to invent solutions to the above themes and develop physical products I could share with others. After creating small magnetic scent vessel containers that can stick to metal surfaces for training at a park playground, and small vessels that fit perfectly into the holes in a scent training brick wall, eliminating the need to change out the brick between each hide because the cotton tip no longer comes into contact with the brick’s surface, I was absolutely hooked on 3D printing equipment for dog sports, and with that, Denver Designs Aus began.
Denver Designs Aus is committed to creating lasting products for Australian based dogs and dog-lovers alike, with an ever growing range born from a passion of creativity and dog training.
- With Love, Nic