AUGUST 4, 2020, voyagedenver.com
Meet Damon Scalfaro of Wondurdog in Montclair
Today we’d like to introduce you to Damon Scalfaro.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Damon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2015, my wife and I got our first dog, Deacon – a beautiful Golden Retriever. In addition to becoming part of the family, we discovered he was a lake-loving, ball-chasing, roll-around-in-who-knows-what pup – which we love! But, we ALSO love a clean puppy and a clean house! Bath time was stressful and messy and never went well.
Did dirty dog automatically mean dirty house?
Most dog parents know the drill. Dog hates bath. Human hates giving bath. I tried all the methods out there:
• The pitcher in the bathtub method: Basically made the house even messier, and Deacon is definitely not a fan.
• The shower method: Strip down and literally take a shower to wash the dog? Uh, no. And Deacon is even less of a fan.
• The shower sprayer method: With one hand on the sprayer, one controlling Deacon, I needed a third or maybe fourth hand to soap and brush the dirt out.
• The self-service dog wash or groomer: That gets real expensive real fast and very inconvenient.
I thought there had to be a better way. Wondurdog was born.
I took my Deacon-based bath research and started development on a new way to wash your dog at home. By winter 2017, I had my first pro-type. I wanted to build a dog wash kit that could attach to a shower and have quality components. Everything on the market was cheap plastic. I wanted something that would last. The Aha moment was the shower brush and shield. I knew I needed something that combined brushing and washing. But how would I keep water from splashing everywhere?
Back in 2016, I did a home improvement project and added recess lighting to our house. Trying to cut holes in a 1950’s plaster ceiling was a HUGE MESS. Dust was everywhere. I decided to cut a basketball in half and then stuck the circular drill bit through it. With the ½ cut basketball placed against the ceiling and the 4” circular drill bit placed inside it, I was able to cut the holes and keep the plaster dust contained. This same idea is what I wanted for the brush – a “splash shield” to contain the mess when needed.
With the shower brush and splash shield in place, I added a flexible metal hose, 3 way shower diverter with hook to hold the brush and added a suction cup to give another option for storing the hose and brush. The Wondurdog’s Indoor Dog Shower Kit was born. A brush-based dog wash system that dogs love and that gives humans the upper hand in comfort, control, and cleanliness.
This solution was a success. I sold my first unit in March 2018 and quickly developed an outdoor version for the garden hose and a sink faucet version. There are currently six different Wondurdog Dog Wash Kits on the market and our final version (Tub Spout Dog Wash Kit) will be ready in the fall of 2020. This will complete the Wondurdog family of products and make Wondurdog the best way to wash your dog at home.
With every Wondurdog product sold we make a donation to The Pet Fund. This national nonprofit helps pet parents who can’t afford veterinarian care get the care they need. To date, we have donated over $10,000 to the charity.
The goal of Wondurdog is to create great products enhance our relationship with our dogs. To create WONderful DURable DOG products.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been far from a smooth road. Taking an idea from concept to production is not easy. This was my first time doing anything like this. I spent a lot of time researching and watching “how-to videos” on Youtube.
I had to teach myself a lot of computer programs: Photoshop, web design, computer coding, Amazon Seller Central and many more. When you are a one-man band, it’s all on you. Still doing my “day job” I would spend any free time getting Wondurdog off the ground. It never goes as fast as you’d like, but when you look back at a 3 or 6-month time frame, you realize, Wow! I did all that. When you’re in the middle of it, it can seem like you’re not making any progress.
Please tell us about Wondurdog.
I am the owner and CEO of Wondurdog. We are a Colorado company that specializes in at home dog wash kits. Wondurdog has a kit for however you choose to wash your pup. You can connect to a shower pipe with our Indoor Dog Wash Kit, sink faucet with our Sink Faucet Pet Wash Kit or even a garden hose with our Dog Wash Garden Hose Nozzle.
Dogs bring US joy and we should be able to let them do what brings THEM joy without worrying about them getting dirty. We create products that make washing your dog easy, efficient, and affordable.
What sets us apart is the patent shower brush and splash shield and the uncompromising customer service. I realize that doing some light plumbing work can be a little intimidating. We developed very easy to follow directions and a follow along installation video. I’m always available to answer questions about installation. Customer Service is definitely what sets us apart. That and the quality components in our products; they are built to last.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I think I would have gotten a dog much earlier. I got Deacon five years ago. I was 38 years old. I didn’t realize how much I was missing not having a dog in my life.
