'Animal Planet' to feature Sisters business

Sharp Entertainment, out of New York City, was in town back in August to film a special segment for Animal Planet at Central Bark Dog Boarding and Daycare. The program highlights the doggie hotel's twin fleet of dog powered scooters seen zipping around the byways of downtown Sisters.

It's for a one-hour show on Animal Planet called "Your Pet Wants This Too," showcasing innovative, wacky and interesting new pet products and is set to air sometime in November (check listings).

Associate producer Katie Leary said the crew had a great time in Sisters.

"Everyone was very helpful and they just loved the area," she said.

The pooch-propelled vehicles are the invention of Bend's Mark Schuette.

"I came up with the idea about six years ago. It kinda crept up on me and I thought about how we always want our dogs to pull us for fun and exercise and tried to figure out a better way to do that," he said, strapping his dogs, Crash and Abbey, into their harness for an impromptu scooter demonstration. "I started with a prototype kid's scooter and began changing the bar configuration with the dog secured safely behind the steering wheel."

Cathy Warner and Sam Hernandez, owners of Central Bark, bought the scooter and trike two years ago from Schuette.

"We use them for running local errands, advertising and exercising the dogs. In the summer it's so much better than taking the car and the dogs love it," said Warner. "We use it fall and winter, too. Structured exercise is the key to most health and behavioral problems with dogs, and it gives them a job and sense of purpose. We foster difficult rescue dogs from the shelter and after a few weeks on the scooter they're a changed dog. Much more adoptable after the intense training regimen."

The principle behind the invention is "dog pulling" or "dog mushing" and utilizing a canine's natural instinct to pull.

Leary's film crew stayed one night in Sisters to film both the scooter and more conventional trike, which allows a person to sit and assist the dog in pedalling.

"It was insane," recalled Warner, laughing at the experience. "They shot for 6-1/2 hours up and down the street with multiple takes from different camera angles. It was a grueling day and I was exhausted. The crew filmed our daughter Hogan and son Wyatt on both the scooter and trike. I didn't know what to say and was kinda nervous so I hope it looks okay. The dogs sure did great."

Schuette offers two products for sale. One is the Dog-Powered Scooter, an adult-sized kick scooter that has a dog attachment on the side. The two-dog powered trike is a human powered, recumbent three-wheeler with two dogs harnessed into an outrigger bar.

Up to three dogs can be strapped into the scooter.

"Everybody loves Mark's scooters," said Warner and Hernandez. "We have an English setter we use, a German shorthair and a hound dog, pitbulls and a German shepherd. It's non-discriminating."

For more information visit Schuette's Web site at http://www.dogpoweredscooter.com or call Central Bark at 541-549-BARK (2275).