Fabricator bends aluminum tubing to make canine carriers

The variety of frames, and bends needed to make the frames, is substantial. Some bending is done by hand; most is done by machine.

If you wanted to find a domestic animal in your neighborhood, you wouldn’t have to knock on too many doors to find one. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates 36.5 percent of U.S. households have dogs. Data from the American Kennel Club indicates that the most popular breed is the Labrador retriever, followed by the German shepherd and the golden retriever. Elsewhere on the list are the bloodhound, Siberian husky, Shetland sheepdog, border collie, Norwegian elkhound, whippet, and greyhound. Whether favored for companionship or activities such as retrieving, herding, hunting, racing, or any of myriad other duties or tasks, nearly all of them rely on mobility, whether for work or sport.

Regrettably for man’s best friend, injury or advancing age can inhibit a dog’s ability to get around. When traveling gets tough, what can the dog’s companion do? If the dog is a small to midsize breed, such as a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, a pug, or a cairn terrier, the dog’s companion can buy a carrier, of course. A good place to start shopping is Tough Traveler, Schenectady, N.Y., a company that has been making all manner of bags, pouches, luggage, totes, and carriers since 1970. The company has been making one specifically for dogs, the Dog Perch®, since 2004.

Aluminum Tubing Bent and Cut to Order

The company’s products run a gamut, from items nearly everyone needs, such as luggage and computer bags, to specialty items, such as musician bags (gig bags), emergency responder bags, and dog carriers, including custom-made items. While most of these bags are made mainly of fabric, some of them, including the canine carriers, need sturdy frames.

Designed by the Tough Traveler staff, the frames are made from aluminum. The company orders its tubing in a length suitable for the bags that need frames, then cuts the tube to the specific length it needs for each bag style. A few bends are made by hand on a manual bender; most are made on a prototype bender purchased from Teledyne Pines in the mid-1980s.

It’s not just a robust, durable, and accurate machine, but it’s fast too.

“Without the machine, we couldn’t have made the quantities and quality of baby-carrier framed backpacks and the dog-carrier framed backpacks that we have made,” said Nancy Gold, president.

Built for Comfort

It’s not just another backpack. Styled on a hiker’s backpack, it’s designed to displace up to 30 pounds comfortably. The dog carrier has a suspension system, padded shoulder straps, hip belt, and sternum straps for load control for the owner’s comfort, and a padded base and five-point harness for the dog’s comfort.

Available in six sizes, the backpack doesn’t confine the animal vertically, but allows it to sit in a way that replicates the way a dog sits on an armchair—haunches settle into a foam base and the front paws rest on a padded edge of the carrier. Man’s best friend gets a view of the surroundings and a relaxing trip with his best friend.

Gold pointed out that the carriers aren’t just for dogs limited to little walking; some customers like them for breeds that do a little too much walking. It can be a good alternative to a walk for an ambitious tracker that loves to drag its owner all over the neighborhood or through every thicket in the woods.

“Some might be just too independent for taking walks with the family without a little extra restraint,” she said with a laugh.

Tough Traveler, https://toughtraveler.com

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