About Popper Pets | Trainer-designed. Function first. Built for the bond.
Where It Started
I spent a decade as the lead product designer and secret sauce behind Blue-9 Pet Products — building, refining, and eventually patenting gear that trainers and dog owners trust every day. I'm listed as inventor on the patented Propel Air Platform, a piece of canine fitness equipment I took from sketch to shelf, along with seven other products I designed during my time there.
After earning my MBA from the University of Iowa, I walked away with more than the degree: I had the confidence and clarity to build something of my own. So I did.
Popper Pets — yes, that's my actual last name — was built on the belief that dog owners deserve gear that's every bit as thoughtful as the training methods behind it. Gear that is designed to reduce the frustration between dog and owner. Gear that just works.
Trainer-Designed. Function First.
Everything we make starts with the same question: does this actually make training easier, and life with your dog better? That question comes from more than 15 years of hands-on dog training experience.
It's why our customers keep telling us the same thing: "You just get it." They know that when something comes from Popper Pets, it's been thought through — not just for how it looks, but for how it holds up in the field, on the trail, in the backyard, or at a competition.
We believe good gear does more than hold treats or clip to a collar. It reduces frustration. It builds communication. It deepens the bond between a dog and the person who loves them. That's the whole point.
Meet the Inspiration
Roo is my 15-year-old Australian Shepherd and my longtime training partner — we've competed together at the national level in Rally Obedience for years. H’es taught me most of what I know about precision, patience, and what a well-built harness or leash actually needs to hold up to.
Pique is my 5-year-old Australian Koolie and a Disc Dog World Champion. Watching her work at that level reminds me daily why the details matter — the margin between good gear and great gear is usually something most people never notice.
Every product we build gets tested against what Roo and Pique have taught me: it has to earn its place on a working dog.