Ogden company working to decrease obesity in man's best friend.

• Author: Madison, Rachel

Ocidon - A love for animals and a background in fitness are what prompted Krista Wickens and Don Standing to take a stand against the growing obesity rate in one of the nation's most beloved pets: the family dog.

Wickens and Standing, co-founders of Ogden-based PETZEN PRODUCTS and DOGTREAD, saw an opportunity to provide exercise products for the canine world and launched their first canine exercise product, a dog treadmill, in 2007. The treadmill, which can be used for companion dogs, performance dogs and dogs that need rehabilitation therapy after surgery, saw immediate success.

Today the company focuses specifically on canine fitness products, which are all under the DogTread brand. "Just like in the human world where we have different products to work different parts of our body, we have combined that philosophy in our line for dogs," Wickens says. "We've worked with experts in canine anatomy, like veterinarians and canine rehabilitation practitioners, to test products."

Not only does the company manufacture dog treadmills, it also has a canine vest dogs can wear to increase strength, a "fit bone" dogs can stand on to improve balance, and a flexible stretching mat that can help dogs increase their flexibility.

"We don't do the same things with our dogs that we used to years ago. They don't have the same room to roam and most dog parks have leash laws. All of these things contribute to had behavior and fat pets," Wickens says.

The company's treadmill has received several accolades for its design and impact on canines, including...