The Evolution of Dog-Go Bag

Every invention starts somewhere…mine began with an idea, some doodles, scraps of fabric, a couple strips of hook & loop tape, and the determination to solve a very unglamorous problem--managing dog poop and personal belongings while walking my dog. The very first “Dog-Go Bag” wasn’t sleek, stylish, or polished—it looked a bit like a lopsided pocket hanging off a leash. But it worked just enough to move forward!

🚧 Attempt #2: Almost a Bag

A little more structure, a little sturdier fabric, and a bright blue makeover—my second attempt looked less like a pocket and more like a thing. Not quite sleek, but finally starting to resemble a bag someone might actually use.

🧵 The Tinkering Frenzy

By this point, I was hooked. What started as scraps and Velcro quickly snowballed into a dozen different prototypes—each one a little experiment in size, shape, and material.

I wasn’t just chasing “cute,” I was chasing function. I wanted a waste bag that solved the most annoying part of dog walking: fumbling with snaps, zippers, or buttons while juggling a leash, poop, necessities, and a very impatient dog.

That’s when the signature Dog-Go Bag design emerged:

• An easy-access, open-topped waste chamber that you can drop a bag into in seconds—no fuss. (And it still reduces odor!)
• A unique shape with a front grommet ring that prevents the bag from collapsing or closing in on itself (goodbye, awkward wrestling match).
• And, for those who like options, a zipper running along the outer edges so you can release waste from the bottom instead of reaching inside.

But there was another challenge: if Dog-Go Bag was ever going to make it into the real world, it had to be unique enough to pass the patent process. That meant every tweak wasn’t just about improving convenience—it was about inventing a design unlike anything else on the market.

Every stitch, every trial, every “nope, not quite right” moment brought me closer to that goal.

🐕 With a Little Help From Pippa

Enter my “assistant.” Pippa didn’t exactly sew, but she supervised closely—by sitting on fabric, stealing scraps, emptying the waste can, and dropping her toys into the inventory. She made the chaos fun. She also reminded me to get up and take her for walks and reminded me that is why I started this whole thing: to make our walks easier and more joyful.

😵 Option Fatigue

Once I locked in the design and materials I went a little overboard! At one point, I was making four bag sizes in nearly a dozen colors AND offering an optional bag dispenser upgrade. Every order felt like a custom job—cutting, sewing, and assembling a different combination each time. It was exhausting for me, and confusing for customers faced with so many choices.

The lineup looked like a candy shop, but too much choice often leads to hesitation instead of confidence.

✂️ Less Became More

Lesson learned: simplicity wins. I scaled back to three sizes in three colors. Somewhere in the middle of prototypes and option fatigue, I realized even the name needed a refresh, but that stayed on hold a while because I had SO much invested in branding! 

🌟 Eureka!

After extensive trial and error, testing, walks, and user feedback, the vision finally clicked:

• One size (because it just works)
• One color (because classic never goes out of style)
• New materials (stronger, sleeker, better than ever)
• Limited options (because people DO like to express themselves)
• New name (because people kept calling us "Doodle Bag", "Doo-Poo Bag", "Poodle Bag" and worse!
  

Finally, for the first time, Dog-Go Bag became a real brand. Streamlined, clear, and recognizable.

The Dog-Go Bag you see today is the result of every misstep, experiment, hair-pulling frustration, and laugh along the way. It’s simple, stylish, and—finally—exactly what it was meant to be.

✨ Looking Back

When I scroll through those early pictures—scraps of fabric, crooked seams, and Pippa happily “helping”—I can’t help but smile. The process was messy, sometimes frustrating, and full of “what was I thinking?” moments.

But every experiment, every misstep, every late-night stitch brought me closer to the Dog-Go Bag as it is today. I’m proud—not just of the final product, but of the journey it took to get here. Because that journey shaped something simple, useful, and truly mine.

Dog-Go Bag isn’t just a bag—it’s the story of persistence, creativity, and love for the dogs who walk beside us. And I wouldn’t change a step of it.

I’m incredibly proud of where the journey led—to you, the ones who make Dog-Go Bag more than just an idea.