Published Apr 23, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 3 minute readSpencer Fry looks on as Kafu, a foster pooch, is put through its paces in Fry’s mobile canine cardio van, Waggin’ Wheels, in Halifax on Wednesday. Photo by TIM KROCHAK /The Chronicle HeraldSpencer Fry is so busy these days, it might be better if he was the one with four legs instead of his clients.Apart from his Monday to Friday job, Fry has a side hustle boarding dogs in his house in Spryfield and has recently become Halifax’s trainer to the canines.His new business, Waggin’ Wheels, provides a portable climate-controlled environment where a dog can get its exercise.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe idea got its start in Arizona, where it is often too hot to safely take your dog for a walk, and then became a better-known concept in Las Vegas.“My side hustles go hand in hand (paw in paw?) A couple of months into doing the boarding, I was really enjoying it, meeting a lot of dog owners, and dogs with different personalities,” Fry said. “And I started thinking this was something that could work in Canada.”Basically, Waggin’ Wheels is an extended van specially equipped with treadmills designed for dogs, called slat mills. After a couple of years developing his business plan, Fry has been operational for just over a month.“Eight months of the year we have garbage weather, whether it’s rain, snow or hurricanes,” he said of Halifax. “But anything over 20 degrees, for any kind of intense exercise for the dog, it starts pushing into danger territory. Things like walking or short outings, it’s fine, but especially for certain breeds, anything over 20 can be dangerous to exercise dogs.”Article contentFry said it can take a dog a few appointments to get accustomed to the slat mill, including the noise it makes while in operation.“It’s a whole new experience for the dog,” he said. “The ground is moving and they’re not … so the first one for sure is getting the dog used to the van, and then the slat mill.“On average, in my experience it takes three or four sessions for the dog to get comfortable doing it,” said Fry, who already has a few dogs that are jumping on the equipment even before he gets them in a harness, they’re so excited.“You tap into their primal instinct and their drive to run. I use treats sparingly … to get them comfortable on it but after that I try to tap into their drive, and every breed and every dog is different.”Waggin’ Wheels is equipped to deal with all breeds and Fry has clients as small as nine pounds and as large as 150 (the dogs, not the owners).“I have a corgi that I could not get to run, for the life of me, the only time it would run was when other dogs would walk by the van when the door was open. He wasn’t interested in toys, but I put some barking noises on a speaker, and he perked right up and started sprinting,” he said.Article content“It’s more about confidence, and there are breeds out there that have high drive. I’ve had a few border collies that jumped on and took off, a lot of Labs. I had a hunting trained Lab that jumped on, and as soon as a dog toy came out, he started sprinting, and I’ve had a few pit bulls. A dog’s confidence comes with breeding but also can be trained.”Fry was able to find a Canadian supplier for his slat mill and, working evenings and weekends, so far he is busiest on Mondays and Fridays and is still ironing out a few details of the business.“Right now, I just have a single price for two different types of sessions, but I want to get more into block booking and packages, that kind of stuff,” he said.“I really thought I was going to be providing a service for people who had busy schedules, people that want a certain breed but their schedule doesn’t really fit that breed … but I’m getting a lot of reactive dogs with owners that can’t take their dog out for exercise.“I’ve had a few that have muzzle orders on them, and with wearing a muzzle there’s judgment, so the owners are really particular about how they exercise their dog, and it limits them.”Article content
New Halifax business running with the dogs
