About the Invention

For Christmas 1999, Marjorie received a special gift, a puppy that she named Zoomezoo. Her puppy was instrumental in the creation of her invention, which is a novel device that facilitates the directing of dogs using a specially designed scent.

The idea for the "aroma therapy" training device was the result of frustrating moments at dog-training school for both herself and her puppy. It was tough getting her puppy to obey commands. She also saw how difficult it was for wheelchair-confined pet owners and the elderly to get close enough to the ground to give their puppies the food treats that are often used to motivate pets to learn.

She felt that there had to be another, better way of getting dogs to do what they should. She realized that the food treat was less important than the scent of the treat. That got her thinking about creating a device that used various smells as an incentive for getting dogs to follow commands.

At the training school, Marjorie met Donna M. Laye, her co-inventor and business partner. The training device that they came up with is a scented pellet that can be used on its own to calm pets or to direct pet movements. The pellet can be placed in a variety of holders suited to pet owners or tucked into food bowls, for instance, to encourage pets to eat.

Though still in development, the Saskatchewan Research Council has funded a market study and a patent search and has concluded that Marjorie and Donna's invention has few competitors and an above-average chance of success. Pilot Place at Innovation Place in Saskatoon produced a mall scent sample for testing purposes. They have received assistance from a number of organizations including Industrial Research Assistance Program through the Federal Government and Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan. Presently, they are securing patents, developing production and marketing strategies, and seeking investors.

About the Inventor

"I have discovered that an invention does not have a prerequisite of age, gender, race or ability," Marjorie Fehr says, "It just needs an eye for the obvious, an ear for the earnest, a nose for the now, a mouth for the moment, and a touch of luck for the not-so-intrepid."

Born in Saskatoon in 1961, Marjorie was forced to quit school after grade eight to help support her family. She is self-educated, with skills and knowledge at university level. From her first job as a chambermaid, she went on to teach ballroom dancing for ten years, and she also worked as a butcher. Now, as an inventor, she is learning about all aspects of product development, production, marketing and sales. Developing her invention has given Marjorie a tremendous sense of fulfillment and a belief in her abilities. "It has encouraged me to think beyond the immediate," she says.

Donna M. Laye is an Animal Behaviourist and Pet Therapist who is a dog breeder, trainer and teacher. Based in Saskatchewan, she has earned a variety of awards from Breeder of the Year in 1990 to a First in Canada's UKC Championships for Wire Terrier, in 1999. She conducts seminars, runs her own school and brings a remarkable insight to her understanding and training of dogs. Her faith in the training pellets is supported by in-depth field training and hands-on experimentation.