About Us
The driving force behind the WagletWorks Adventure Dog Gear Company is a pack of German Shepherds named Hugo, Xia, Bastie and Cerk. The company’s founders, Barbara Peterson and Artie Malesci have this notion that dogs should be included in pretty much all of life’s adventures. So these dogs really get around.
Barbara and Artie met and came together during their three decades of working as film professionals in the motion picture industry. Barbara, as a Set Decorator and Production Designer, has always been into design. Artie as a Stunt Coordinator and Second Unit-Action Director has always been into adventure.
So here’s where design and adventure meet.
When they started their family, of dogs, they searched for products that would serve the needs of the active, adventure lifestyle they shared with their dogs. They found a lack of certain things they felt would make sharing life with multiple dogs easier, so they made them. At first for themselves, then they reasoned that others might wish to share in this ease and convenience too. So WagletWorks began.
It began as a belt-based system, due to the example the couple has spent over 30 years with. In the film industry, technicians of every field carry the essential tools of their particular trade on some kind of a belt, so that they have their hands free to do the work at hand. Grips, Electricians, Hair, Make-Up, etc., all pros using this technology. Barbara figured that she would apply that to dog walking as well, and the rest is history. WagletWorks gear is now available for you and your dog’s adventures too!
Pack Profile
Hugo: Ever vigilant, and yet so very dear. His pasttimes include back rolls and snow angels. His nickname is sometimes “Snow Gobbler”. He’s big into protection. Hugo has always got your back. He will always be Hugo Puppy.
Xia: The absolute inspiration for adventure dog gear, the very spirit of the consummate adventure dog! Xia is enthusiastic about just about everything! Special favorites include dock diving, fishing, and leg tunnels. She is our Alpha Female.
Cerk: He has perfected the art of the “Vulture Dog” perch on the console of any vehicle, no matter how small. His is an expert coconut shredder, and a shameless beggar of belly rubs. He is our Lone Wolf.
Bastie: The Zen Dog. His hobbies include hugging, snuggling, wagging, smiling, swimming, and toy diggity-digging. Oh, and he’s a bed hog. He is our “Foster Failure”. He is the happy epitome of a Waglet.
That’s our Waglet Gang. We look forward to sharing our gear with you and your gang!
Barbara Peterson’s career in Motion Pictures has spanned over 30 years. It began on the other side of the camera, modeling and acting, then went on to utilizing a design degree, creating sets for movies, commercials and TV shows. These include “Burn Notice”, “Marley & Me”, “The Waterboy”, “The Hours”, “All About the Benjamins”, “The Crew”, “Two Much”, “The Spanish Prisoner”, and so on. View her IMDB page here.
Barbara’s love for adventure began early, with her family’s frequent and wide ranging camping trips all around the country, and led to further adventures worldwide, reaching as far as Africa, Bali, Thailand, Korea, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Italy, Greece, Aruba, The Virgin Islands, and more. The lake cabin in Minnesota is still a favorite destination (in between filming schedules).
Email Barbara: barbara@wagletworks.com
Artie Malesci has been a Motion Picture Stuntman for over 30 years. He started out with a degree in Marine Biology, and was soon recruited into filmmaking while working in his early years at the Miami Seaquarium, to do shark wrangling for James Bond movies. The rest has been legendary. Artie, for many years has been a Stunt Coordinator and Second Unit “Action” Director. His Credits include “Magic City”, “Transporter 2”, “Men in Black 2”, “Immortals”, “Law Abiding Citizen”, “Transporter 2”, 2Fast 2Furious”, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”, and so many more. View his IMDB page here.
Throughout his life, Artie has trained, owned and wrangled just about every kind of animal you can think of, ranging from dolphins and whales to alligators and bears, lions, tigers, lizards, snakes, cattle, horses, buffalo - you name it! Artie is enjoying his love of horses again with his new pair, Cowboy and Trip.
At WagletWorks, we refer to Artie as "The Most interesting Man in the World”! When Artie’s not working in his adventurous job, you’ll almost always find him up to something amazing. There’s almost no adventure thing he does not do. Our resident adventure expert fills his adrenaline junkie fix with auto road racing, off-road racing (including winning the Baja 1000), motorcycles, airboats, snowmobiles, skiing, boating, fishing, hunting, sporting clays, camping & RV-ing, flying, sky diving, rodeo-team roping, kayaking, jet skis, scuba diving, and and hanging out in his Everglades camp.
Email Artie: artie@wagletworks.com
