Our story.

My name is April, and this is my red heeler, Winnie. We're the duo behind APAWLO Pets.

Moving from the farm into a suburban lifestyle came with challenges — especially when raising a working breed in the city.

But it also revealed a huge gap.

Dog owners needed better tools, better education, and better ways to meet their dogs' needs.

The beginning

Winnie's story

When we first moved to the city, Winnie was attacked by another dog and became severely dog reactive. From that point on, going for a walk was no longer a simple task.

I found myself driving all over the city, searching for quiet parks, walking trails, and nature reserves with enough space to not only work through her reactivity, but give her space to decompress and just be a dog.

The more we worked with her instincts instead of against them, the faster everything changed.
Dog sitting up in the back seat of a car on the APAWLO 4-in-1 car seat cover, fully installed across both seats

Problem #1

From adventures to seat covers

Our adventures were doing wonders for her — but my car was taking the hit.

After being burned by cheaply made (but expensive) dropshipped seat covers, I decided to build my own — a versatile version that would actually hold up, with quality workmanship and premium components.

  • Waterproof
  • Scratch-proof
  • Versatile
Shop the Car Seat Cover

The turning point

Meet the Active Ring

Getting certified as a dog trainer taught me just how much nuance goes into working with dogs — fulfilment, training, communication, environment, all of it.

But nothing shifted things for Winnie and me quite like play.

I wanted to build Winnie the perfect toy — something that would come with us everywhere, built around everything she loved (fetch, swimming, tug), that could actually meet her needs instead of just tiring her out.

After two years of experimenting and testing, we created the Active Ring.

I didn't need a better-behaved dog. We needed a better relationship, and the rest would follow.
Shop Active Ring

Giving back

Every purchase plays a part

Fostering and working with rescues has always mattered to me. We work closely with working dog rescues across Australia, giving dogs space to decompress and the skills they need before they're safely adopted into new homes.

See how we give back

Our standard

How we work

Working through those challenges with Winnie lit a bigger passion in me. Every struggle was really an opportunity — to learn more, understand her better, and become a better owner myself.

My goal has always been to create bespoke products I actually use with Winnie every day — products that help her be the best version of herself and make it easy for me to fulfil her needs. I want to help other owners do the same.

No matter if you have a reactive dog, anxious dog, or "naughty" dog — a behaviour problem isn't a life sentence. When we understand a dog instead of just managing them, we don't just solve a problem — we unlock who they really are.

Every dog has extraordinary potential. We just have to step up and unleash it.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us.

We hope we have the chance get to know you and your dog too.

April (& Winnie)
Founder, APAWLO Pets

It's time to unleash the extraordinary in your dog.

Shop our range