This summer marked a major milestone for Dog-G8, as we celebrated receiving the King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation 2026.
For the team, the award represents more than recognition for a successful product. It acknowledges years of development (and constant refinement) in solving a problem familiar to dog owners across the UK and beyond.
What started as a solution for one household has grown into a British-made dog safety system used at front doors, across hallways and stairways, and even inside motorhomes and campervans.
And it all began with the front door.
What is the King’s Award for Enterprise?
The King’s Awards for Enterprise recognise outstanding achievement by UK businesses and are described by the Government as the UK’s most prestigious business awards.
We received the award in the Innovation category, which recognises businesses that have achieved commercial success through a genuinely innovative product, service or business model.
To be selected and join a long list of category-defining businesses in the UK is nothing short of an honour - and for us, it provides national recognition of the years of product development behind Dog-G8.
Why Dog-G8 received the award for innovation
Dog-G8 really was born to solve a simple problem… stopping our pooches from escaping through an open front door.
Our original gate attaches directly to the door, creating a barrier at the first point of entrance and last point of exit.
But it wasn’t a simple design process. As my dad, Peter, told All About Horsham :
“There has been a lot of trial and error!”
Over the course of the product's timeline, we’ve tweaked the locking system, heights, configurations - you name it.
This commitment to solving a real problem and refining our design is at the heart of the innovation recognised by this award, and it's why we feel so honoured to receive it.
From a front-door problem to an award-winning dog safety system
Dog-G8 grew from our family’s experience of running a pet-sitting business.
We lived in an open-plan home, which meant conventional internal barriers were not always practical. When you are looking after somebody else’s dog, their safety is also your responsibility.
My dad originally designed Dog-G8 specifically for the front door. At that point, we weren’t thinking about stairways, hallways, motorhomes or any of the other ways the gates are used today.
The problem we wanted to solve was simple: how do we create a barrier at the final point where a dog can escape?
We first exhibited the Front Door Dog-G8 at the National Pet Show in 2019. Since then, the same core idea has developed into solutions for internal doorways, staircases, motorhomes and caravans.
What the award means to us
For us, the King’s Award is recognition of how far that original idea has come. My dad described it as “a Royal stamp of approval”, which sums it up well. It was also great to get this approval from the King himself.
When you are caught up in the day-to-day running of a business, it can be easy to forget the impact the product can have.
One moment that has always stayed with us happened at Crufts, when a customer became emotional after seeing the gate following a frightening incident involving their dog escaping.
For them, it represented safety and peace of mind.
As I’ve always said, it’s more than just a gate. That makes recognition for the product’s innovation particularly meaningful.
What it means for our customers
For me, the most important thing is that this award gives our customers extra confidence in what they are buying.
Dog-G8 has never been a product we designed once and left alone. We have spent years improving it, listening to feedback and finding solutions for all kinds of homes, dogs and setups.
Some of the most rewarding moments have come from customers who thought their doorway, staircase or motorhome was too awkward for a gate, only for us to find a way to make it work.
So while the King’s Award is a huge honour for us as a business, I hope it also reassures our customers that there is a lot of thought, testing and real-life experience behind every Dog-G8 we make.
What’s next for Dog-G8?
Winning the King’s Award is a major milestone, but product development does not stop here.
We will continue listening to our customers, refining our products and finding new ways to revolutionise the humble dog gate!
Cliché, I know, but hopefully this is only the beginning.
About Dog-G8
Dog-G8 is a family-run business based in Horsham, West Sussex.
My dad, Peter Maxted, created the original Dog-G8 after our experience running a pet-sitting business, and today we design and sell retractable, modular dog safety gates for front doors, internal doorways, staircases, motorhomes and caravans.
Our products are manufactured in the UK, and in 2026 Dog-G8 received the King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.
Looking for a secure dog gate for your home?
Explore the full Dog-G8 range and find the right setup for your doorway, hallway, staircase or wider space.
