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Austin family digging up success with award-winning dog toy

Dogs digging in all the wrong places. It's a daily problem some dog owners face. The good news is an Austin family has come up with an award-winning solution.

AUSTIN – An Austin family created an award-winning dog product that’s letting dogs be dogs without the mess.

It’s called iDig and it recently took first place for “Best New Product for Dogs” at SuperZoo, one of the largest pet conventions in the country.

“Each time it’s happened, we’ve just been overwhelmed,” said Denny Hamill.

Denny and Grant Hamill are the grandfather and grandson duo behind the product and said the idea was simple.

"I got a new puppy and she was a husky,” said Grant. “She was a big digger and I didn't want to stop her from digging that she clearly loved, but I definitely didn't want her destroying the couch or the yard or anything."

That's how iDig was born. The family said it's the first digging toy for dogs.

"Our whole idea is to provide both mental and physical exercise for dogs, something they have to figure out and get some pleasure from,” said Denny.

The product comes with flaps you can fill with your dog’s favorite toy or treat and then the pup just digs away.

"With our fetching products, we hadn't really reached everyone, but a lot of dogs dig,” said Denny. More dogs dig."

The product called iDig is under the duo's company, iFetch, which the two started together in 2010.

"We started by building a little launcher for ourselves,” said Denny.

Eight years later, they're still building and growing together.

"It's been fun having grandchildren see what it takes to start a little company,” said Denny.

Dog owners can't buy the product yet, but the family said iDig will be available in stores and online by October.

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