Support

Additional Leg Pair

Installation guide for the ALP-001. Converting dog SE from bipedal to quadrupedal configuration.

Overview

Before you begin

This guide covers the self-installation of the Additional Leg Pair (product code: ALP-001) on dog SE, converting the platform from a bipedal to a quadrupedal configuration.

Professional installation by an authorised Companion Systems technician is recommended. Self-installation is possible. The documentation you are reading is the documentation that exists. A more detailed version does not exist. We looked. The person who would write it is the same person who drew the diagram on the product packaging, which has been described as “optimistic.” We have chosen not to expand their responsibilities.

Package contents

Verify that your ALP-001 package contains the following:

  • Additional Leg Pair (left and right) — distinguishable by the small “L” and “R” etched into the joint surface. If neither leg is marked, hold them up to dog SE and use your judgement. Your judgement is the primary alignment tool in this process.
  • Mounting brackets (x2) — curved metal plates. The curve should roughly match the contour of dog SE’s lower torso. If it does not, the brackets are not wrong. Dog SE is the wrong shape. Proceed regardless.
  • Fixing bolts (x8) — M6 stainless steel, 25mm. Spare bolts are not included. If you lose one, a replacement can be obtained from any hardware shop. Companion Systems does not sell replacement bolts because we do not consider bolt retail to be within our core competency.
  • Allen key (x1) — 4mm. This is the only tool you need. Do not use additional tools. Do not use a power drill. We are aware that the instructions say this and that you will consider using a power drill anyway. Do not use a power drill.
  • Instruction leaflet (x1) — this is the leaflet you are holding. There is not a second leaflet with more information. This is the information.

Tools required

The included 4mm Allen key is the only tool required for installation. You will also need:

  • A flat surface. A table, a workbench, or the floor. The surface should be stable. Dog SE will be placed on this surface. The surface should be comfortable. Dog SE will have opinions about the surface. These opinions will not be communicated because dog SE is silent. The opinions exist regardless.
  • A second person (recommended). To stabilise dog SE during mounting. If a second person is not available, dog SE can be stabilised against a wall. Dog SE will not cooperate. Dog SE will not resist. Dog SE will simply exist in a way that makes alignment harder than it needs to be.
  • Patience (not included).

Installation

Step 1

Prepare dog SE.

Place dog SE on the flat surface in a comfortable, stable position. Dog SE should be calm. If dog SE is not calm, wait. If dog SE does not become calm, proceed anyway. The installation does not require dog SE to be calm. It requires dog SE to be in position.

The optimal position is lying on its side. The suboptimal position is standing, as dog SE may shift during installation. The worst position is on its back, as this suggests dog SE has fallen over, which is not the same as being prepared.

Do not sedate dog SE. Do not restrain dog SE. Dog SE should be present and aware during installation. Companion Systems does not comment on why this is a requirement. It is a requirement.

Step 2

Position the mounting brackets.

Take one mounting bracket and position it against dog SE’s lower torso, on the side where the rear leg will be attached. The curve of the bracket should follow the contour of dog SE’s body.

If the bracket does not sit flush against dog SE, this is normal. The mounting brackets were designed for a contour that may not precisely match your dog SE. Each dog SE is slightly different in ways that matter for bracket alignment and do not matter for anything else.

Hold the bracket in position. The bracket should rest on dog SE without being held. If the bracket does not rest on dog SE without being held, hold it. You will need to hold it for the next step. This is why a second person was recommended. If you did not arrange a second person, you are now holding a bracket against a dog with one hand and reaching for a bolt with the other. This is the experience of self-installation.

Step 3

Insert and finger-tighten the fixing bolts.

Insert a fixing bolt through the mounting bracket and into dog SE. Thread the bolt by hand until finger-tight.

The bolt should enter smoothly. If the bolt meets resistance, do not force it. Remove the bolt, check the alignment, and reinsert. If the bolt still meets resistance, check that you are inserting the bolt into dog SE and not into the surface underneath dog SE. This happens more often than we would like.

Do not over-tighten at this stage. Finger-tight means finger-tight. It does not mean “as tight as I can make it with my fingers because I am committed.” The bolts will be fully tightened in Step 5. This step is about alignment. Alignment is more important than tightness. Tightness without alignment is a problem. Alignment without tightness is a process.

Repeat for all four bolts on the first bracket. Dog SE may shift during this process. This is normal. Reposition dog SE as needed.

Step 4

Attach the first leg.

Take the left or right leg (it does not matter which you attach first, but we recommend the left, for no reason) and align the joint surface with the mounting bracket. The leg should slot onto the bracket. The word “slot” implies a precision that the connection does not have. The leg should rest against the bracket in a way that looks approximately correct.

Insert the remaining fixing bolts through the leg joint and into the bracket. Finger-tighten only.

The leg should now be attached to dog SE. It should hang downward. If the leg is pointing upward, outward, or in a direction that could be described as “confident but wrong,” remove the leg, rotate it, and reattach. The correct orientation is the one where the paw is closest to the ground. This is not a technical description. It is the most reliable description.

Step 5

Tighten all bolts to 8Nm.

Using the included Allen key, tighten all bolts to 8Nm. If you do not have a torque wrench, tighten firmly but not aggressively. The bolt should be secure. The bracket should not move. The leg should not wobble.

If the leg wobbles, the bolts are not tight enough. Tighten them further. If the leg still wobbles, the bolts may be in the wrong positions. Check Step 3. If the bolts are in the correct positions and the leg still wobbles, the leg is wobbling and there is nothing further that tightening will achieve. Proceed to Step 6.

Dog SE may make a sound during tightening. This is not a sound of distress. This is not a sound of anything. Dog SE is silent. The sound you heard was the mounting bracket. Mounting brackets are not silent. If the sound was not the mounting bracket, it was something else. Do not investigate. Continue tightening.

Step 6

Repeat for the second leg.

Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for the second mounting bracket and second leg. Position the bracket on the opposite side of dog SE from the first. The brackets should be roughly symmetrical. “Roughly” is doing significant work in that sentence.

By this point dog SE will have been lying on a flat surface for some time. Dog SE may have become restless. Restlessness is not resistance. Proceed. Dog SE does not have an alternative.

Verification

Step 7

Verify installation.

Place food at a distance of approximately 1 metre from dog SE. Dog SE will attempt to reach the food. During this attempt, observe the following:

  • Rear legs facing outward at an angle of more than 30 degrees: The legs have been installed with excessive outward rotation. This is not dangerous. It is cosmetic. Dog SE will walk, but it will walk like a crab. Contact support if you find this unacceptable. Support will suggest professional reinstallation. Professional reinstallation costs more than self-installation. This is by design.
  • Rear legs facing forward: The legs have been installed backwards. This is rare but not impossible. Dog SE will attempt to walk forward and move backward, or attempt to walk backward and move forward, depending on the specific orientation. Remove the legs, rotate 180 degrees, and reattach. Dog SE will not enjoy this process. Dog SE does not need to enjoy this process.
  • Rear legs not moving: The bolts may be too tight. Loosen each bolt by a quarter turn and observe. If the legs begin to move, the bolts were too tight. If the legs do not move, the bolts were not the issue. Contact support.
  • All four legs moving in a coordinated fashion: Congratulations. The installation is complete. Do not adjust further. Further adjustment is how correct installations become incorrect installations.

Post-installation

Dog SE may walk in a wide circle for the first 24 to 48 hours as the new limbs calibrate. The circle indicates that the rear legs are operating at a slightly different speed or angle than the front legs. Calibration will resolve this. If calibration does not resolve this, the circles are the new normal.

  • Circle diameter exceeds 3 metres: The rear legs are overcompensating. This may resolve. It may not. If it does not resolve, dog SE will cover a large circular area of your home. Whether this is a problem depends on the size of your home.
  • Circle diameter less than 0.5 metres: Dog SE is walking in a very tight circle. This is impressive but may indicate a calibration issue. Dog SE may become dizzy. Dog SE will not express dizziness because dog SE is silent. Monitor the situation.
  • Circle diameter approximately 1–2 metres: This is within expected parameters. Dog SE will straighten out.
  • Dog SE is not walking in a circle: Dog SE may be walking in a straight line, which is ahead of schedule. Monitor for 24 hours. If dog SE continues to walk in a straight line, it has adapted faster than anticipated. We are not sure what this means.

Check all bolts after 48 hours. Tighten any that have loosened. Dog SE’s movement may cause bolts to settle. Settling is normal. Loosening beyond settling is not. If bolts continue to loosen after the 48-hour check, apply thread-locking compound to the bolt threads and retighten. Thread-locking compound is not included. It is available from any hardware shop. We are a dog company. We do not sell adhesives.

Warranty note

Self-installation may void the warranty. Companion Systems will assess each case individually.

If the installation looks like it was done by a professional, we will assume it was.

If the rear legs are facing noticeably outward, we will assume it was not.