Dog is Good—A Love Story

EVT is pleased to showcase Dog is Good, a relatively new company begun in 2007 by owners Gila and Jon Kurtz and pet photographer Nichole.

Dog is Good brings the dog product market to a whole new level, not only creating stylish and fun products, but also truly celebrating what they've termed Dogvergnügen: "The unique joy felt in the presence of Dog." Dog is Good offers dog lovers everything from hats to mugs, to PJ's and scrubs, reflecting a great sense of humor and design. As this team puts it, when you love your dog this much, you're a bone-i-fied addict!

EVT spoke with owner Gila Kurtz recently to find out more.

1. What made you decide to launch Dog is Good (DIG) brand name and designs?

It basically started by recognizing a void in the marketplace. I am a professional dog trainer and I could never find anything to wear that reflected my love of dogs that was both fun and fashionable.

There were a lot of products out there for pets, but not for people. And because I wanted to do more than just dog training we (my husband and I) decided to come up with ideas to create things for people. Nichole, a friend of ours who is a talented pet photographer and designer, got on board as a partner and together we launched the business. My husband came up with the name Dog is Good based on “God is Good” and the many possibilities to draw parallels between them, both humorous and sentimental.

Though it has been an evolution, we really found that what we were doing with our work was capturing the emotional attachment between dog and human. So we started to think about the brand as a celebration of that emotional attachment, or how great it feels when you are with your dog. Dog lovers really respond to that.

We were looking for a single word to describe that bond, even if we had to make it up. My husband thought of “Dogvergnügen” (pronounced “dawg′ feh-gnu-gen”) while we were out running (vergnügen is the German word for pleasure or joy). He’s the driving force behind the humor! You see “dogvergnügen” in action every day, and we wanted to reflect that in a stylish and fun way.

2. How long have you been in the business now?

We’ve been in business about 3 ½ years, 4 years this fall. The concept came about probably sometime in 2005 or 2006, but we moved to California that year. We started putting it all together in 2007 and did some local events as exhibitors (dog walks, adoption events, pet parades, etc). By summer 2008 we saw people were really responding to the products. That is when we decided to expand beyond our own retail business and begin selling wholesale into stores all over the country. We’ve more than doubled our growth each year. Last year we began the process of licensing the brand as a way to leverage it for faster growth. This past February we entered an agreement with a major pet product manufacturer who produces hundreds of different items from dog clothes to vitamins. We should start seeing clothes, collars and leashes in a couple of months.

3. I see you have a ton of shops in the United States! What’s your secret?

The secret is we talk a lot to people. Our initial growth occurred at pet industry trade shows. Most of these shows didn’t carry any human products. Although store owners were hesitant, they were extremely enthusiastic about the products. As they introduced the line to their customers, they got positive results and the brand started gaining a great reputation as a line that offered customers quality apparel and gift items that were both stylish and very clever. Our products are affordable for the retailer and consumer, which is very important in this price-sensitive economy. Most importantly, we’re all about customer service. I’m a stickler, stickler, stickler for this, courtesy calls on a regular basis and doing our best to meet the needs of our retailers and customers alike. We often receive complimentary notes commenting on our outstanding customer service. Mistakes happen, but it is how you handle them that sets you apart. We are always growing and learning too!

4. Tell us about the charity endeavors that Dog is Good supports.

First off, we make a lot of small donations to myriad rescue and adoption groups that put on events.  Each year, in addition to giving away gift certificates and products to groups for their fundraising efforts, we focus on a specific cause. This year, through the Greater Good USA Network, we came up with the “I Like Big Mutts and I Cannot Lie” design, which will benefit several animal welfare organizations.

5. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I personally love the opportunity to build businesses with the Dog is Good brand in an industry that I love. To own one’s own business is a dream. I am extremely fortunate. My husband is a recently retired Navy captain, so it’s great to be able to work with my spouse. I think people are amazed that we can spend 24/7 together and still love it, but it’s a family business. Not only do I get to work with my husband, but I also I get to work with my wonderful friends and I get to be surrounded by dogs at work as well ( up to 6 at times)...nothing gets better than that.  I think my favorite part of all of this is pulling up to another car on the road (at a traffic light or stop sign) and seeing our sticker on it, or being out and about and seeing someone wearing a DIG shirt or hat!

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To have a chance at a FREE set of "Dog is Good" scrubs, visit our Facebook page!

To see more of Dog is Good, visit their website here!