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Consider the phrase “crazy,” and with the exception of the vintage characterization, extra complimentary definitions exist, corresponding to enthusiastic, excited, keen and kooky. Now imagine the word “crazy in love,” which sums up the dating of a well-loved bulldog named Piglet and her particular person, a onetime dental place of work supervisor pursuing a new career as a canine teacher. Throw in the foresight to grasp alternative and temporarily veer onto an surprising trail, and also you’ve arrived at the summarized historical past of Dog Krazy.
“I’d managed several dental offices over the years, and at the last one I would bring my bulldog puppy, Piglet, to work with me,” says Nancy Guinn, proprietor and president of Dog Krazy, which has seven places in Virginia. “When my boss told me I could no longer bring her, I gave my notice.”
The 12 months used to be 2006, and with a great nest egg socked away, Guinn felt poised to triumph over the global of dog scholarship. Serendipity had different concepts.
“I was on my way to class one night and stopped by my local dog store to buy some training treats,” she says. “I pulled up just as the owner put a ‘going out of business’ sign in the window.”
Expressing her dismay, the owner recommended Guinn take over operations, providing assist and strengthen, the most effective caveat being no gross sales of pups or kittens. Guinn used to be already a sturdy suggest of puppy adoption, so she gave her assurance readily.
“At the time, I had five of my own rescue dogs at home,” she says.
The pair met with the construction’s landlord, and Guinn used to be authorized to take over the rent. Several thousand bucks lighter, Guinn had the keys to the construction in hand.
“That first location was big, 4,000 square feet,” she says. “I was learning the business, just starting out, and the rent was way more than I could afford.”
After a suffering 12 months, an adjoining website turned into to be had. At 1,000 sq. ft, the area used to be a lot more financially manageable for the fledgling endeavor. The landlord introduced Guinn a recent get started by way of letting her out of the previous rent and into a much less dear contract.
“We would not be where we are if he hadn’t done that,” she says. “There aren’t many people like that in the world.”
While the stock first of all consisted of boutique, toy and reward pieces, Piglet’s personal hypersensitivity problems had positioned meals sensitivities and the advantages of sound puppy diet firmly on Guinn’s radar. She temporarily added meals to the product combine. After 3 years, the little shop used to be bursting at the seams, necessitating a transfer to a higher area.
“Because of Piglet’s issues, I knew about good food, but I wasn’t an expert,” she says. “I decided to go to school to study pet nutrition and really started policing everything that I carried. If I wouldn’t feed it to Piglet, I wouldn’t put it in my store. I have held true to that ideal throughout the years.”
The 2d shop opened in 2015, and at that time, Guinn’s husband, Chris, left his personal accounting occupation to sign up for the industry on a full-time foundation.
“I lost Piglet in 2016, and we’d opened the second store right before she passed away,” Guinn says.
More places adopted. Then a pandemic loomed.
“I’ll have to be honest: We didn’t take it seriously—we even went to Global [Pet Expo]. Two weeks after that, I remember sitting in my bedroom crying and deciding which store we were going to close,” Guinn says. “We had to lay off several employees, or ask some to stay on in different jobs.”
Several weeks into the disaster, 20 p.c of workforce were laid off. At that time, issues started to flip round.
“We experienced a huge uptick because we were able to offer delivery,” she says.
Subsequently, industry blossomed and furloughed staffers returned to paintings.
She acquired a five,000-square-foot warehouse to inventory product, provider on-line orders and ship merchandise.
“We consider it a retail location as well because we do allow customers to come in and shop,” she says. “We have a full staff; it’s just not an open-to-the-public, 9-7 type of store.”
Seven days a week, two devoted supply trucks in addition to Guinn’s non-public automobile ply the roads of Virginia. The standard native supply provider is unfastened with a $25 acquire and overseen by way of a warehouse supervisor.
“I have a phenomenal warehouse manager,” she says.
Christmas 2021 used to be additionally a 12 months of gifting, with the supervisor of the Leesburg location the satisfied recipient of her personal Dog Krazy shop.
“She’d been with us for five years and always wanted to own her own pet store,” Guinn says. “Leesburg is a two-hour drive from our home and two to three hours from the other locations. We just couldn’t get there as often as we wanted.”
Further, the coverage of providing unfastened supply inside of 30 miles of every shop posed a logistical problem.
“One of our delivery drivers put 80,000 [miles] on one of our vehicles in about six months,” she says. “Our manager had moved to Leesburg, and someone in the pet industry gave me the idea of gifting the store to our manager, and she absolutely wanted it.”
Capping off 2021, the doorways to a 10,000-square-foot facility that includes retail, day care and boarding started welcoming shoppers, bringing the overall to seven places.
“After opening pretty much one store per year, we are taking a break for now,” Guinn says.
An Instinctive Approach
The environment at Dog Krazy is homey and amusing, in accordance to Guinn. Bright yellow partitions with purple and blue accents, appreciated Guinn-family hues, are spotlighted by way of a festooning of twinkly Christmas-like lighting fixtures. It’s a nod to Guinn’s favourite season.
“The best part of Christmas is looking at the lights. How can you not smile? I even have Christmas lights on our logo and on hoodies for our employees,” she says.
The structure of every shop considers visiting canine that can be unfriendly to different hairy buyers.
“Piglet was dog aggressive, but she came to work with me every day, and we had a lot of customers,” she says. “So we set up our stores with places to hide to try to make these dogs 100 percent comfortable. We don’t allow fights to happen—our employees are all taught to body block. I would say a good 10 percent of our customers own dog-aggressive dogs.”
Instinct performs a sturdy function in the enlargement and luck of Dog Krazy, in accordance to Guinn.
“I will never go against my gut feeling, or my beliefs,” she says. “I want to go to bed every night knowing that I did everything to help the lives of dogs.”
The Guinns paintings facet by way of facet with their staff and inspire workforce participants to imagine them co-workers.
“We work together,” she says.
True to Dog Krazy’s purpose of offering pets and their other folks a distinctive and exceptional provider enjoy, a love of canine is a at the start characteristic wanted in a new rent.
“Before an interview, I observe applicants as they fill out their application. I want to see how they interact with the dogs coming in,” Guinn says. “If they don’t stop to love on the dogs, they are not going to be the right person.”
An in-house coaching supervisor in addition to a human useful resource director oversee a vary of tutorial sides.
“We set up training programs that our employees complete every month,” she says. “The good looks is once they end this type of lessons, you notice that mild and they’re so
excited to percentage what they have got discovered.”
Individual studying types are considered.
“Everyone learns differently, and we figure out how each person here functions and teach them that way,” she says.
The Proper Nutritional Fit
Food alternatives run the gamut of kibble, freeze-dried, gently cooked, canned and uncooked, every in my opinion decided on by way of Guinn.
“It has to be something that I would feed my own dogs,” Guinn says. “My reasons are all written out; our employees can just go to my communication board, type in the brand and give the exact reason why I don’t carry it. I’m very detailed and open with my customers.”
Finding the right kind dietary have compatibility for every buyer starts with dialog.
“Always,” she says. “And if we don’t know the answer, we will find someone who does.”
Further, a 100 p.c ensure coverage is in position for each product in the combine.
“All the time. If a customer is not happy with a product, they can bring it back,” she says. “It literally costs so much less to keep a customer than to gain a customer. So for me to take back a $20 harness because the dog ate it, how much is that customer going to spend over a lifetime? Does $20 matter? It really doesn’t.”
While Dog Krazy pals don’t put on uniforms in step with se, each workforce member sports activities a purple multipocketed apron.
“When a dog comes in, we greet the owner and ask if we can give the dog a treat,” she says. “The second question is: Does the dog have any allergies? We have a treat for every type of dog in those aprons.”
Customer comments is at all times essential, and recommended merchandise are researched; alternatively, Guinn’s instincts in the long run decide product variety.
“If I am not comfortable carrying a product, I will show the customer something that I think is better,” she says. “I am not going to change my mind to make a customer happy when it comes to the products I carry.”
Sampling performs a sturdy function in buyer enter.
“When we opened our warehouse, we got tons of samples from vendors,” Guinn says. “My warehouse manager suggested that we put them in packages for our customers, and that’s what we have been doing.”
Dog Krazy’s Krazy Krates arrive at the properties of consumers in a specifically designed field categorised with the following slogan, “From our door to yours, here’s a box of samples for you to try, give us your feedback, let us know what you’d like us to carry.” Two forms of Krates are to be had. Sample Krates, chock-full of vendor-supplied samples, are given away unfastened at the finish of every month to shoppers striking an internet order of $50 or extra.
“People go crazy for free stuff, and the box has 12 free samples in it,” she says. “We usually prepare and ship about 200 Krazy Krates over that weekend.”
A quarterly Krazy Krate, which is analogous to a subscription field, comprises greater than $100 value of things for $50.
Sweet Services
With the opening of the shop in Leesburg in 2018, an in-store bakery, Lola’s Barkery, started serving up toothsome sweets for the hairy set. Lola way grandmother in Tagalog, and the identify honors Guinn’s Filipino heritage and her personal mom, Maria, who set to paintings growing all approach of freshly baked dog cuisine.
“I wanted to put a bakery in for my mom, who lives in Leesburg, and decided to do a dog bakery,” she says. “I surprised her on her birthday.”
Three retail outlets characteristic a Barkery, and the treats are to be had in each location.
Canines in a position for a little pampering loosen up into a enjoyable spa day at Dog Krazy’s grooming amenities, introduced at each shop. The services and products have been added in 2015.
“Our groomers are phenomenal. I admire them,” Guinn says. “We have anywhere from one to five groomers in each store.”
Baths and spa days also are to be had for cats at make a selection places.
For home made puppy house owners, hairy bathers emerge squeaky blank from the computerized Okay9000 tubs. All essential provides are equipped, and the self-serve amenities are to be had in any respect however one shop.
The 10,000-square-foot boarding and day care facility is recently internet hosting a median of 35 canine in step with day. As domestic dogs romp in the indoor/out of doors play yards, well-trained staffers track the festivities. Safety is the major attention, with a most ratio of 10 canine to one handler.
“That’s the max—you have to be very well trained to have 10 dogs in your care,” Guinn says.
Playful packs are moderately arranged with dimension and temperament in thoughts.
For much less social attendees, Piglet’s Package supplies one-on-one care and workout in a separate day care space.
“We assign one person to that day care dog per day, and they get the same activities, except it’s with a person instead of the other dogs,” she says.
With proprietor consent, those canine strike out on well-distanced pack walks with one or two extra submissive canine.
The standard provider is booked out months upfront.
Pet house owners take convenience in leaving their family members at Dog Krazy’s boarding amenities. Designed to take care of roughly 20 canine in step with evening, the spacious, top-of-the-line kennels be offering the best possible repose after a rollicking day.
“Our kennels are amazing—I could sleep in one comfortably with a full-sized mattress,” Guinn says.
The day care and boarding amenities are saved immaculate underneath the supervision of the day care supervisor, a canine teacher who additionally educated Piglet. Day care and boarding staffers spend their first two weeks shadowing and dealing facet by way of facet underneath the watchful eyes of this skilled.
“I could not have done this without our day care manager. She’s phenomenal,” Guinn says.
The construction additionally properties an on-site bakery, permitting the boarding facility to be staffed 24 hours on a daily basis.
“We have four bakers working overnight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.,” she says. “So, there is always at least two people in the building at all times.”
Bakers simply track dozing canine via well-placed cameras, and so they embark on walkthrough tests all the way through the process every evening.
“However, we try to let the dogs sleep at least six hours undisturbed so they are fresh and ready to play the next day,” Guinn provides.
For puppy proprietor comfort, a four,000-square-foot retail shop may be on-site; alternatively, retail staff don’t paintings in day care and boarding.
“Those people have to be specially trained and have the right energy to work with the dogs,” Guinn says.
Reaching Out
Dog Krazy’s pet love additionally embraces the much less lucky, and supporting rescues is a top precedence.
“My absolute favorite is the Old Dominion Humane Society,” Guinn says. “I love them so much.”
The industry supplies meals and provides to the safe haven, in addition to investment. It additionally awards reward certificate to newly adoptive puppy house owners, with 10 p.c of the ensuing purchases donated again to the rescue.
“We get back anywhere from 12-25 certificates per week,” she says.
Cans of meals are strategically positioned at the check-out counter, and shoppers are requested in the event that they’d like to donate a can.
“The donations go to any rescue in need, including cat rescues,” Guinn says. “Our employees select the rescues to receive donations.”
Further, Dog Krazy lends a serving to hand to native citizens wanting help in feeding their pets.
“At least once a week, somebody reaches out to me, and I always tell them to go by my warehouse and we’ll take care of them,” she says. “I never want a dog to go hungry.”
To have a good time Dog Krazy’s 15-year anniversary, and in honor of Piglet, a Piggy Bank used to be inaugurated to give again to the neighborhood.
“We sell pig-shaped cookies with all proceeds going to charities selected by my employees,” Guinn says. “Our customers come in and ask for the cookies immediately.”
When Guinn’s favourite season rolls round, an Angel Tree, replete with embellishes depicting the wishes of rescue pets, lighting fixtures up the atmosphere of each shop. Customers acquire the asked pieces, which can be then donated.
“Any rescue can make ornaments to put on the tree,” she says.
Further, shoppers are inspired to donate puppy pieces all through the 12 months.
“We advertise that we will take any donations,” Guinn says. “People drop off bedding and other necessities, and the rescues come in to pick up the items.”
It’s A Retail Life
What is Dog Krazy very best identified for?
Nancy Guinn: We are identified for placing the canine first.
What is the biggest problem for the impartial puppy store nowadays?
Guinn: Hiring and keeping up workforce. It is actually tricky at this time.
Greatest problem for the puppy business general?
Guinn: Supply chain problems.
Are you looking at any attention-grabbing traits?
Guinn: People are feeding their canine higher meals in this day and age, and uncooked gross sales have long gone via the roof. We’ve added freezers in all places.
What do you notice for the long run?
Guinn: We are including extra reward pieces. When I opened my first shop, we had a lot of gifty products, however I took a lot of that out. But we now have a lot of other folks coming in in search of these items. We are going to dabble in that a little bit and notice the place it is going. I’m additionally opening a facet industry, Piglets Pastry, the place I will be able to be baking and providing adorned cookies wholesale to different retail outlets. I really like baking and can get to create scrumptious treats for canine.
Chrissy Blake together with her canine Roxy
Saving Lives, Promoting Health
When two canine loopy other folks sign up for in a concerted effort to save lives and advertise the well being and well-being of domestic dogs in want, it’s a marvelous collaboration.
Such is the union of Chrissy Blake, founding father of Old Dominion Humane Society in Fredericksburg, Va., and Nancy Guinn, president and proprietor of Dog Krazy.
“Nancy and I have known each other for years,” Blake says. “We have seen our efforts grow, and it’s been a nice side by side.”
The pair joined of their adventure to save canine when Blake, operating as a canine walker and puppy sitter, stopped into Dog Krazy to drop off industry playing cards. The consequence of that assembly led Guinn to seek advice from Blake
relating to the diet of her fees. With the inception of Old Dominion Humane Society, in 2013, the Dog Krazy proprietor used to be onboard to support Blake in her new undertaking.
“She has been donating food and offering nutritional education from the beginning,” Blake says. “A lot of the dogs we rescue have problems rooted in poor nutrition.”
An suggest of treating the core of the drawback quite than medicating the ensuing factor, Guinn has proved a super assist to the canine in Blake’s price. Taking issues a step additional, her involvement contains
making sure that those canine are equipped exceptional meals and dietary supplements that may assist them flourish.
“I haven’t had to purchase meals for 3 years—it’s made a global of
distinction,” Blake says. “On top of that, I get to make my morning ‘slop,’ as I call it.”
That “slop” contains a wide variety of dietary supplements donated by way of Dog Krazy and Guinn.
“For instance, I have probiotics, elderberry, [cannabidiol] CBD oils, wet food, chicken broth; it all really helps dogs who may have upset stomachs, kennel cough, or old dogs with arthritis from sitting in a shelter somewhere for so long. I have endless pumpkin lattes, which solve diarrhea issues,” Blake says.
Monetary fundraising is some other get advantages. And will have to a particular want rise up, Guinn is at the in a position.
“If we have a dog that needs surgery and I’m trying to gather funds, she’ll either post it on her Facebook page or will write a check,” Blake says.
With Piglet eternally in Guinn’s center, bulldogs arriving at the rescue take a particular position.
“We have two bulldogs right now that Nancy is taking care of. They both need eye surgery and have arthritis,” Blake says. “She has them on a top-notch food and goat’s milk, [and] sends nose and eye wipes and special cream to make them comfortable before their upcoming surgery.”
Blake is passionate about Dog Krazy’s award for impartial spirit.
“Nancy has changed Fredericksburg—she works with people and their pets, and they’re not taking their dogs to the vet as often for medication,” Blake says. “People love their dogs, and she’s educated them to step it up a bit. She definitely jumped off the ledge and went for it.”
