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Barkaholics: just a click and a bark away
by Susan O'Neill
The idea for Erin Erickson and Ken Weisner's business began to take shape slowly after they brought their puppy Loki home.
Loki, what Erickson described as a Yorkshire “terror,” was a mischievous little dog. He wasn't a bad dog; but he did puppy things, such as stealing items and running away with them. He especially liked bottle caps.
“He thought it was a game,” she said.
When Erickson enrolled him in obedience training, she used treats to reward Loki when he did what she asked of him.
“He would do anything to get the treats,” she said.
However, he would often get sick after gobbling up the treats. Erickson said she began looking into what ingredients the various treats included. There was a big difference in what went into the different brands.
She said that many of the lower quality treats include artificial preservatives, byproducts and leftovers, as well as inexpensive fillers, such as corn. She said that because dogs are carnivores, corn is hard for them to digest, and a lot of them are allergic to it.
“I learned to read labels,” Erickson said.
She also found toys that entertained her puppy, keeping him busy for a half an hour or an hour at a time. Hard rubber toys with small openings into which treats can be stuffed make the dog work to get the treat out. These toys, such as the Twist and Treat, provide mental stimulation for high-energy dogs like Loki, who might otherwise chew the furniture.
Loki tends to wolf down his food, which can also make him sick. Erickson found a bowl with rubber appendages that stick up out of the inside of the bowl. Loki has to eat his kibble around the appendages, causing him to slow down. A meal that used to take him 30 seconds to devour takes him two minutes to finish in his Brake Fast bowl.
Erickson said she began to enjoy researching new products for dogs. She learned what worked and what did not.
“People saw how well-trained Loki was, and all the cool toys we had,” Erickson said. “They started asking us for advice.”
But she soon realized that many of the dog products she liked so much were not available locally, or not available in one place. She decided that she could provide a valuable service to dog lovers with a one-stop shopping experience, and build a business doing something that she loved.
She and her husband incorporated Barkaholics in April and launched their website, www.barkaholics.biz, on July 4. They joined the Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce and purchased a spot at the Sugar Grove Farmer's Market this summer. Soon their table became a fun place for dog owners to check out the latest products while they fussed over Loki and the newest member of the household, Sammy.
Loki holds the position of CEO, or Canine Executive Officer. He oversees operations and inspects all the treats. Sammy is the firm's Quality Control Specialist. She tests all the products and gives them her stamp of approval. Erickson said they also rely on independent testers to ensure that the toys and other products are safe.
She said that latex sometimes has lead in it. Although they do sell some products made in China, they make sure they have been tested before they offer them for sale.
“I have learned quite a bit about manufacturers,” she said.
There is also a special section on the website, “Made in the USA”, where all of the products have been made inside the country.
“We also don't carry anything edible from outside the United States,” Erickson said.
Although their dogs are small, Loki and Sammy have many big dog friends, who try out the large dog size versions of what they sell. Most of the products come in four different sizes: large, medium, small and tiny.
Erickson said that since they don't have any overhead or any employees, their prices are extremely competitive.
“I can pass those savings on to the customers,” she said.
During the summer, they handed out samples of different flavored treats, to let the dogs try them and see which ones they liked the most. Erickson said they love getting feedback on the products they offer. Their website has a blog on which customers can post comments about the products they bought, as well as submit pictures of their dogs.
With the farmer's market in hibernation for the winter, Erickson said she hopes their local customers will check out their website and continue to buy from them that way. Currently, half of their online customers are from the local area and Wisconsin, and the other half are from around the country. They also offer a toll-free number from which customers can place orders.
Shipping rates are determined by zip code or distance and weight, although they will deliver to Sugar Grove residents for free, Erickson said. Local customers should expect their orders within one to two days, while it might take three to four days to ship across the country.
“Every order is important to me,” Erickson said.
She works a full-time job at the Kaneland Middle School, but she rushes home every afternoon to take care of orders, Weisner said.
Additional products include grooming supplies, such as a dog shampoo and cream rinse, and other items to help with training. A Tell Bell, which the dog steps on when he wants to go outside, can help to prevent accidents in the house.
They have begun to offer collars and eventually would like to provide a selection of leashes and harnesses, some of which prevent the dog from walking its owner.
“What sets us apart from a retail outlet is the products we carry,” Erickson said. “We only sell products that we would use with our dogs.”
She explained that instead of a wide variety of the same product, they only carry the best. For example, she said the brand of shampoo they sell does not have any soap in it, and includes all natural ingredients. It's not harsh, it doesn't dry out their skin, and it rinses clean.
Sugar Grove resident Pat Graceffa said her dogs love the natural treats. She also appreciates the shampoo and cream rinse, which she said makes her dogs soft and silky, and smell good for weeks after a bath.
Erickson said their best sellers include bully sticks, a rawhide-type of product that is all-natural and safe for dogs, bumper stickers that say “Wag more, bark less,” and Sam's Yams, a form of dehydrated treats.
Another Sugar Grove customer, Ellen Beaulieu, said her family recently took their puppy on a long-distance road trip to North Carolina. She said the supply of bully sticks they brought with them kept the puppy occupied in the car all the way there and back.
“A lot of our products are to fix specific problems,” Erickson said. “They help to make your dog better behaved. We like manners. We like to see dogs stop chewing, walking nicely and smelling good.”
11/02/2007
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