47. Bubbles, Luxury and Joyful Innovations for Pets

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00:00:00:05 - 00:00:14:20
Voice Over
Pets add life. Your guide to the latest in pet trends, products and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonifati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV.

00:00:14:22 - 00:00:27:16
Chris
All right, welcome to another episode of the Pal podcast. I am Chris Bonifati joined, as always by the intelligent and inspirational Kristen Levine. Kristen, how are you doing today?

00:00:27:22 - 00:00:30:27
Kristen
I'm doing great. Chris. You look great in that argyle sweater.

00:00:31:02 - 00:00:52:00
Chris
I know if anybody's watching on video, I'm really I'm I'm entering my Mister Rogers era. Yeah. I guarantee I guarantee you my wife. I hope she doesn't even need to see the video to know what sweater we're talking about, because I've been wearing it around the house has, like, a cozy way too much. And today I have a little bit of a cold, so.

00:00:52:00 - 00:01:03:16
Chris
Pardon the voice, but I decided I'm just going to wear the coziest thing I have into the studio today. So that's. That's all part of radical self-care right there. Dress well, test well.

00:01:03:18 - 00:01:08:06
Kristen
Tulips. Wearing her sweater this morning, too, because it's ten degrees outside here.

00:01:08:08 - 00:01:11:05
Chris
And what it's worth up here.

00:01:11:07 - 00:01:13:00
Kristen
I know. Is that crazy?

00:01:13:03 - 00:01:37:10
Chris
Yeah. That is I don't get it. That's insane. Well, keep tulip nice and warm and cozy. As we coast through another amazing episode, we are going to be interviewing two great guests, talking about two interesting stories, recommending two awesome products. And at the end of it all, we're going to answer two of your burning questions. That's right, your questions from the audience.

00:01:37:10 - 00:01:41:06
Chris
So, Kristen, anything else before we get started?

00:01:41:09 - 00:01:57:28
Kristen
No, just a reminder. We drop new shows every Tuesday. So it's literally a two for two for two for two for Tuesday. And yeah, shared. Please share the podcast with your friends, your pet loving friends, of course. And, if you haven't checked us out on video yet, you can find us on YouTube.

00:01:58:00 - 00:02:10:10
Chris
Find us on YouTube. There's a dog TV fast channel that's going to be coming out all sorts of ways to get this amazing hi. Guessing you know what I'm going to say, Kristen? Share this with your pet hating friends to turn them into lovers. Turn them into lovers.

00:02:10:16 - 00:02:11:07
Kristen
If they hate.

00:02:11:09 - 00:02:20:10
Chris
Right, they hate animal person. Yeah, let them listen to us and we're going to change that tune right around. But without further ado, let's go ahead and get this story. Storytime

00:02:20:12 - 00:02:25:01
Voice Over
Kristen and Chris present storytime.

00:02:25:04 - 00:02:36:18
Kristen
All right, Chris, I've got a story free. What kind of a story is more of like a news flash? Let me ask you this question the first, though, how often do you get great customer service?

00:02:36:20 - 00:02:41:24
Chris
Well it depends. I feel like nowadays not very often.

00:02:41:27 - 00:02:47:18
Kristen
Right? Right. It's not very often day and age when it's the exception, not the norm, unfortunately.

00:02:47:18 - 00:02:58:11
Chris
Yeah. I feel like when I go to a restaurant I'm taking well taken care of nowadays. But any retail environment online or brick and mortar, it's been trying.

00:02:58:14 - 00:03:22:08
Kristen
Yeah. Well, I've got some really good news for you because I stumbled across this story, that revealed that some of our favorite pet retailers, both brick and mortar and online, just won some top honors for great customer service. So this. Yeah, this is a, it's called the America's Best customer Service list of 2025. So you might want to check that out for not just for pet, but for, you know, the other businesses that you patronize.

00:03:22:10 - 00:03:42:11
Kristen
They surveyed about 28,000 customers and they wanted to know where these customers received consistently exceptional customer service. This was done by Newsweek and a research firm called Statista. So would you like to take a guess at some of the brick and mortar, pet retailers? They got top honors.

00:03:42:13 - 00:03:51:08
Chris
Yeah, I could take a stab. I'm going to go with out of the, Seattle Tacoma area. Mud Bay.

00:03:51:10 - 00:03:53:11
Kristen
Nope. They weren't on their mud bay.

00:03:53:11 - 00:04:07:01
Chris
Step up. How about how about in, global pet Expos back yard, over 200 retail locations. Flagship store in Orlando, Florida Wolfgang bakery.

00:04:07:04 - 00:04:10:19
Kristen
Oh, no, no, let me just get me.

00:04:10:19 - 00:04:12:02
Teddy
I'm. I'm messing it all up.

00:04:12:06 - 00:04:12:24
Chris
Give me a few.

00:04:12:24 - 00:04:25:07
Kristen
Are totally screwing up. Okay. Number one was Pet Supplies Plus followed by Tractor Supply. Really? By. Yeah. Followed by Bentley's pet stuff, which, originated out of Chicago, I believe.

00:04:25:07 - 00:04:29:29
Chris
Yeah, that would have been a guess. Maybe 5 or 6 down the line.

00:04:30:01 - 00:04:46:06
Kristen
Yeah. PetSmart. And then number five was Pet Supermarket. So. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I mean, I won't I won't make any comments there, but I had had really great customer service at some of those. All right. And then for online retailers, chewy took number one.

00:04:46:06 - 00:04:47:20
Chris
Yeah. Chewy is amazing.

00:04:47:22 - 00:05:04:14
Kristen
Their incredible pet care. X18 hundred Petmeds PetSmart online and one 800 pet Supplies plus. So if you guys are looking for a new place to spend your pet dollars and you want some excellent customer service, check some of those places out there.

00:05:04:15 - 00:05:26:15
Chris
That's great. There we go. Good customer service in the pet industry. I've got a story here, too. Little different a little different tact here. But I think it's important to talk about, did you know, Christine, that cats can get sick with the avian flu?

00:05:26:18 - 00:05:28:20
Kristen
Really? No, I not don't.

00:05:28:23 - 00:05:54:08
Chris
And there's a few precautions that you can take. A if you have a little bird hunter, during flu season, might be best to keep them inside, because that's the number one way they're going to get it be if you feed your cat any sort of a raw diet that is your tree based, I would avoid it right now just because bird flu is is running through its paces.

00:05:54:10 - 00:06:20:18
Chris
And finally, if you, treat any meat out of the refrigerator, whether it's deli turkey or, you know, little cut up pieces of chicken breast, make sure that it's cooked. Yeah, do all those things because the cat's not going to get bird flu from a person. It's got to get it directly from a bird. So if you're sick with avian flu, don't feel like you have to, like, isolate from your cat.

00:06:20:18 - 00:06:44:17
Chris
That would be miserable. That'd be the worst thing that could ever happen to you. They have to get it directly from the bird. Similar to the way people get it. So just take those few precautions. Last thing you want is for your cat to get sick. There is a report out of Oregon, that a, domesticated cat did pass away from the avian flu, which is really, really sad.

00:06:44:20 - 00:06:52:24
Chris
And now that is atypical. They usually don't, pass, but the flu could be nasty. And not all, you.

00:06:52:27 - 00:06:58:27
Kristen
If you have an older cat or cat with a compromised immune system. Yeah, absolutely. That's a that's a I'm glad you brought that up, because.

00:06:58:28 - 00:07:06:18
Chris
Precisely. So, stay safe out there and, keep your kids away from those gross birds.

00:07:06:20 - 00:07:07:27
Kristen
They're not gross.

00:07:07:29 - 00:07:13:02
Chris
Sometimes they are. They're not always. If you keep a bird in your house, that's the virus.

00:07:13:08 - 00:07:13:21
Kristen
That's mess.

00:07:13:22 - 00:07:22:14
Chris
But the the pigeons and seagulls that I see in the Costco parking lot. Okay, like, those birds are gross. And I'm not afraid to say that on this pet.

00:07:22:19 - 00:07:24:18
Kristen
Right, right. And they're rude.

00:07:24:18 - 00:07:39:19
Chris
Do they are? Yeah. I saw this little clip, on TikTok where somebody went to the, like, a beach restaurant, and they were complaining to the waiter that seagulls were bothering them. And the waiter just handed them a spray bottle and said, defend yourself.

00:07:39:20 - 00:07:57:15
Kristen
That's funny. You know, when I, I live when I lived in Florida, I had first just moved there and I went to Clearwater Beach one day by myself, and I went to the little snack bar, and I bought a sandwich or something. And I'm sitting there on the beach, holding my sandwich in my hands, and the seagulls just they swoop down and steal your sandwich.

00:07:57:15 - 00:08:04:22
Kristen
And I was I was new to the area. So, you know, everybody around me is laughing like, yeah. You learn the hard way.

00:08:04:24 - 00:08:08:27
Voice Over
Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionals.

00:08:08:27 - 00:08:15:15
Kristen
All right. Our first guest today is John. Oh, you know what? I forgot to ask how to pronounce the name John. Is it John reader or writer?

00:08:15:18 - 00:08:16:14
John
It's writer. Yeah.

00:08:16:16 - 00:08:42:27
Kristen
John. Writer. You are affectionately known as the Bubble Man. And you're in Saint Louis and you're the creative force behind Atomic Bubbles. This is a brand that's revolutionized, revolutionizing the joy of play for both pets and people. Now, John's unique bubble brewery. I mean, how cool is that to have a bubble brewery? Give me a break. They crab pet safe, allergen free bubbles that entertain pets while promoting activity and well-being.

00:08:43:03 - 00:09:05:16
Kristen
Now John's bubble creations are more than just fun. They're actually a tool for healthier, happier pets and owners. We're going to talk to him about that and from the rise of his bubble buzz like the Bubble Brewery wasn't cool enough, there's a bubble buzz to the global success of these Pepsi Bubbles. And John's journey is nothing short of bubble licious.

00:09:05:16 - 00:09:14:18
Kristen
So with over a decade of innovation, John's shown how something as simple as bubbles can be therapeutic and transformative. Thank you so much for joining us today, John.

00:09:14:21 - 00:09:18:25
John
Wow, that's a wonderful intro. Can I get can I can I use that?

00:09:18:27 - 00:09:19:15
Chris
It's yours.

00:09:19:15 - 00:09:29:03
Kristen
It's all you. It's all about you. And you know first question of course, is what the heck inspired you to create atomic bubbles? And for.

00:09:29:04 - 00:09:51:00
John
Boomers. Yeah. You know what? It's it's a journey that's been two decades in the making. Truly, I'm an entrepreneur. By by spirit, I, you know, I think, something like that is just an aid in someone. And I can no longer fight it. So I gave in to it. Many years ago, I found, a product that was called Techno Bubbles.

00:09:51:00 - 00:10:20:09
John
And a gentleman had invented a bubble that glowed under black light. Okay. And I thought that was fascinating. I thought, wow, this dude has got these crazy bubbles. And I love light. I love neon signs and stuff. So anything with color captivated me. I ordered some and by golly, they worked as advertised. Long story short, my wife and I, bought the the formulas, patents and trademarks too, that that bubble product and and started marketing it.

00:10:20:12 - 00:10:26:11
John
And, that is how this whole crazy bubble journey started some 20 plus years ago.

00:10:26:13 - 00:10:38:27
Chris
I love that's awesome. Yeah, I love it. But I gotta ask because in that intro I heard the term bubble buzz and you got to tell me. You got to tell me about the bubble bus. What's that all about?

00:10:39:00 - 00:10:59:24
John
So again, another wonderful happening that, I don't know if that's. And I'm like, what? My lovely wife, who's helped me in business throughout my career, ever thought of. But we started doing bubble events just to advertise these crazy glow bubbles. Okay, so nobody knew that bubbles could glow under the blacklight, so we had to go out and kind of like, advertise.

00:10:59:24 - 00:11:22:00
John
We had to do events and parties and, and do, you know, we find ourselves driving to local parks at night and setting up black lights in the back of my pickup truck and blowing bubbles and just trying to get the word out. And so what we found from that was people weren't as much interested as the in the glow bubbles as they were in us doing bubble performances.

00:11:22:03 - 00:11:41:05
John
And so we the phone started ringing like, hey, we saw you blowing bubbles in the park the other night. Would you come and do, my kid's birthday party? Will you do our high school mixture? Will you do our college prom? We had concert. We had concert groups, colleges and doing venues. And so it was one of those things that just kind of happened.

00:11:41:05 - 00:11:51:10
John
And hence Bubble Bust was, was, invented. And we franchised that business. And we have, we had 12 busses running in four different states. Right now.

00:11:51:12 - 00:12:00:21
Kristen
Oh, wow. So when did you make the shift to bubbles for pets and how what went into making sure those bubbles were safe for pets?

00:12:00:24 - 00:12:23:06
John
Right. Great question. So during pandemic, we were in the event business and with Bubble Blast, that was our main livelihood. And when when all all gathering stopped, we found ourselves in a spot of making going bankrupt. Right. A local manufacturer, hired us to bottle his hand sanitizer because we had the bottling equipment to do so.

00:12:23:08 - 00:12:42:27
John
So we learned how to bottle things quickly and efficiently and safely coming out of pandemic. We were at a dinner party and a friend of mine who's a big dog person said jokingly, John, if you could come up with a bubble for dogs and cats, I think you sell a lot of them. And that's when the light bulb moment went off in my head.

00:12:42:27 - 00:13:09:00
John
And it's like the next day I'm on the internet, googling who who makes them, who sells them, how safe are they? And, and found out that they were being made. They were very low quality, and people were leery of their safety because most of them were being made overseas. Okay. So that's how, again, someone kind of gave me the idea and we ran with it and, and, that's that's how we got into the pet bubble industry.

00:13:09:02 - 00:13:29:04
Chris
That's awesome. Yeah. I think it's just such a clever idea. And sometimes the best ideas came out of that dreadful pandemic. Right. But I want to talk a little bit about, you know, some of the more therapeutic findings you've had now that you've kind of experienced, this whole thing and having folks, sort of play with their animals.

00:13:29:06 - 00:13:43:27
Chris
So, you mentioned that bubbles can contribute to, the well-being of physical and mental health for pets. So can you talk a little bit about that? And how this form of play can be beneficial towards their health?

00:13:43:29 - 00:14:05:02
John
Right. Well, you know, being a bubble man, that I am, whether I'm, doing bubbles for humans or for pets, you know, the main the main reason for doing that when I first started was for enjoyment and pleasure. Right. It's it's it's it's just making a gathering fun. And, making people smile, laugh and have a memory.

00:14:05:04 - 00:14:33:14
John
What we quickly found out with, with the pet bubbles is that people were really. They were they were contacting us saying, wow, this is really become a great way for me to interact with my dog. You know, like, maybe, maybe the, you know, the, you know, the dog or cat had become bored with, like the typical toys, or the person maybe elderly is, is is not in the same capacity where they can go play fetch with their dog.

00:14:33:17 - 00:14:59:09
John
So we found that people were reaching out to us saying, hey, you know, this is a great way for us to interact with our dogs is a great way for my dogs to get exercise. And, in the elderly group, we've, we've we've really started trying to advertise that this is a great way for, next generation folks to continue to have interaction with their dogs, whether they're, housebound or if they're in a walker, cane wheelchair or something like that.

00:14:59:12 - 00:15:07:02
John
You know, you can still play fetch with your animal, but this way it's just through blowing bubbles. It's, you know, it's not tough for that person to do.

00:15:07:05 - 00:15:30:29
Kristen
Yeah. And and to that point, it's also great for older pets that are have lost mobility and perhaps, pets that are obese or overweight who need that exercise. But, you know, maybe they're not as, you know, active as, as they could be if they'd lost some weight. So I love, like, this whole spectrum of, of usefulness for these fun bubbles.

00:15:31:01 - 00:15:56:18
John
Right. You know, Gina dial a gal that works with us. She's an amazing I know, Gina. Yeah. You know. Yes. She's been in the industry forever. We were fortunate enough to have her join our team, last year, and, she's she's just a wealth of knowledge, and she's always feeding me all this great information, but she had sent me something about the, you know, the growing problem of of of, pet obesity.

00:15:56:21 - 00:16:18:02
John
And just to give you some stats, like 59% of dogs and 61% of cats are considered obese through the, association of, you know, pet obesity prevention. I had no idea, truly, that that kind of floored me that, you know, I knew that in humans, we have a long way to go as far as as as being more healthy.

00:16:18:09 - 00:16:43:11
John
But I had no idea it was so prevalent in the pet, in the pet population. So, we tried to work our products into not only being fun and exciting and and playful, but also, hey, can we get these pets moving again? Or get them interested in, getting out there and running around, whereas maybe they become lethargic or just just interested in, you know, the modern, you know, the modern stuff.

00:16:43:11 - 00:16:45:09
John
They've been playing with.

00:16:45:11 - 00:16:46:09
Kristen
Yeah, I think.

00:16:46:12 - 00:16:51:09
Chris
That's that's yeah. Bubble therapy. That's awesome. It's like physical therapy, but way more fun.

00:16:51:11 - 00:16:52:21
Teddy


00:16:52:24 - 00:17:14:12
Chris
So can you talk a little bit about some of the, in a more general aspect, some of the challenges that both, senior people and senior pets face when trying to engage in physical activities? And, you know, you sort of already explained how your products help, but you've obviously got a mind for this kind of stuff.

00:17:14:12 - 00:17:25:19
Chris
So when you're trying to put together, let's say, a holistic plan on how a, a senior, pet parent and their senior pet, can be more healthy, what would sort of go into that plan?

00:17:25:22 - 00:17:52:17
John
Right. You know, I think for anyone, simplicity is number one, right? I mean, making it simple, making it, obtainable. So making it simple, making it affordable. And making something that little to no skill level is necessary. Okay. So, there are many products that probably fit that, you know, that would check those boxes, but I think within bubbles, it is it's it's super easy.

00:17:52:17 - 00:18:13:05
John
Everybody, knows how to blow bubbles, right? They are affordable. And, you know, being able to interact with your pet by, you know, by doing that, you know, I think holistically, it doesn't need to get any more than that, you know, you can introduce so you can use bubbles in bubble guns.

00:18:13:05 - 00:18:30:00
John
You've all seen the kids toys that, you know, you know, that fire out multitudes of bubbles. They even have bubble machines too, that do that same thing. You can put those on remote control. Last year, Global pet, we saw awesome enticement tools where, dogs would run, and they push a button and they'd get a reward.

00:18:30:00 - 00:18:48:02
John
Right. And so many people came to my booth and said, you need to have that button turn on a bubble machine for a couple seconds. So that's that's the reward, right? And that's a dangerous thing to talk about because I'm gonna I'm gonna remember that out of the everybody I met at the show, I remember that guy.

00:18:48:03 - 00:18:49:17
Kristen
He's working on it.

00:18:49:19 - 00:19:17:14
John
Right. You know, but I think it's it's, you know, to your point is, is if you can just keep it easy, keep it simple. You know, I think people miss that interaction with their pets. So, you know, just say an elderly person used to get down and and roll on the ground with their pet, or rub their tummy or, or play fetch or, maybe their dog used to sit in their lap or, you know, whatever it is, it's that human, you know, manage that touch.

00:19:17:16 - 00:19:35:16
John
And I think that the bubbles just become another medium, for that. And sometimes they have to be introduced a couple times. I won't say that every dog that, first, you know, has our pet bubbles blown in front of them does backflips, because sometimes you have to, although there are some that do.

00:19:35:23 - 00:19:55:08
John
Sometimes you have to. Just like a new, you know, like playing fetcher, introducing a new toy. You know, you have to, have a couple sessions with them and, like, one of my own dogs at home. One loves it. One just looked at me like I'm crazy. Like, what do you do? So, did I answer your question?

00:19:55:08 - 00:19:56:08
John
I'm not sure.

00:19:56:11 - 00:20:00:16
Chris
You. Absolutely. You did an astounding plus.

00:20:00:18 - 00:20:24:17
John
Okay. Yeah. And I, you know, and I think the other thing that is wonderful about, at least a products that we've, you know, you know, brought about is the, the ascent and the scent enticement is, the scent enticement is amazing. Yeah. Let me take these out of my,

00:20:24:19 - 00:20:26:04
Kristen
You need this?

00:20:26:06 - 00:20:46:09
John
Yeah. The scent enticement is is wonderful. So, you know, the bubble is this playful thing. Cats really go nutty for the bubbles. But when you put that other, you know, when you put that other sensory item in there where it smells like peanut butter or bacon or pumpkin or apple pie, or for our Katy's catnip. I mean, boy, that just kind of blows it up.

00:20:46:09 - 00:20:59:23
John
And they're thinking, whoa, what's this? And then and then that's a second form of, you know, you're kind of stimulating that sense with them, other than it just being is floating or that they're going to interact with, you know, it's a good one to touch.

00:20:59:25 - 00:21:19:28
Kristen
You know, I gotta congratulate you on such a simple concept that is so much fun and useful. And what I really love about the bubbles is that you have to play with your pet with the bubbles. Unless you could train your dog or cat to blow the bubbles, because a lot of, you know, a lot of the there's a lot of great toys out there that you know, you don't have to participate in the playtime.

00:21:19:28 - 00:21:29:14
Kristen
And it's just it's great for building that human animal bond. So great job, John. And we're excited to see the the bubble buttons. Next.

00:21:29:16 - 00:21:49:17
John
You know, I should add. Yeah, yeah. We are so I did it was interesting last year global. We, we had built this, custom machine that had like eight of eight of the different sense that we were experimenting with and, you know, in our pet line and, and it was really interesting. And the people could just come up and I found, I found that the humans were pushing those buttons.

00:21:49:17 - 00:22:09:02
John
They were they were fine. They were colorful. And I had the sign, you said, please push my buttons, you know, and people thought that was cute. And and they came over and but yeah, you know, I think you're right. I think when you can, get, get the pet owner to, get back interactive with their pet, you know, I know it's a mutual.

00:22:09:02 - 00:22:24:18
John
I mean, it's a mutual love, love connection there, right? And I think sometimes, you know, even sometimes I get tired when I get home and I, you know, it's like you let the dog out and he goes, run. But, you know, that dog's been kind of by himself all day. He wants to get out there and, you know, play with me.

00:22:24:18 - 00:22:25:14
John
With you.

00:22:25:16 - 00:22:42:10
Kristen
Right. Exactly. And it's great stress relief for us, too. I think so, yeah. So it's a home. It's a home run. And we're excited to see what you do next. Jan. So we're we're about a time, out of time. So we're going to let you run and, look forward to the next bubble creation. You come up with.

00:22:42:12 - 00:22:53:23
John
Oh my God, guys, thank you so much. I super appreciate the opportunity. And yeah, just have them find us on the website or online and, yeah, we'd love to introduce them to, puppy love and kitty love bubbles.

00:22:53:25 - 00:22:56:25
Kristen
Awesome, awesome. Thanks for joining us today John.

00:22:56:28 - 00:23:00:27
John
Thank you guys. Love it.

00:23:00:29 - 00:23:08:14
Kristen
Chris, you know how you're talking about this is the year of radical self-care. Yes I think we can add bubble therapy. Yes, that.

00:23:08:16 - 00:23:28:18
Chris
That's already on the list. I'm already on the website. I'm I'm there. I'm just waiting for it to get warmer outside. I feel like the bubbles is more of an outdoor activity. So for those of you enjoying a warmer climate right now, get right on it. For those of you who are like, Kristen and I are bundled up in indoors, add it to the shopping list.

00:23:28:18 - 00:23:33:15
Chris
And as soon as that sun breaks over the Crested Mountains, prepare yourself for bubble time.

00:23:33:17 - 00:23:35:15
Voice Over
Pets, add life,

00:23:35:18 - 00:23:53:04
Chris
and moving right on along our second guests. That's right. Guests, we got a twofer again for you guys today are Teddy to Wheel and Irving Fallis, the visionary co-founders of Happy Tails, the ultimate luxury canine clubbing Tribeca in New York City.

00:23:53:06 - 00:24:16:23
Chris
Dubbed the Soho House for dogs, which is awesome, Happy Tails offers a premium experience for pups and their owners alike. From jungle themed play areas to a dog therapist, psychic and chiropractor, this 10,000 square foot Paradise redefines dog daycare. Teddy and Irving's goal is to provide dogs with the upscale life they deserve, while fostering community for the like minded pet owners.

00:24:16:25 - 00:24:32:23
Chris
With features like dog yoga, birthday parties, gourmet treats, and even bar mitzvahs. Happy Tails is creating an entirely new lifestyle for urban dogs and their humans. Teddy and Irving, thank you so much for joining us today.

00:24:32:25 - 00:24:35:18
Teddy
Thank you for that introduction. That was incredible.

00:24:35:21 - 00:24:51:16
Chris
You're very, very welcome. So I want to just jump right into it by asking, it's such an incredible concept, right? All of you having all of these luxury, upscale things. Where did this idea come from? What inspired you guys to start the Happy Tails business?

00:24:51:18 - 00:25:14:25
Teddy
I guess I'll take that one. About, two years ago or so, I guess we were a whole industry and working in corporate America and wholesale Covid hit. And, a lot of our retailers were on money for these. Irving and I, who grew up in Brooklyn together, looked at each other and, you know, we figured there was a big need and a white space, for dogs, especially in urban areas.

00:25:14:28 - 00:25:37:00
Teddy
We started with, 1994 Dodge Caravan. We went around the house picking up dogs. We started in new Jersey. We made our way to Brooklyn, eventually New York City. And even Miami. And when we saw the need and the success we were having for giving dogs the life that they deserve, we, said, you know what? Why don't we just take a risk here and go for it all?

00:25:37:02 - 00:25:52:01
Teddy
And we opened up, truly our dream place. With proper staff and an elevated experience very different than what we ever see in urban environments. And we're happy to be here, and hopefully we're here to stay for for long.

00:25:52:04 - 00:26:09:29
Kristen
Oh, well, congratulations. I just would love what you're doing. And clearly this is nothing like traditional daycare, for example. So, Irving, maybe you can tell us what some of the amenities are that are kind of over the top for these lucky dogs and their parents.

00:26:10:01 - 00:26:31:27
Teddy
Of course. So, like you were saying, what we're doing here is where we're creating an experience, right? You're not just here to drop off your dog and say, hey, go to daycare. They're walking in the dogs with their mom and dad, whoever it would be. Right. When you walk in, you're going to have someone greeting. You're going to have someone that's going to take you around and show you what we're offering, which is we have self wash stations.

00:26:32:00 - 00:26:53:12
Teddy
We have, coffee bar where the owner could grab a coffee and walk around our retail shop. And like you were saying before, we also have our event space so they could host parties and birthdays. And, if you remember, we're going to have events such as, you know, maybe a CPR class. And we have different ideas for that.

00:26:53:17 - 00:27:03:25
Teddy
So we're creating and we're creating an experience for the owners and the dogs, and that's what we're bringing to this, urban area. That's.

00:27:03:26 - 00:27:23:07
Chris
Oh, that's so cool. What a great concept. And, you know, with so many different things, so many differentiators between your self-regulate daycares, what would you say is, like, the most popular thing that new members, they come in and they're like, wow, I just can't believe you guys have this taken.

00:27:23:10 - 00:27:46:24
Teddy
So I would say the daycare in the back of the house, we have about 3000ft², four rooms. Each of them are themed. We have an agility course, we have a slide in tunnel obstacle course. We have complete trainers that are actually behavior therapists, and they really understand animals. And I think that's what really sets us apart as opposed to some of the other places.

00:27:46:26 - 00:27:48:28
Teddy
And that's the reaction that we get all the time.

00:27:49:00 - 00:28:04:09
Kristen
Yeah, yeah. I think it's so important to have true animal pet experts, you know, in a, in a business like that. So I'm glad to hear that. So what is your how do you how do members become members. Like is there an assessment process or what's entailed.

00:28:04:12 - 00:28:23:27
Teddy
So typically the members, they buy an olive cart single day pass. And once they do so, it usually takes about 2 or 3 times until they typically get comfortable to make sure their dog is actually enjoying themselves. And then pretty much right away, I would say to get the best bang for your buck. They sign up for the membership.

00:28:24:00 - 00:28:44:24
Teddy
Why do they do that? It's because they receive a variety of discounts between boarding, grooming, training, even our retail shop, we give them free self wash. We give them free cafe access. So I think, the membership model is really what we're pushing towards and where we're seeing, most of our sales. And to go off that, it's, we're trying to create a community.

00:28:44:24 - 00:28:59:27
Teddy
We want the dog owners to meet each other. We want them to join the membership. So we have these events are all meeting each other. We've already had that happen where two dogs, that are back, there are best friends and the owners now connected. So I think it's like a beautiful process that we're seeing.

00:29:00:00 - 00:29:25:14
Chris
Yeah. Only in the, in today's millennial world are parents becoming friends because their dogs are friends. I used to be kids, but yeah, I suppose dogs are doing that now. So I want to talk about a little bit about your decision making process because you guys, I mentioned in the intro things like a dog psychic and a chiropractor and obviously on a membership subscription basis, you can't just have everything available.

00:29:25:14 - 00:29:40:07
Chris
You guys have to consider, you know, what's going to be most valuable. So, how do you guys think in terms of, oh, we really need to add this feature or this type of person into, our business?

00:29:40:09 - 00:30:02:01
Teddy
I think it's really a trial and error, theme for us. We had a launch event with a variety of influences. We had fi collars covered. Do laser, engrave collars. We offer that to our members. We did another event for Christmas holidays. You know, we had, Brooklyn based company called, all these ice cream com we offer, you know, ice cream.

00:30:02:01 - 00:30:21:05
Teddy
So it's really like the humanization of pets offering a lot of human services for pets. That's what we see. You know, the world's coming to. And as you know, in that millennial, era, we see a lot of it. And we're and it's always new ideas. It doesn't have to always be a chiropractor. Like I was saying before, our events are always going to have something new, something different.

00:30:21:05 - 00:30:34:04
Teddy
So we're always trying to come up with new ideas and, you know, doing our research, looking around and really trying to create this experience that you don't see around where we have all these new events and all these new ideas that are coming to the door.

00:30:34:06 - 00:30:39:13
Kristen
Yeah, that's an it's a great way to test to see what's going to be really popular too, right?

00:30:39:16 - 00:30:39:24
Teddy
Yeah.

00:30:39:24 - 00:31:00:27
Kristen
I said that, you know, one of my when I was reading about, Happy Tails, before the show, I was so jealous because I live in this very small little mountain town in western North Carolina, and our options are rather limited. But there's a couple doggie daycares that I have tried, and they're they're nice, but there's no like, you're like, you're talking about that.

00:31:00:27 - 00:31:19:29
Kristen
You're emphasizing the, the community component. Like, I'd like to stay and watch my dog play sometimes, or I like to show up early, you know, to pick her up and see what she's doing. So I really love that human component. And, would you say that that is the number one differentiator or are there more? Obviously there's several.

00:31:19:29 - 00:31:23:09
Kristen
But is that the top differentiator for you?

00:31:23:11 - 00:31:41:20
Teddy
I would definitely say it's it's a main one. Because like I was saying before, we had people meet each other sitting by the bar, which is behind us, talking to each other, watching their dogs play. You don't get that anywhere else in the city. So yeah, it's definitely a big factor. I mean, it that's why right there by the bar, we also have the coffee bar.

00:31:41:27 - 00:31:52:07
Teddy
So they're going to grab a coffee. They're going to go sit and watch their dogs. They're going to talk to each other. And yeah like I said it's creating a community. And it's it's also.

00:31:52:09 - 00:31:57:06
Chris
Yeah. And starting a business in New York City is let's just say it's tough.

00:31:57:09 - 00:31:57:19
Kristen
You guys are.

00:31:57:20 - 00:31:58:15
Chris
Pretty.

00:31:58:17 - 00:31:58:26
Kristen
Brave.

00:31:58:26 - 00:32:19:05
Chris
Yeah. Plenty of superlatives to go go with that. So, you know, we may have some listeners who are thinking of starting their own business or their own, you know, pet oriented or business in the pet space. Do you have any advice for someone ponerse who may be looking to get whether it's into, you know, pet retail or pet services?

00:32:19:07 - 00:32:21:21
Chris
How they could be successful?

00:32:21:24 - 00:32:43:06
Teddy
I beat them over the permit. There was a lot to go into it. I think she's perfect into this because it's it's a process. I would just say, listen, we're we're actually we're New Yorkers, you know, so we're chaotic by nature. We kind of, thrive in chaos. But I would just say this, it's a it's an ever changing world, especially now at times we've seen what, Uber did with car services.

00:32:43:06 - 00:33:00:26
Teddy
We see what Airbnb did with rentals. We see what Grubhub did with, delivery services. I think the moral of the story is you really have to go for it, you know, and follow your vision. And as cheesy as it sounds, because who knows what the next ten years is going to look like in our world, whether it's robotics, whether it's and to us, our big bet is pets.

00:33:00:26 - 00:33:15:03
Teddy
We think that's going to be our next, you know, epidemic in our in our sense. So I would just say go for it. And not to even think straight people will tell you you're crazy. Don't do it. Don't quit your job. I would just say go for it. Don't even think twice.

00:33:15:05 - 00:33:27:08
Kristen
Great advice for entrepreneurs. Well, you're off to a great start. And, hey, if you if I come to New York City and just want to visit, can I just hang out in the cafe?

00:33:27:10 - 00:33:29:17
Teddy
Absolutely. Any time.

00:33:29:20 - 00:33:33:09
Kristen
I'll bring my husband because he grew up in Brooklyn, too. He'll love you guys.

00:33:33:11 - 00:33:36:15
Teddy
There we go. Thank you.

00:33:36:18 - 00:33:43:16
Kristen
Well, thank you so much for joining us today. Best of luck with Happy Tails. And, I'm I'm coming. I'm going to come visit, I swear. Yeah.

00:33:43:16 - 00:33:46:09
Teddy
We'll see you there. Thank you guys.

00:33:46:11 - 00:33:48:06
Chris
Thank you guys. Take care.

00:33:48:09 - 00:33:51:08
Teddy
Take care.

00:33:51:10 - 00:34:11:02
Chris
Have you seen Home Alone two? The one where he's stuck in New York and he is at, like, the Plaza Hotel. And it's just, like, the best day ever for him as this kid with his dad's credit card in the Plaza Hotel. And he gets the pizza delivered, and he goes to the little spa that that is what I'm envisioning.

00:34:11:02 - 00:34:21:24
Chris
The dogs lives are like every day when they go to Happy tails is just like, that's all the right things. It's always vacation. Heck, I mean, I might go on vacation there. That's pretty nice.

00:34:21:27 - 00:34:22:28
Kristen
Yeah, you guys are awesome.

00:34:22:28 - 00:34:28:27
Chris
When you come up to New York, that is going to be where wherever you guys drop tulip off for sure.

00:34:28:29 - 00:34:31:02
Voice Over
The product of the week.

00:34:31:05 - 00:35:06:09
Chris
All right, it's time for the pup pup pup. A product of the. We don't. All right, enough of that. You're staring me. I've I've got a product here, Kristen, that I chose. Really? Because the brand itself is, really focused on, sustainability and fair trade. So the brand is called cost, and that's cost yon, and they make all sorts of dog and cat toys.

00:35:06:09 - 00:35:31:20
Chris
They really specialize in, looking at this, it's like textiles. So they have a few different kinds of products. They have vegan leather, harnesses and leashes. So for those of you who don't know, vegan leather is just like pleather. It's like it looks and feels like leather. It doesn't come from a cow. They've got linen, bandanas, linen toys, cotton and linen, pet beds.

00:35:31:23 - 00:36:01:09
Chris
And when they use wood, they use, like, 100% pine or cedar. So the toys at the end of the day are almost entirely biodegradable. They even sometimes, use non polyester stuffing, though sometimes they, they are using the polyester stuffing. But compare that to some of the plastic that exists in the pet industry. And the amount of plastic between the packaging, the toy itself, all of the inserts and twist ties.

00:36:01:15 - 00:36:28:17
Chris
I think it's important to sometimes support brands who are trying to think of ways to deliver an excellent product, while thinking about sustainability. And these products aren't crazy expensive. They're they're more expensive, obviously, than, stuffing you're going to go grab at like, Walmart. But, compared to other, let's say, premium brand, toys, you know, like your zippy paws and kinds and stuff like that.

00:36:28:19 - 00:36:50:10
Chris
They're on the, about at the same price level at 20, around that $20 range. So if you're like me, you care about this planet. Do you care about this planet? Check it out. Link to one of the products that I really liked, which was this little whale dog toy. And it's like, it's stitched in such a cute, kind of, like, minimalistic way.

00:36:50:10 - 00:36:57:10
Chris
I really liked it. So that link is going to be in the show notes, but check out their entire site for some really awesome sustainable pet products.

00:36:57:12 - 00:37:03:26
Kristen
Oh, I'm going to check them out. That sounds like sounds cool. And every dog needs a cute stitched whale toy.

00:37:03:28 - 00:37:06:03
Chris
Yes.

00:37:06:05 - 00:37:30:13
Kristen
So my product of the week is, This is from a brand I think I might have featured a product of the week from this brand before, because I'm in love with it. It's called Kind Tail k I and I l I just love this brand because of their esthetic. And they create things for your pet home that are beautiful and very functional, which is is not new.

00:37:30:13 - 00:37:53:21
Kristen
I mean, it's a trend that's been happening for, you know, probably a decade or so. But I don't know, it just gets this warm, fuzzy feeling when I go to their website. And I discovered they have a new crate. It's called a pod. And essentially it's a modern dog crate that is collapsible, so you can carry it from room to room or take it on a trip with you or what have you.

00:37:53:23 - 00:38:20:25
Kristen
And they come in these beautiful colors like, you know, just plain white, of course. Gray, like a pastel green, a pastel pink, blue. Just really pretty colors. Now they only make them in two sizes for small and medium dogs at this point. But but I did want to mention a word about crates, because a lot of times when I talk to pet parents about crates, sometimes they kind of like scrunch up their face and they say, oh, that's so cruel.

00:38:20:25 - 00:38:40:09
Kristen
I'd never put my dog in a in a cage. And I think crates need a like they need a PR team or something because they need a rebrand. It's it's more like a little cozy nest in, you know, crates, when they're used properly, are a really great tool for dogs. They provide, like a safe, cozy space that mimics a den.

00:38:40:09 - 00:39:01:23
Kristen
And dogs are naturally den animals. So anyway, but they just have these beautiful crates. And the other cool thing is you can customize the inside with a with they have a couple different options. You can get more of a standard crate pad that's very soft and cushy, but they also have a lounger calming bed that slots right into the crate.

00:39:01:27 - 00:39:23:28
Kristen
And it's got a bolster and it's very cozy. And, you know, probably a premium product. It's not inexpensive. I think the, small 199 bucks. But if you're looking for something beautiful for your home, maybe you just got a new dog or a new puppy over the holidays, and you need a crate for crate training, this will be a great brand to check out.

00:39:24:00 - 00:39:51:25
Chris
That's great. And yeah, to your point about crates needing a rebrand, I know a few, dogs who's preferred solo hang spot is their crate. Now they'll go drag a blanket into their crate and go lay down there when they don't want to be bothered, and they have no problem getting into the crate when somebody when they go to the grocery store or, you know, sleeping at night so that they won't bother the cat.

00:39:51:25 - 00:40:05:17
Chris
That's why one of the dogs was crate trained so that they didn't chase the cat around at night and wake everybody up. But now, like, once you once you make it cozy for them, a lot of dogs will just find their way in there on their own.

00:40:05:20 - 00:40:22:14
Kristen
Oh, absolutely. And you can just leave the door open to the crate and they'll go in there on their own. Yep. I think, you just have to be. You don't ever want to use the crate as punishment. You know, just use it with positive reinforcement, with treats or toys or what have you. And yeah, you're right.

00:40:22:18 - 00:40:25:01
Kristen
They, they love it.

00:40:25:04 - 00:40:27:06
Voice Over
Q and A's.

00:40:27:09 - 00:40:29:02
Kristen
What do we do next?

00:40:29:04 - 00:40:30:17
Chris
We do questions. We answer.

00:40:30:17 - 00:40:30:28
Kristen
Questions.

00:40:31:06 - 00:40:52:13
Chris
From our audience. We. And that's what we do. I think, we answer, we answer questions from our audience. So I know, my lovely, lovely pal listeners, what you are thinking is how do I get my question answered by Chris and Kristen? Well, I have good news for you. You can head on over to Pets Add Life.

00:40:52:15 - 00:41:17:17
Chris
That's ad with two days see a lot of people put in one day and then get confused. Pets add life as an addition. Pets at life.org/podcast. Scroll on down to the bottom of that page. You'll see a form to submit your question or if you are feeling as brave as a dog all cozied up in their nest little crate, you could record a voice memo.

00:41:17:20 - 00:41:41:21
Chris
And in our last couple episodes, you heard some of those voice memos, and they came in real good. So, keep them coming, so that we can continue to hear your lovely voices and answer your questions. But without further ado, let's get into today's questions. Our first question for you here, Chris. And it's coming from Mark in Denver, Colorado.

00:41:41:21 - 00:42:05:22
Chris
Thank you. Mark, I suppose you asked it to both of us because the expert on this kind of stuff, Chris, but you said hi Chris and Kristen. My dog Bella recently got over kennel cough. Sorry Bella, and I'm worried about preventing it in the future. What are the best ways to protect her from respiratory illnesses? Like see I RDC especially when she's around other dogs.

00:42:05:24 - 00:42:18:05
Kristen
Okay, that's a great question. A first of all, I'm glad Bella's feeling better. Mark said that she was just gotten over it. By the way. See, I rdc, I had to look this up, so. Yeah. Mark. Yes.

00:42:18:08 - 00:42:18:28
Chris
Please.

00:42:19:00 - 00:42:46:06
Kristen
Yeah. This is a question from an educated listener. It stands for canine infectious Respiratory Disease Complex. So basically it's an umbrella term for any contagious respiratory illness in dogs. So that would include kennel cough canine flu or influenza and any other infections that are caused by viruses, viruses and bacteria. So they these all spread really easily in places where dogs congregate.

00:42:46:08 - 00:43:15:10
Kristen
So even though we're doing the show in the winter and maybe there's less mass, smaller crowds at the dog park, people are still, you know, going to doggy daycare and going to the vet and, you know, perhaps boarding their dogs. So it's a good year round question, to help Bella stay healthy, in the future from these, from these highly contagious respiratory illnesses, I would say make sure that you keep her bordetella and canine influenza vaccines up to date.

00:43:15:12 - 00:43:39:18
Kristen
Those are really good for prevention. You'll want to avoid sick dogs if you can. I mean, sometimes we don't know if a dog is sick, but, if you if there are dogs that Bella plays with that are showing signs of illness, you definitely want to avoid that, good hygiene, keep her bowls clean, her bedding clean her toys, and any, any, any areas where she might share spaces with other dogs.

00:43:39:20 - 00:43:54:04
Kristen
And other than that, I would say just, you know, making sure you're feeding her a healthy diet and she's, you know, getting enough exercise so that her immune system is strong. All of those things should prepare Bella to stay healthy. So. Thanks, Mark.

00:43:54:07 - 00:43:59:08
Chris
That's a great question. Great answer. Doctor Kristen.

00:43:59:11 - 00:44:18:03
Kristen
So, Chris, you're going to I'm going to give you a dog question this time. I was going to get a cat questions I'm ready for it. Are you up for it okay. Hi. This is from Jillian in Chicago. So Jillian says, hi, Kristen and Chris, I live in Chicago, and winters here are brutal. She's right, I lived there.

00:44:18:06 - 00:44:29:25
Kristen
I wondering how to keep my dog Max safe and comfortable during our daily walks in the cold. Do you have any tips on POC hair, clothing, or how we should be outside? Or how long we should be outside?

00:44:29:28 - 00:44:53:03
Chris
Yeah, this is a great question. And I'm going to start with the paws, because regardless of the breed or the size or the coat, every dog has very soft, leathery pads on the bottom of their feet. And one thing I know about Chicago is y'all love your road salt over there in Chicago. Yes, it is everywhere.

00:44:53:03 - 00:45:25:11
Chris
It's on the roads. It is on the sidewalks. And that stuff is really, really, really not good for the pads of their feet. So if you have if Max is a younger dog who is still, let's say trainable or amenable to get some booties on, Max, that's the best thing you can do. If Max is anything like all the other dogs I've seen on YouTube and refuses to wear them or starts like doing goofy walks, and it's just not working out, what do you get back from your walk?

00:45:25:14 - 00:45:45:18
Chris
Wash their pads, wash their little paws? And then there's a lot of products out there that are basically like foam, that you could put on and apply, which is going to help re moisturize. It's like getting chapped lips. Imagine having chapped lips like that feeling on the bottom of the feet. Oh that is what you put.

00:45:45:19 - 00:46:04:17
Chris
That's what you're putting your dog through. So, next the cold itself, if you have a husky like they're fine. Right. Like that's, that's obviously thing. But I assume because you're asking this question, you may have a smaller dog or a dog with short hair, in which case get a nice sweater for the dog, like two. It's got a sweater.

00:46:04:20 - 00:46:11:00
Chris
It is okay to dress your dog up. Look at like. Yeah. Here. Here we go. Tulip is making an appearance. It is called.

00:46:11:01 - 00:46:11:12
Kristen
Sweater.

00:46:11:12 - 00:46:31:04
Chris
There. And the Caroline is in. Tulip has a very fashionable, green sweater. So, you know, they make all sorts of great products for dogs of any size, whether it's more of, like an overcoat or a cozy sweater. It is okay to dress your dog. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. And then as far as time goes, if you're cold, they're cold.

00:46:31:06 - 00:46:48:23
Chris
So if you are bundled up and you go out and you've been walking for ten minutes and you feel the chill, they're feeling the chill, wrap it up. It's really good to train your dog to take care of their business on command, so that you could get that out of the way at the beginning of the walk.

00:46:48:29 - 00:47:08:16
Chris
And then everything after that is just enrichment and exercise so that when the cold does hit, you can wrap it up instead of the dog being like, but wait, I need I need 20 more minutes to figure out where exactly I'm going to pay. Which in a city like Chicago can be miserable. So stay warm. Take care of those little pauses.

00:47:08:16 - 00:47:15:24
Chris
Don't be afraid to dress your dog and try to keep it to like 15, 20 minutes. If you're cold, they're cold. Thanks, tulip. You're such.

00:47:15:25 - 00:47:21:18
Kristen
Good advice. Yeah. She is. She loves this sweater so much that when you try to take it off of her, she runs away from you.

00:47:21:20 - 00:47:22:19
Chris
That is she, like.

00:47:22:24 - 00:47:24:29
Kristen
On a day like today. She'll have it on all day.

00:47:25:01 - 00:47:41:24
Chris
That is adorable. And listen, if you're not watching the show, one of the video platforms it's available on, you're missing out. You're missing out on tulip in a in a lovely sweater. I'm not even going to describe it. I'm not going to describe the sweater. You want to see the sweater? You're going to have to watch this on video,

00:47:41:26 - 00:47:43:05
Kristen
Because you're going to want one just like it.

00:47:43:10 - 00:47:48:24
Chris
Yeah, yeah. You're going to want sweaters like Tulip and Chris. That's this is actually become a fashion podcast.

00:47:48:24 - 00:47:49:29
Kristen
Now is the sweater episode.

00:47:50:03 - 00:48:08:29
Chris
This is yeah, this is the sweater. This is the ugly sweater episode of pets add life or fashionable sweater. They're not, we're very fashionable here. But, hey, that just about does it for this week's episode. Don't be sad that it's over. Be happy it happened. Because we're. Hey, we're going to be back next week.

00:48:08:29 - 00:48:30:19
Chris
We're here every Tuesday. It doesn't matter if Chris has a cold or the sky is falling or, the Carolinas are freezing over. We're here. They're here delivering you this awesome content. So, be sure to check right back and follow us on all the socials, comment on all of our pages, interact, recommend this show to a friend.

00:48:30:21 - 00:48:34:06
Chris
Chris. And give give him some ideas on who to recommend it to.

00:48:34:08 - 00:48:59:09
Kristen
No, Rick. Recommend it to your your mom and your besties. Any of your family members who have pets? I got all my family members listening now, your neighbors. And as Chris said earlier in the show, recommend it to your non pet loving friends, too, so that they can see what they're missing out on and they can be converted into pet lovers like us.

00:48:59:12 - 00:49:10:13
Chris
And that's our wrap for today. Remember, it's the year of radical self-care. So be kind to yourself. Be kind of animals and we will see you back here in one week's time. Bye bye.

00:49:10:16 - 00:49:11:12
Voice Over
Pets add life.