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Bootstrapping A 6 Figure Pet Business
How this founder scaled his "show, don’t tell" product
Issue #155
February 17th, 2025
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In today’s newsletter, we chat with Trevor White, the founder of Dogged.
Why did you decide to bootstrap the company? What were the biggest challenges bootstrapping Dogged, and what key decisions helped you scale without outside funding?
We decided to bootstrap dogged to maintain full control and stay agile. Having a lean ownership team—just me and my wife, Taryn—allows us to move quickly and make decisions without layers of approval. Since we’re both accountants, we had the financial knowledge to assess whether we could scale using only our savings. The biggest challenge was always working capital—constantly asking, Do we have enough cash for our next factory order? How do we market effectively on a minimal digital ad budget?
These constraints forced us to get creative and scale sustainably. The biggest factor in our growth was staying true to dogged’s identity, which is deeply personal to us. We’re pet parents who would do anything for our dog, but we also care about design and how things fit into our home. By creating products that were both highly functional and aesthetically thoughtful, we resonated with like-minded pet parents.
This authenticity helped us sell out our first production run of slow feeders within a month, proving that building a brand around real values can be just as powerful as outside funding.
How did you approach designing and iterating on your slow feeders to make them not only stand out but resonate with pet parents?
The best way to resonate with pet parents in product creation is to start by addressing potential objections—why wouldn’t someone want to use this product? Common concerns might be that the product is ugly, that it slides around when dogs are eating, or it traps too much food. We considered these concerns and designed solutions around them. At the same time, Taryn and I find inspiration everywhere.
For fun, we’ll visit tile and hardware stores, exploring geometric patterns that resonate with us. This was a major influence in our latest 3-in-1 slow feeders, where we incorporated two tile-inspired designs that we both love. When it comes to iteration, having co-founders with distinct roles is crucial. I typically develop initial designs and work with suppliers on prototypes, while Taryn steps in later to provide a fresh perspective and feedback. Since she hasn’t been as involved in the early design phase, she can evaluate the product objectively, ensuring it stays aligned with the original problems we set out to solve. This dynamic works really well, keeping our designs both functional and refined.
You started as a reseller and later launched your own products. Why the shift? Can you walk us through the current supply chain?
It all comes back to control. As a reseller, we were never fully in charge of our brand message - or at least, it didn’t feel that way. When we started creating our own products, like treats and slow feeders, we had far more opportunities to share what dogged stands for, rather than relying on other brands to reflect our values. And to be candid, I don’t think I was great at being a reseller. While I had extensive experience with retail brands that created their own products, I didn’t necessarily know how to excel at reselling someone else’s.
Like many fast-growing businesses, our supply chain is always evolving, but we focus on sustainability and scalability. The process starts with product design and development, ensuring that every item—from slow feeders to treats—is functional, aesthetically appealing, and easy to use for both pets and their owners. Our slow feeders are manufactured overseas with a vetted supplier that meets strict quality and safety standards, while our treats are sourced from ethical farms and processed in CFIA- certified facilities in Canada.
We also prioritize eco-conscious packaging for shipping our product, using fully recyclable materials and compostable bags instead of poly mailers. We have now expanded our warehouse twice to keep up with demand and we handle order fulfillment in-house, ensuring quality control while leveraging reliable shipping carriers for global distribution.
What strategies helped you expand into 15 countries and 70+ retailers, and what lessons have you learned about scaling internationally?
Never give up on old-fashioned cold calling. I think we forget to ask folks if they are interested in you and your product. As a founder, I have sent thousands of messages on Instagram saying hello and just introducing myself and the brand (yes, thousands). This is not the most scalable operation as one person but if I am on the platform already, I may as well talk to a variety of retailers while I am there. I have learned so many lessons but the most important has to be go slow with new partnerships.
Don’t rush to make a sale. Ask questions and make sure that you are aligned before working with another business, especially one that is international. Slow and steady relationship building, from first introduction to repeated delivery, has been foundational to growing our business.
Why go into retail instead of focusing 100% on direct-to-consumer?
Slow feeders are a "show, don’t tell" product - it’s incredible to see people pick them up off the shelf, feel the quality, and immediately understand their value. You can tell customers a product is well-made, but there’s still a large segment of pet parents who prefer to shop in independent retailers and experience it firsthand. Retail also provides a valuable feedback loop. While direct-to-consumer customers may not always reach out to us directly, they often go into our retail partners’ stores and ask for things like new colors or design variations - for example, “I’m looking for this in purple.” This kind of real-time feedback is incredibly useful and often easier to gather in a brick-and-mortar setting compared to e-commerce, where those casual, in-person conversations don’t happen as easily.
What current trends are you noticing in the “feeding habits” category?
Fresh is best. As a canine nutritionist, this is my absolute favorite principle. More than ever, I’m seeing even die-hard kibble feeders start to add small amounts of fresh food to their dog’s diet, which makes me so happy. Something as simple as a little unseasoned ground chicken or steamed green beans can be an easy, affordable way to boost nutrition.
For folks who can’t get their hands on fresh food, they have been turning to freeze-dried or dehydrated products as a second best. Herbs. Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is becoming increasingly popular among dedicated dog owners, especially when it comes to using herbs for everyday ailments. Some of my favorites include astragalus (for immune support), slippery elm bark (for gut health), and milk thistle (for liver support).
Rotational feeding. Rotational feeding means switching up your dog’s diet daily or weekly, whether it’s different proteins, food textures, or brands. This approach provides a wider range of nutrients, supports gut health, and reduces the risk of food sensitivities by exposing dogs to a variety of ingredients. It also makes mealtime more exciting, prevents picky eating, and mimics the natural dietary diversity dogs might experience in the wild.
You are a 6 figure at the moment, what steps are you taking to grow that to 7 figures?
Scaling to seven figures means expanding our retail footprint, increasing production capacity, and strengthening our brand authority in the pet space. I am currently in the process of hiring and building a team to help us achieve just that. We’re focused on growing our B2B partnerships, launching new high-demand products, optimizing our digital sales funnels, and leveraging media placements to reach a wider audience. It’s important that we do this in a way where we maintain our strong community engagement that fuels our organic growth.
This is a brand new segment in which we discuss pet health. This week, Marisa Hoskins discusses:
Red Flag Symptoms: Early Warning Signs Pet Parents Often Miss
After years of working with pet parents, I've identified key warning signs that often go unnoticed. Subtle changes in drinking habits, for instance, can signal underlying issues well before obvious symptoms appear. A dog drinking 30% more than usual warrants attention, even without other symptoms.
Changes in sleep patterns also deserve closer monitoring than they typically receive. While many attribute increased sleep to aging, it could indicate pain, particularly in adult dogs under 7 years. I learned this watching Kalinda's subtle behavior shifts before her dramatic health turnaround.
For pet professionals, educating clients about these three often-overlooked warning signs is crucial:
Changes in water consumption patterns
Variations in sleep location preferences
Subtle shifts in treat acceptance behaviors
Early detection of these signs allows for proactive rather than reactive health management, potentially preventing more serious conditions from developing.
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See you Wednesday!