The Dog Stop: Redefining All-In-One Pet Care Services

Founded in 2009 by Jesse Coslov and Chris Kane, The Dog Stop has grown into a leading name in the pet care industry. Inspired by thorough research and a deep understanding of what pet owners need, they opened their first location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — which remains the company’s home base today.

In 2014, The Dog Stop launched its franchise program, opening doors for entrepreneurs eager to enter the growing pet care sector.

The brand provides a wide array of services, from dog daycare and overnight boarding to grooming, training, and in-home care. It also features a retail shop stocked with premium pet products. By offering everything under one roof, The Dog Stop delivers convenience and reliability that pet owners can count on.

Training

The Dog Stop provides franchisees with a comprehensive set of training programs designed to ensure operational success:

1. Initial Training Program
   Before opening, The Dog Stop offers a training course for the franchisee and at least two additional managers, covering approximately ten days at a designated training site. This includes classroom and hands-on training in areas such as computer operations, dog behavior, customer service, facility management, grooming, retail operations, and general operations.
2. Onsite Pre-Opening Training
   Franchisees receive up to five days of additional training at their location to assist with opening preparations. This ensures the team is prepared to implement operational standards from day one.
3. Online Employee Training
   All employees, such as handlers and receptionists, must complete online training courses and pass exams before starting employment. This helps maintain consistent service quality across all franchise locations.
4. Refresher Training
   The franchisor offers refresher training courses, which may be designated as mandatory. While no fee is charged for the courses, the franchisee is responsible for related expenses like travel and lodging.
5. Ongoing Guidance and Support
   The Dog Stop provides ongoing operational guidance through its operations manual, bulletins, written materials, emails, phone consultations, and onsite visits when necessary. This support covers topics such as purchasing, advertising, marketing, employee training, and administrative practices.

Territory Protection

The Dog Stop provides its franchisees with a protected territory described in terms of zip codes or geographic boundaries, typically covering at least 40,000 households or 25,000 dogs.

Within this territory, the franchisor agrees not to open or authorize another The Dog Stop location, giving the franchisee a level of local market protection. However, the franchisee is not allowed to directly solicit customers outside of their territory but may serve customers who voluntarily seek their services.

Despite this protection, The Dog Stop retains broad rights to sell products and services through other channels inside and outside the territory, such as online sales, catalogs, fairs, expos, and telemarketing.

The franchisor and its affiliates can also operate or license businesses under different brands, even those offering similar services, both within and beyond the designated territory. Importantly, the franchisee does not receive compensation for sales the franchisor makes through these alternative channels.