16-Year-Old Brand is a One-Stop Shop for Day Care, Grooming, Training, Boarding and More
Jesse Coslov (above), CEO and founder of The Dog Stop, has built a brand with legs. Each franchise location provides a suite of services for man’s best friend – day care and overnight stays, grooming, training and more. “Every community across the country needs a Dog Stop,” Coslov says. Results bear that out: The Dog Stop franchise has experienced steady growth that’s now being accelerated by the franchise development team at REP’M Group.
Dog Stop’s traction has even surprised Coslov, who launched the business in 2009. “Back then I never expected there to be a second location, let alone the 40-plus currently in operation and more than 15 to open in the coming year. I was just a dog owner who was frustrated with the pet care industry’s standards. I had two dogs with very different needs – one was small and needed lots of grooming and a special diet, and one was large, needing lots of exercise and training. It was difficult for me to find and patronize the four to five different types of dog care providers I needed. Once I did find them, there was zero transparency and terrible customer service, and it was wildly inconvenient to take my dogs to so many different places.”
Enter: The Dog Stop.
How the Brand Excels
The Dog Stop franchise wows customers by delivering on three overriding principles:
- Complete transparency. “I was shocked at how many places would not give me a tour of the facility or areas where my dog would be playing or staying,” Coslov says. “I was told it was against company policy or against insurance regulations, which made me very uneasy. I was even told, ‘I don’t come to your office and ask to see where you do your job, do I?’ I wasn’t going to leave my dogs at any of these places, which were typical of the pet care industry. To fix this, we use cameras showing the dogs playing and staying, with boarding kennel cams. New and existing customers can tour the complete facility any time they want. We have nothing to hide, and in fact we want to show off our operations and facility.”
- Best-in-class customer service. When Coslov was seeking services for his dogs, “customer service wasn’t much better than the transparency. Owners and management of these business continually acted as if it was my honor and privilege to pay them to care for my dogs. At Dog Stop, we’re the ones who feel grateful for the opportunity to care for our customers’ beloved pets. We will never take this tremendous responsibility lightly. We care for every dog as if it were our own. All Dog Stop team members are certified in pet first aid and CPR, and all of our facilities are Fear Free-certified, the only national chain to have this accreditation, which aims to reduce the fear, anxiety and stress associated with a pet’s play, stay or service.”
- Combined services under one roof. The Dog Stop franchise offers overnight boarding, grooming, training, retail and in-home walking/sitting. “Having all services under one roof was not only better for the pet parent, but also better for the business and the dogs. The variety of services allowed the business to grow and flourish despite the seasonality associated with the individual services themselves. Plus, a customer for one service would most likely become a customer of more services. Lastly, and most importantly, this was so much better for the dogs. The dogs could get comfortable and enjoy coming to this one place for day care, and then it was not so stressful or scary to come for grooming, boarding and so on.”
Teaming with REP’M
Adhering to those principles defined a clear path to business success, yet Coslov wanted expert help to expedite franchise growth. “I have learned over the years that franchise development is very challenging. At the end of the day, I am a dog guy and a business owner, and I have been so lucky to assemble a team of the best dog care professionals around. I always try to find the best people for any given skill set and get out of the way to let them do what they do best. With REP’M, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“The REP’M team is known in franchising to be the very best when it comes to franchise development, and that is who I want as our partner to grow The Dog Stop franchise. Our mission is to take this business across the country and beyond. It is so exciting to see that vision come to life with each new store that opens.”
Why Choose The Dog Stop Franchise?
REP’M joins Coslov’s “incredible, unparalleled team” in supporting franchisees. “We have over 150 years of franchise experience and over 200 years of dog care experience within our core team. The support team is comprised of both individuals who have been with The Dog Stop franchise for 10-plus years and worked every role in the business, along with others who have been key players in building other large brands in the industry.”
Assistance to franchisees starts at signing, Coslov says, and includes help with site selection, construction, marketing, training, store opening and ongoing operations. “Supporting a franchisee is not a one-size-fits-all proposition because everyone has different learning styles, skills from previous endeavors, and expectations for support. Our team is here to coach and guide the franchisees through whatever obstacles and growing pains they may encounter throughout the entire process of business ownership.”
Another reason to invest in Dog Stop is its market potential: In 2024, 59.8 million U.S. households had dogs, according to the American Veterinary Medicine Association, and Coslov says his franchise can serve them all. “Through our VIP – Very Independent Players – program, no dog or owner is disqualified. This gives our franchise partners a much larger customer base to interact with and another way our business model stands out above all the others. “We take the responsibility of caring for every dog very seriously. Customers walk in and instantly feel the love, the trust.”
For details about the franchise, visit The Dog Stop website.
