Everybody has one: the crazy dog-obsessed friend. The friend who won't come to your parties unless she can bring Fluffy; the friend who never goes out of town because he doesn't trust a kennel or caretaker to prepare Fido's food correctly. These people can be hard to buy for, but you've got a new ally in town: Pawsh Dog Boutique.
Located just off Newbury Street (on Gloucester around the corner from Johnny Cupcakes), Pawsh has nearly everything you could ever need for a dog—or for a dog owner's ego. As dog owners (of Boston Terrier Balki, pictured above) in the Back Bay, Mike Maida and his wife Nancy noticed there was no good place to get dog supplies in the area. Sure, there was Four Preppy Paws on Charles Street, and Polka Dog in the South End, but those were too far away to be truly convenient for Back Bay residents. After the nth drive to PetCo, and after noting an "explosion of dogs" in Back Bay, Mike and Nancy decided that they ought to take the dog business into their own paws—er, hands.
The duo did research at Pet Fashion Week (who knew there was such a thing?!) in New York, looking for "practical and stylish" vendors to carry in the store. Pawsh is stocked with everything from food to collars to toys; Maida says the Puppia harnesses are hot sellers, while the stylish eiCrate is one of his favorite products in the store. Pawsh also carries Swarovski crystal dog leads, hooded coats, and an assortment of holiday toys—from blinking antlers to Hannukah dreidels.
Opened in October, just in time for Head of the Charles, the store has been doing solid business despite the economic crisis. Maida, a Boston College grad, has previous business experience with memory card machine, which allows people to create their own picture postcards at tourist hotspots like Times Square or Madame Tussaud's. Calling the pet business (as well as Back Bay residents) somewhat "recession-proof," Maida also notes that many pet owners have begun to pay more attention to their animals' care since the tainted dog and cat food scare of last year.
In February, Pawsh will expand to the space above its current location, and the owners plan to add grooming services in March as well. The store is also networking with area dogwalkers, offering them discounts if they bring their charges in for grooming. Pawsh offers a "destroyed toy" program in which customers can return a destroyed toy for a discount on a new one. The store is inventing a lot of innovative ways to keep customers coming back for more.
Pawsh has seen a lot of dachshunds and pugs in the store, as well as many puggles, the infamous beagle-pug mix. Business has been mostly local dog owners, but plenty of people are stopping in to get presents for pet-obsessed friends as well. As Maida observes, dogs are "like someone's kid" these days, requiring presents of their own. Pawsh is open through Wednesday for your dog-shopping needs—or stop in after the holiday to see if there are great post-Christmas specials. Happy howlidays (sorry, we couldn't resist).
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