We don’t partner with just anyone. Find out who makes the cut, below.
Make sure to scroll for a special inside scoop!
*Please contact stores before you arrive. Not all stores carry every size and/or product we offer.
A Spotlight On: Bad Dog Frida
2094 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Herbsmith wouldn’t be what it is today without partnerships. Partnership for us means neither one is better alone. We, as a small manufacturer need like-minded small businesses willing to go above and beyond, and those businesses need product they feel confident offering to pet parents.
Bad Dog Frida began because there was a need to fill (sounds familiar to someone else we know). Sue and Carmen wanted Bad Dog Frida to be a pet parent’s go-to; a small shop that offered high-quality products from trusted sources. Until they opened in 2006, that couldn’t be found in Madison. With a mission like that, pairing with Sue and Carmen was a no-brainer.
What do you and Carmen look for in a retailer-supplier partnership?
“We look for an honest, trustworthy partner that we can communicate with. We have (many times) ended a working relationship with a company when it gets sold to an undesirable, large company with a history of cheapening ingredients, recalls or outright misrepresentation. There are plenty of great companies and great products doing the right thing (giving back to the community, using high quality ingredients, using sustainable practices, providing training to our staff, communicating when there are issues, and even being certified humane in the treatment of the animals going into products). Product samples help a lot, so we can become familiar with products and so sampling can be offered to our customers. Deals, coupons and other specials help us all to build a solid customer base.”
What first attracted you to Herbsmith?
“That’s easy. Dr. Chris Bessent saved our dog’s life and went on to help provide a great quality of life to 2 of our dogs over the years. We learned so much from her regarding Chinese medicine, Chinese herbs, acupuncture and chiropractic and that excellent working relationship has continued on and on. When Herbsmith formed we couldn’t be happier. How wonderful to be able to use products that Dr. Bessent has made! Perfect! We know Dr. Bessent knows her stuff. We have seen it work near miracles. We couldn’t be happier than to carry the wonderful Herbsmith products.”
How has small business, as a whole, evolved within the last five years?
“Things have become more complex. It’s amazing that we continue to be asked new questions we havea never heard before. Customers are more aware– have found and read things online and come in with ideas about what they need. 5 years ago, they came in asking us what they needed. There is more competition in more ways. Our store is more jammed-packed with products then it was 5 years ago.”
List your pets in order of importance. (Kidding!) But, DO tell us which quirks you love most about each of your doggos.
“Oh, that’s not fair! They are both our favorites. We currently have 2 dogs – Sally (an Aussie/Pitbull from Houston Texas) and Betty (a Corgi/Pitbull also from Texas). The two of them love each other. We have never had dogs that really cared much about each other. These two cuddle-up together, play and wrestle, and just hang out together. We love that Sally is serious and a watcher of all things in the yard. She listens quite well and helps to train Betty. Sally is sweet and gentle (unless you are a chipmunk).😢
Betty – a little bit wild. She has a lot of energy, figures out how to escape the fenced yard, kills critters in the yard regularly and doesn’t listen too well to us. But… she is goofy and lightens Sally’s seriousness. So, they are a great pair. And they sleep through the night! You gotta’ love that. We love our hikes with them – it’s the best part of our days.”
What’s next for Bad Dog Frida?
“Well, rolling with whatever life brings us! Currently we are busy integrating and training newer staff – it has been a time of change as we have lost two of our longer-term employees to different adventures out of state. We were so sorry to see them leave and miss them still but with the newness we have in our current staff we have fresh eyes viewing things with new ideas. So, there is a freshness that we are excited about. The dog/cat product field changes all the time so we just want to be ready for all that it brings. We look forward to it all with excitement and anticipation.”
A Spotlight On: Bad Dog Frida
2094 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704
Herbsmith wouldn’t be what it is today without partnerships. Partnership for us means neither one is better alone. We, as a small manufacturer need like-minded small businesses willing to go above and beyond, and those businesses need product they feel confident offering to pet parents.
Bad Dog Frida began because there was a need to fill (sounds familiar to someone else we know). Sue and Carmen wanted Bad Dog Frida to be a pet parent’s go-to; a small shop that offered high-quality products from trusted sources. Until they opened in 2006, that couldn’t be found in Madison. With a mission like that, pairing with Sue and Carmen was a no-brainer.
What do you and Carmen look for in a retailer-supplier partnership?
“We look for an honest, trustworthy partner that we can communicate with. We have (many times) ended a working relationship with a company when it gets sold to an undesirable, large company with a history of cheapening ingredients, recalls or outright misrepresentation. There are plenty of great companies and great products doing the right thing (giving back to the community, using high quality ingredients, using sustainable practices, providing training to our staff, communicating when there are issues, and even being certified humane in the treatment of the animals going into products). Product samples help a lot, so we can become familiar with products and so sampling can be offered to our customers. Deals, coupons and other specials help us all to build a solid customer base.”
What first attracted you to Herbsmith?
“That’s easy. Dr. Chris Bessent saved our dog’s life and went on to help provide a great quality of life to 2 of our dogs over the years. We learned so much from her regarding Chinese medicine, Chinese herbs, acupuncture and chiropractic and that excellent working relationship has continued on and on. When Herbsmith formed we couldn’t be happier. How wonderful to be able to use products that Dr. Bessent has made! Perfect! We know Dr. Bessent knows her stuff. We have seen it work near miracles. We couldn’t be happier than to carry the wonderful Herbsmith products.”
How has small business, as a whole, evolved within the last five years?
“Things have become more complex. It’s amazing that we continue to be asked new questions we havea never heard before. Customers are more aware– have found and read things online and come in with ideas about what they need. 5 years ago, they came in asking us what they needed. There is more competition in more ways. Our store is more jammed-packed with products then it was 5 years ago.”
List your pets in order of importance. (Kidding!) But, DO tell us which quirks you love most about each of your doggos.
“Oh, that’s not fair! They are both our favorites. We currently have 2 dogs – Sally (an Aussie/Pitbull from Houston Texas) and Betty (a Corgi/Pitbull also from Texas). The two of them love each other. We have never had dogs that really cared much about each other. These two cuddle-up together, play and wrestle, and just hang out together. We love that Sally is serious and a watcher of all things in the yard. She listens quite well and helps to train Betty. Sally is sweet and gentle (unless you are a chipmunk).😢
Betty – a little bit wild. She has a lot of energy, figures out how to escape the fenced yard, kills critters in the yard regularly and doesn’t listen too well to us. But… she is goofy and lightens Sally’s seriousness. So, they are a great pair. And they sleep through the night! You gotta’ love that. We love our hikes with them – it’s the best part of our days.”
What’s next for Bad Dog Frida?
“Well, rolling with whatever life brings us! Currently we are busy integrating and training newer staff – it has been a time of change as we have lost two of our longer-term employees to different adventures out of state. We were so sorry to see them leave and miss them still but with the newness we have in our current staff we have fresh eyes viewing things with new ideas. So, there is a freshness that we are excited about. The dog/cat product field changes all the time so we just want to be ready for all that it brings. We look forward to it all with excitement and anticipation.”
