Downtown’s first dog boutique announces launch ‘pawty’

The dog boutique is a joint partnership between the husband-and-wife team of Ben and Nicole Miller, both longtime Dayton residents. The Millers have always been dog lovers, but it was during the first lockdowns of COVID when the couple was stuck in the house.

In turn, Nicole began designing and selling dog bandanas on the online retailer website, Etsy, then eventually started selling products at markets around the Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati area. The brand’s following has been growing ever since.

“We noticed there’s a lot of dogs in Dayton, but there’s not a lot of pet stores in town, at least not downtown,” Ben said. “So, we saw this as a great opportunity to come in and hopefully provide the residents of downtown with a great resource for their dog’s needs.”

In addition to bandanas, the boutique’s biggest focus is custom leashes.

The shop offers other products like collars, grooming supplies and accessories. An interactive build-your-own-leash “workshop” will also be a unique and central feature in the boutique.

With the opening of their first brick and mortar, EmBARK is also expanding into dog food.

“We’re going to specialize in raw food and treats,” Ben said. “We believe that’s the best and most species appropriate diet for dogs. There are lots of studies coming out backing the benefits of raw, species appropriate diet for dogs... We’re going to strive to educate and be a resource for dog nutrition.”

Non-raw food options for all dog diets will also be available. In the future, the boutique plans to carry basics for other pets, including cats.

EmBARK will celebrate its grand opening with a “Pawty!” on Sat., Jan. 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. “First pups in the door will receive a free bandana and doggie bag full of samples, coupons and treats for their human,” according to the event page.

A “doggy photographer” will also be in the boutique during the opening celebration to take pictures of owners and their pups for the shop’s Instagram wall.

For more information, visit the Embark Dayton Facebook page.