Gabe Houpt had always talked about being a dog trainer, but the timing wasn’t right. “I was focused on raising my kids, so I went to work for Dart Container, and I worked for my mom in medical billing for a while,” said Gabe. Now that his three children are 9, 14, and 16, the Houpt’s have embarked on a canine family business venture that is finding success, especially with social media marketing.
The Mitten Dog Company has 1.3k followers on Facebook where they post multiple times per day. When you have a business with such cute customers, it just makes sense to celebrate them!
Although the facility can hold up to 75 dogs, Gabe caps the number at 50 so the dogs don’t feel crowded. During our tour of the facility, it was sparkling clean with most of the dogs relaxing quietly. Although, of course there were a few jumpers.
“Boarding took off almost immediately,” said Houpt. It requires an evaluation where Houpt assesses the dog’s temperament and creates a profile for the pup. “I put dogs with similar energy together out in the play area, we can also host reactive dogs that need their own space. Some people have one reactive dog and one friendly dog, and we can accommodate that too.”
The business has 15 total employees and it’s a family affair, with Kelly Houpt and her retired parents helping out nearly every day. “We are a 24/7 operation,” said Houpt. They have plans to upgrade the facility in the coming year, including expanding the outdoor play area.
As far as his personal pack? He owns two wirehaired pointing griffons, and a poodle mix.
The Mitten Dog Company is located at 1298 N Cedar St. in Mason. Call (517) 906-6946 or visit their Facebook Page for more information.