Total Dog store aims to put the ‘wow’ into bowwow

Total Dog Company founder and Eden Prairie resident Sue Weyrauch caters to people just like her: those who love their dogs and want the best of everything for them.

Weyrauch has owned miniature schnauzers since she moved to Eden Prairie in 1991. Through the years, she has dedicated time and energy to the feeding, grooming, training and even dental hygiene of her dogs. Her current pair, Asher and Sieben (seven in German), are skilled in agility and participate in a monthly league. 

Weyrauch opened Total Dog in August 2013 to share her passion and knowledge with other dog parents. The store fulfills the needs of neighborhood pooches as well as show dogs and other competitors.

Located in New Hope, about 15 miles from Eden Prairie, Total Dog is a destination dog product store. The store’s website says it “exists for people who are serious about their dogs,” and loyal customers travel from all over the Twin Cities area to shop at the carefully curated store. 

According to Weyrauch, the store is “somewhat unique in that we focus only on dogs, from beds to food to treats, toys, leashes and collars.” 

 “We are a neighborhood pet store,” added Weyrauch, “but we also carry things other neighborhood pet stores don’t carry for the more serious dog people.” As evidence, she points to the dog shampoo and grooming aisle. “You might wonder why on earth we need a whole aisle of shampoos! But I learned show dog people don’t compromise on the products that work for them.”

What you won’t find at Total Dog Company? “Anything ‘frou-frou’ or frivolous,” said Weyrauch. “No skirts, no frills, no Halloween costumes.” 

You also will not find food or treats with ingredients she considers suspicious. Weyrauch consults the work of several experts in dog nutrition, such as Mary Strauss and holistic vet Dr. Karen Becker, among others, when choosing what dog foods to stock. When she opened the store, “I had in the back of my mind I didn’t want things made of corn, and I made a list of other things such as no artificial dyes, no sweeteners, except a small amount in some of the training treats. If sugar is the first ingredient in a food, I usually pass,” she said. 

As a result, Weyrauch is vigilant in reviewing the ingredients of the foods she carries. Occasionally, a company will change ingredients, so “every now and then there’s a purge,” said Weyrauch. Even if an undesired ingredient is minimal and near the very bottom of the list, Weyrauch maintains a “zero tolerance policy.” The store’s website provides a list of all ingredients she avoids and the reasons. 

“There are constantly new foods coming out,” said Weyrauch. But with limited space, she is very particular about any new food. “If I add a new food, I would have to discontinue another one. So I am constantly asking how a new food would be different or better than what I already sell and is it worth it to me to discontinue an existing one?”

Since opening the store 11 years ago, Weyrauch has seen many trends and movements in dog nutrition come and go. As a result, she is a proponent of food rotation. “Don’t feed the same food to your dog for its entire life,” she said. “You don’t know the ideal food for your dog. So hedge your bets and feed them everything.” 

As for her own dogs, Asher and Sieben never eat the same food two days in a row. “That can definitely take up a lot of storage space,” she said with a laugh. In general, Weyrauch recommends most dog owners simply buy different foods and gradually transition the dog to the new food when nearing the end of a bag. 

“If you are not feeding your dog one thing exclusively, you don’t have to worry about the latest trends or pronouncements,” she said.

Weyrauch has recently seen a rise in popularity for frozen food, both raw and cooked. Weyrauch feeds her own dogs mostly raw foods. Though customers see many benefits to their dogs from this type of diet, a drawback can be the expense. “You don’t have to go broke,” said Weyrauch. “If your dog eats one raw meal a week, it will get some of the benefits of raw feeding.”

Among Weyrauch’s more unusual offerings are Dr. Buzby ToeGrips. The non-slip nail grips keep dogs from slipping on hardwood floors and other smooth surfaces. They are especially helpful for senior dogs, arthritic dogs or dogs with hip or hind leg weakness. The grips are specially fitted for each dog based on their nail measurements. Weyrauch and her staff take the guesswork out of it for customers by doing it in person. 

In addition, “(nail trimming) is almost a passion of mine,” she said. “Dogs need their nails trimmed, as most don’t wear off naturally,” she said. “If their nails are too long, it affects their posture, how they walk, they have pain and can get arthritis in their feet.”

To make that easier for dogs — and their owners — the trained store staff offers walk-in nail trims. “People stay with their dogs, which almost all the time makes the dog calmer. We show them how to hold their dog so we can get the job done,” said Weyrauch. “We have all gone through training so we know how to do it to actually get them shorter, it doesn’t hurt the dog, and the dog doesn’t go crazy.” 

From tummies to toes

Tips from Total Dog Company

• Weyrauch recommends regularly (and gradually) switching not just foods but brands. Food companies usually have the same additives in all their lines, but “different companies put different things in,” says Weyrauch.

• According to Weyrauch, most dogs need their nails trimmed at least once a month. She recommends sticking to a regular schedule to ensure it gets done. “Look at their feet,” she advises. “If their toenails are touching the floor when the dog stands  still, they need to be trimmed. Some dogs start leaning back if they are too long. It changes their posture.” 

• An additional benefit of frozen food, cooked or raw, is more moisture in dogs’ diets naturally. “We see a lot of kidney issues nowadays and I think dogs just don’t drink enough water to make up for all that dry kibble,” she said.