The Story

High school sweethearts Amy and Nick are the visionaries behind SLiK Hound. The story begins in the midst of a blizzard on December 24, 2009 when the couple brought home their first dog, Dasher. The little Whippet warmed their hearts and sparked their passion for dogs. By 2011 the family had grown to three dogs and the spark became an inferno.Opportunity knocked when a close friend invited them to make some collars for her store. Doggie Style Bowtique. Dog collars seemed simple enough, so they jumped right in, naming the project SLiK Hound.

Without any sewing or manufacturing experience they quickly discovered how difficult the endeavor was. Most of the materials they ordered were unsuitable and the craftsmen they could afford were not up to par. When they exhausted their limited startup capital and no viable product resulted, the project came to a halt. The dream seemed only a distant reality. Little did they know these early days would provide much of the foundation they would later build their empire on. The logos, branding, and famous old truck photos are all relics of these early days and are still in use now. Most importantly, they learned from all the early mistakes.

Nick returned to his studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2011 and eventually switched his focus to entrepreneurship. The couple’s dream of SLiK Hound never really ended; in fact, making it materialize became a daily distraction in their lives. Refusing to let go, Nick and Amy began saving for a better sewing machine. In 2012 they had the machine and Amy started teaching herself to sew. They used the materials from their initial investment, (it was all they could afford), and they created a new product. Born from their limitations this fresh take on dog collars was called “Eco Boom” and later rebranded as Cannabis collars. They relaunched SLiK Hound around the unique product. Unfortunately, the market wasn’t as excited as they were and sales were slow. Deflated and depleted they again shelved SLiK Hound.

But the dream survived. In 2014, after a fateful late-night tinkering session, it all came together. They called it" Pop Fashion." It was perfect timing, because they both needed a full-time opportunity. Quickly they closed their 401k for one last chance to pursue the dream. It wasn’t much, but it covered the bills for a month, a pop up tent, and just enough collar inventory to attend several local festivals. Fortunately for the couple, SLiK Hound products exceeded expectations. They hustled from coast to coast, one event after the other, selling like their lives depended on it. The long hours and difficult travel schedule sharpened their focus on the product and the process it took to make them. This pressure to perform is what created the SLiK Hound you know today.

Stores finally started to listen to the product buzz and their marketing efforts. They recognized the quality of the products and it’s variety of options. Now SLiK Hound products are carried in more than 60 stores nationwide.  It's a an underdog story that might have a happy ending! The journey is still happening everyday and SLiK Hound marches on to become The Best a Dog Can Get!