Howdy Dog Pack! Welcome to the first edition of Dogonomist, a newsletter that covers everything noteworthy happening in the wonderful world of man's best friend.

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THIS WEEK'S TOPICS:

• What it's like to make $100k walking dogs

• How the $%@ is a dog worth $400m?

• Pool Pawties are all the rage

• A look at some of the first known photos of dogs

DOGGYDEX™

Proudly introducing the DoggyDex™, an index comprised of 10 publicly traded companies whose primary focus is the dog/pet industry. List of tickers used:

The yellow line-plot in the chart represents these companies above (DoggyDex™) and their combined performance against both the S&P 500 and Bitcoin on a weekly basis.

Pawformance is measured by % gains & losses.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO MAKE $100K WALKING DOGS

It may include bribes, paranoid pup parents, and yes, lots of poop, but it turns out that dog walking can actually be quite lucrative.

Here is the scoop (get it?) on Ryan Stewart, a Long Island dog walker who pulls in 6 figures, and we'll give you the short version on the numbers and opportunity here:

The Numbers:

• There are about 29k dog walking companies employing around 51k walkers in the US

• Customers? There are a lot, with an estimated 89m pet dogs, and up to 40% of them who don't always walk their dogs

• The industry is sized at a whopping $979m, including large brands like Rover, Wag, and Swifto

• Overhead is very low, mostly leashes, doggie bags, treats, and any website or scheduling app you prefer

• Ryan puts in about 25hrs per week and makes around $100k a year (not bad!)

• It ain't easy though, Ryan routinely walks 20 miles a day

Opportunities:

If you or a kid is interested in some good side income along with some calories burned, dog walking might be for you. A couple important things to consider:

The key is the number of dogs you can walk at a time. Being able to handle 2 to 3 dogs at a time means more $ for almost the same amount of work.

Work smarter, not harder.

This becomes much easier with the population density of cities, which also usually means less outdoor space for dogs and a greater need for walks. Having said that, weekend dog walking in rural areas could probably do with families that have 10 baseball games and practices to attend.

This is a great opportunity for teens or anyone with a summer or weekends free.

Overhead is low and getting started is super easy! Here are some ways to start:

• Start with your neighborhood. Go tell the dog owners what you are doing, your schedule and your rate.

• Post on nextdoor or at your local dog parks. Also talk to vets and groomers about referrals

• Make sure to buy ample leashes, poop bags, and treats

• Start w/ one dog at a time to get a feel for it, and then try to schedule two at a time

All said, dog walking as a business sounds like a lot of effort, but a very straightforward model. Gotta be mindful of those squirrels though!

Leave it, leeeaaaave it, LEAVE IT!

HOW THE $%@ IS A DOG WORTH $400m?

Ok, here's the story. German countess dies in 1992, and with no heirs, leaves her $80m fortune to her German Shepherd, Gunther. Now that fortune has exploded to $400m, including private jets, fine steaks, and Madonna's Miami Mansion.

If this all sounds bananas to you, it turns out, it just might be. Or as the Tampa Bay Times said, “Rich dog’s tale just doesn’t wag true.” 😂

From what we can gather, here is the more accurate story...Maruizio Mian, the heir to a family pharmaceutical fortune, created the story of Gunther as a publicity stunt for his dog food brand and other ventures. However, Gunther was a real dog, who did have a trust with a lot of money in it (likely to avoid some taxes), and who did purchase mansions and jets. Also, there were likely multiple Gunthers over the years.

What's truth and what's not? Check out the Netflix documentary and disappear down the article rabbit hole. Maybe you can sleuth a bit more than we can!

POOL PAWTIES ARE ALL THE RAGE

According to Pinterest, within the last year searches for DIY dog pool were up +85%, Dog birthday party ideas decoration up +65%, and Dog party favors up +135%. Although Millennials have been behind most of the dog trends as of late, they're saying these interests are being driven by Boomers and Gen X.

When it comes to dog birthday's, owners can't help themselves but have a special lil cake baked up for their pooch. I mean dogs are just children with four legs, why treat their special day any differently? Turns out baked treats such as, cakes, are big business. The U.S. pet treats market is valued north of $10B and growing. One of the fastest-growing segments of that market is crunchy/crispy (baked) treats.

Birthday girl gets to sample every piece of cake, house rules.

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE FIRST KNOWN PHOTOS OF DOGS

The following pictures hail from the book Love Immortal which contains images from approximately 1840-1930.

Mean mug with a Pug?

The OG head tilt

Dammit Biscuit, you closed your eyes!

Love a sepia tone chonker

KIBBLE BITS:

• Robo dog dancers: Jason Derulo used Boston Dynamic's robotic dogs as backup dancers in his Super Bowl 57 pregame concert.

• Team Fluff wins: The 2023 Puppy Bowl Lombarky trophy belongs to Team Fluff, who beat out...Team Ruff 😂.

• Amazon saves Sawyer: This Super Bowl Amazon chose to highlight their ability to not only be able to help their customers get what they need cheaply and quickly, but also their canine family members with this 90-second spot.

• Finding Fido love for V-day: To celebrate Valentine's Day, Yappy.com launched a doggy dating service to help those lonely pups find some much needed love.

Every week we love to shoutout a pooch that has made another trip around the sun. So a big happy b-day to Bailey: The Therapy Dog who turned 10 this month!

That's a wrap for this week. Be sure to stay tuned for next week, where we bark about how researchers might be able to stop our dogs from getting old!

If you want more, be sure to follow our Twitter (@dogonomist).