HABER•DOG•DASHER

Inspired Dog Collars

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We may have found the perfect box for storing those little blue plastic bags every dog owner in the city has. You can imagine my delight when I learned there was a cigar called the “Dog Walker”. Or should I say, I was actually excited to hear there was a cigar box which bared the name. The name for the cigar comes from the size of a cigar, in essence it’s a cigar which will last your walk around the neighborhood with man’s best friend. The history of the brand goes a little bit deeper. The brand 7-20-4 was resurrected by Kurt Kendall, who like me enjoys all things memorabilia. It pays homage to the famed R.G. Sullivan building on 724 Elm Street (7-20-4, get it?) in Manchester, N.H. The building was home to one of the largest cigar manufacturers in history, but was forced out of business after the 1963 Cuban embargo. I love things with a story, and thanks to my local pipe tobacco shop I was able to pick up the box for nothing.

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We can’t wait to dig into our summer routine. This afternoon we refreshed our Facebook and Twitter pages (we were due for some spring cleaning). So many exciting collaborations and product ideas that are in the works right now! Stay tuned things are happening fast!

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Every now and again you run across a picture that is worth a thousand words. Thanks to my buddy Mattie who did just that when he captured this Norman Rockwell moment while traveling in Norway,

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It’s been a busy summer at HABER•DOG•DASHER! We recently came back from Mackinac for a family wedding. Of course we jumped at the opportunity to take Winston on the trip too. For those who aren’t native to Michigan, Mackinac Island is a popular summer destination in between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. There are no cars on the island, only horse drawn carriages. The island is dog friendly, and has a warm history towards Fido. While doing my research I saw many B&W photos where dogs are enjoying the island life.

  It’s also home to the Victorian styled Grand Hotel. Constructed in the late 19th century. It commands a level of service and craftsmanship, which is more akin to the 50’s. The Grand Hotel also holds the title of having the world’s largest porch, which has a view over Lake Huron that can’t be beat. It’s adorned with oil paintings, plaids, marble, oak wood and the sound of a piano can usually be heard coming from one of the halls.

  A framed postcard in the hotel restroom caught my eye. Labeled “Prize Tennis”, it was one of the pieces which seem to reflect the friendly competitive spirit of the island and embodied the hunter green used throughout the hotel. A little further digging lead me to Ullman Mfg Co., which created the postcards. Often times the characters would reappear in other postcards of a similar subject nature. I’ll be on the look out for others in the series which feature pooch and child.

  Final Note. Everyone knows dogs and chocolate don’t mix, unless we are talking chocolate labs (couldn’t resist). However don’t over look Rybas Mackinac fudge shop, they’re selling peanut butter dipped milk bones, which went over well with our resident taster.

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When Dogs and Pups Magazine reached out to HABER•DOG•DASHER to contribute to an article on dog collars we jumped on it. Having made a collar or two, we think we know a little bit about sizing. In short (get it), approach your dog's collar size like a tailor would approach a job. Insist on using a tape measure, and translate to "S","M" or "L" on the manufacturers website. They'll post how many inches they consider for each size. For the entire article please follow the link.

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Excited to partner with the great people over at Dogster for this week's freebie give-a-way. Dogster is a great on-line community which creates a lot of original content. Their editorial staff could not be a nicer or more educated on dogs. For those of you interested follow the link at the top of the page, or you can always go to HABER•DOG•DASHER if you aren't lucky enough to win a collar on the house. Best of luck, winners are announced on March 13th.

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HABER•DOG•DASHER recently sat down with Bird Trouble for a new interview series called The Rad & The Wild. We talked dog collars, inspiration and grandfather clocks. It was a fun conversation and we really look forward to seeing who Alexz is going to feature next in her artist series. Although we know it's a stretch for us to consider ourselves artists or even designers, we appreciate her making an exception for this gracious small business. You can find links to other interviews and follow Alexz's adventures on Bird Trouble. 

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We are proud to announce a new product for HABER•DOG•DASHER. Introducing the Navy Collar in Pindot, we meticulously went through a number of design options before settling on the one which you see above. Additionally our collar is accented by a white seatbelt backing which compliments the dots on the opposit side. Our collars feature premium nickel d-rings and sliders, and are always made here in Chicago.

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Merry Christmas from all of us at HABER•DOG•DASHER. We're looking forward to spending some time with friends and family over the next couple of days. Seasons Greetings!

 - Matthew

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White House Christmas cookies of the first dogs (FDOTUS?) Bo and Sunny, be assured Bo is fine despite cookie crumble.

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The One Tail at a Time dog rescue is holding their 5th annual Houndstooth Ball on Friday, December 6th (tickets available). The rescue concentrates efforts on Chicago area dogs who are in danger of being euthanized. HABER•DOG•DASHER was more than happy to send over a HOUNDSTOOTH COLLAR for their silent auction. We'd support the charity no matter what, but the required cocktail attire and admittance of canines sealed the deal. The location, Architectural Artifacts, is also one of our favorite places to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.

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Having had our 1st snowfall in Chicago this past week, it was only fitting that our summer recap in photos should be posted. We went to quite a few lakes this year (Intermediate Lake, Elk Lake, Lake Wandawega and Lake Michigan to name a few). Our weekend get a ways wouldn't be the same without our four legged friends along side us. We have fond memories of spending our time in small antique shops, in a boat, or playing games of euchre into the night. Looking forward to the day when we can bring all of our friends and write off our time spent as official HABER•DOG•DASHER business.

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Oh Dames a Dozen, how quickly we fell in love with you! The tribe is an all female Chicago-based group who formed to give back to the community in an innovative and artistic way. Their latest project puts them front and center for the Trio Animal Foundation. All of the proceeds from the 2014 pet calendar go to the charitable organization. We were thrilled to see our houndstooth red collar show up on Ty in September's "Obedient Dog School" (Ty is the biggest kid in class). Head on over to their website to purchase the 2014 pet calendar ($25). The biographies of the girls (or dames of 2014) was the most clever writting I've read all month. While we won't be trading out plaid for ink anytime soon, we can't wait to see how HABER•DOG•DASHER can help for future projects!

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We like photography and especially photographers who dabble in 35mm. So naturally, great pictures of dogs was right in our wheelhouse. We came across Jesse Freidin earlier this year and instantly became a fan of his work. You can imagine our excitement when our Nautical Collar turned up in Jesse’s Instagram feed*. 

  Jesse has a talent for capturing the uncanny body language dogs use to communicate with us. You can follow Jessie and his latest projects on jessefreidin.com. If you have an opportunity please check out the great B&W photography in his book. Having worked on the creative for the HABER•DOG•DASHER website, I know all of the hard work that goes on behind the lens for a picture to turn out great. 

*Editors Note: Jesse’s dog name in the photo is Pancake, which may be one of the greatest dog names we’ve ever heard.

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Stumbled upon this vintage Scottish Terrier flask set over the weekend. These are from the 1940s, and originally came in a leather carrying case. Included are two bottles, one for bourbon and one for scotch. Missing from the collection is a 3rd bottle for rye, featuring a similar Scottish Terrier exclaining "Comin thru the Rye" with a grin and a golf club.

These bottles also bore a striking resemblance to my old Polo cologne bottle!

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Bird Trouble has flown South to Mexico!

Friends and Family will rally around an idea as long as you are passionate about it. HABER•DOG•DASHER has been a proof point of the statement. We wouldn't be where we are today without the talented and all around incredible Alexz Sandoval - Founder of Bird Trouble. I first met Alexz when we were browsing around the same antique shop looking for inspiration. After talking to the shop owner, I was able to get Alexz's contact information. I tracked her down and before too long, we were meeting at Dollop Coffee Co. going over samples, stitches and marketing. Admittedly stitching and fabric was not a strong suit of mine, but thankfully this was Alexz's world. She created the first batch of collars we had and her influence on the company can still be seen on the off color stitch pattern which matches the backing. While we will miss Alexz, we know greener pastures lay ahead, you can follow her adventures through tumblr. We'll miss you in Mexico Alexz!

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I've been increasingly fascinated with the role dogs play in our professional lives. Having an office dog may be a bit of a trend these days, but not all that long ago dogs had a real job to do. Take for instance messenger dogs in WWI. Above is a picture of British Dog-handlers in France circa 1911. The script would have been enclosed in a cylinder attached to the dogs collar. Additionally, dogs would have been employed as sentries, ammunition carriers, sled dogs, guard dogs, casualty dogs, and even as cigarette dogs.