Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew.
Hi Andrew, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our Story
Good Dogs Bakehouse started with three dogs who changed the way we thought about nutrition: Bandit, Lupe, and Pancho. Like many pet parents, we realized that finding treats made with simple, recognizable ingredients wasn’t as easy as it should be. Too many products were filled with preservatives, fillers, and ingredients we wouldn’t eat ourselves.
So we decided to make our own.
What began as baking small batches in our Austin kitchen quickly turned into a mission. Every recipe is developed using human-grade ingredients, dehydrated for natural preservation, and made without artificial preservatives because we believe dogs deserve food made with the same care we expect for our own families.
Today, Good Dogs Bakehouse is more than a treat company. It’s a local business built around one simple idea: helping dogs live longer, healthier lives through better nutrition. We spend countless hours researching ingredients, developing new products, and testing every recipe with our toughest quality-control team—our own dogs.
We’re also passionate about our community. Through donations, partnerships with rescues, and local markets, we try to support the people and organizations working to give every dog a better life. We also organize Austin Goods Market, a series of vendor-led community markets that help local small businesses grow together.
Our goal has never been to become just another pet brand. We want to build a company that pet parents trust because they know every product is made with intention, transparency, and genuine care. If we can help dogs enjoy a few more healthy years with the families who love them, then every early morning and late night in the kitchen has been worth it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. Like many small businesses, we’ve had to learn through trial and error. We started with a passion for giving our own dogs better nutrition, but turning that passion into a sustainable business came with plenty of challenges.
One of the biggest obstacles has been educating people about the difference between mass-produced pet treats and products made with human-grade, minimally processed ingredients. Competing with large brands on price is impossible, so we’ve focused on quality, transparency, and helping customers understand why ingredient quality matters.
Building a business while working full-time has also required countless early mornings, late nights, and weekends spent baking, dehydrating, packaging, attending markets, and constantly improving our recipes. Every event teaches us something new—whether it’s product presentation, customer feedback, or how to better serve the local community.
Like any entrepreneur, we’ve also faced setbacks. Some events exceeded expectations while others had low attendance. We’ve had partnerships that flourished and others that didn’t work out. Instead of seeing those experiences as failures, we’ve treated them as opportunities to refine our products, strengthen our brand, and become more intentional about where and how we grow.
Through it all, our mission has remained the same: make the kind of treats we’d proudly feed our own dogs. That commitment has helped us build a loyal community of customers who come back not just for the products, but because they believe in what we’re building.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Good Dogs Bakehouse, we specialize in creating human-grade dog treats and jerky made with simple, recognizable ingredients because we believe better nutrition leads to healthier, happier dogs. Every recipe is developed with the same care and standards we use for our own three dogs, focusing on quality over shortcuts and transparency over trends.
What I’m most proud of, however, extends beyond the products we make. Together with my partner, Andres Gonzalez, we’ve built Austin Goods Market, a community initiative that helps local makers and small businesses gain visibility through thoughtfully curated micro-markets. Rather than focusing on maximizing vendor fees, we work to secure free or low-cost venues so entrepreneurs can invest in growing their businesses instead of simply recovering event costs. Our goal is to create events where vendors genuinely connect with customers, support one another, and strengthen Austin’s local business community.
That same philosophy guides everything we do at Good Dogs Bakehouse. Whether we’re baking treats, supporting animal rescues, or creating opportunities for fellow entrepreneurs, we believe businesses should leave their communities better than they found them. If our work helps a dog live a healthier life while also helping a local maker grow their dream, we consider that a success.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I don’t think of myself as someone who takes reckless risks—I believe in taking calculated ones. Every meaningful step we’ve taken with Good Dogs Bakehouse has involved uncertainty, but each decision has been guided by research, purpose, and a willingness to do the work.
Starting a business while balancing full-time jobs meant investing our own time, savings, and countless hours into something that had no guarantee of success. We chose to compete in a crowded pet industry by focusing on premium ingredients and quality instead of taking shortcuts to lower costs. That’s a harder path, but it’s the one that aligns with our values.
Another risk has been investing in the local community. Through Austin Goods Market, we’ve committed to helping other small businesses by finding free or low-cost venues where vendors can grow without being burdened by expensive event fees. It’s not the easiest business model, but we believe that when local entrepreneurs succeed together, everyone benefits—including the communities we serve.
For me, risk isn’t about chasing the biggest opportunity; it’s about believing in something enough to commit to it, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. If your purpose is strong and you’re willing to learn from every setback, taking that leap becomes less about fear and more about building something that can make a lasting impact—for dogs, their families, and the local businesses that make Austin unique.
Pricing:
- Atlantic Salmon Pawtein Jerky 48 gr. $12
- Chicken Breast Pawtein Jerky 48 gr. $12
- Turkey Bacon Pawtein Jerky 48 gr. $12
- Cheezy Nomz Treats 56 gr. $12
- Nanner Chomps Treats 56 gr. $12
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gooddogsbakehouse.com
- Instagram: gooddogsbakehouse
