WOOF The Yorkshire Dog Shop, Leeds: Inside the family-owned Oakwood store that has become essential for pet lovers

WOOF: The Yorkshire Dog Shop has become an essential stop for dog lovers in the local Oakwood community and beyond for their healthy treats and informed advice.

But while the business has developed into a must-visit for the more health-conscious dog lover, it started under very different circumstances but with equally positive intentions back in December 2021.

Founded by married couple Natalie and Robert Press, the duo took the plunge in opening the store on Roundhay Road as a way to give their son Toby a chance to practice his interpersonal skills and as a foundation for his future following his autism diagnosis in July 2021.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Mrs Press said: “We wanted him to have a working experience and be ready for a career or employment when he was older in an environment where we knew the local community could be supportive.

“He struggled at the time with his education so we thought that this was the best thing for his future.”

The shop was subsequently designed and operated with the idea of making it autism friendly at the forefront. This involved having products spread around the store, having sensitive lighting and making the experience as user-friendly as possible.

Toby still helps out at the store on Saturday mornings with stocking shelves and offering advice to customers, with Mrs Press saying: “He’s developing his skills in other areas now but he always has this place.”

Products have also always been specifically selected so that they are locally sourced and of especially good quality; rather than stocking the same old stuff that people could get at one of the major pet store retailers.

She said: “We try, where we can, to get as many Yorkshire brands in as possible and then we expand it from there because we want to reduce our carbon footprint, but also to support other local businesses, other smaller businesses."

Among the items that the shop branches out for is a brand of dog harness from Copenhagen, which Natalie says customers are willing to travel from far and wide for.

Mrs Press said: “They’re favoured by loads of dog trainer and we’re the only store in Yorkshire that stocks them.”

The store now has become focussed on sourcing unique products to help dogs with specific dietary needs and issues with their health and wellbeing, as well as offering advice for pet owners.

Mrs Press said: “Our main reason for opening was for Toby but now it has evolved and we are definitely getting a reputation as people who can help people whose dogs have different issues.

“We recently helped a lady whose dog was poorly and was refusing to eat. We’ve helped by getting her onto something new and she’s already seeing the benefits.”

She continued: “Because we are family owned and independent it means we can be flexible, so we’ve adapted according to what our customers’ needs are.

“We never wanted to just be a one stop pet shop. We always wanted to provide something of value to the community.”

Mrs Press said that a lot of their knowledge came from looking after their own two dogs, one of which has a food intolerance, and that they have helped customers whose dogs suffer with health issues, behaviour problems, chronic pain and other conditions.

She added: “We are not vets giving out professional advice but we are trying to help people. A lot of it is getting people to the right services based on our own experiences with our dogs and the challenges we’ve faced.

“It’s just about listening to what problems they are coming in with.

“We wanted to continue going down this route because of the success we’ve seen with helping our own dogs. It’s made us want to share that and it’s been transformational.”

It means stocking products that support pets with food allergies, sensitive tummies, immune system problems, digestion issues, skin and coat conditions, anxiety, weight control and joint care.

Mrs Press said: “We’re also still stocking favourites like dognip, natural treats and pick n mix, which dogs are always dragging their owners in for.

“We’ve got products that cost from 70p up to much more expensive. It just depends what the customer wants and needs.”

She also said that they deliver food and other products to people nearby and that the shop is constantly adapting to changing shopping habits.

“People are spreading out where they purchase things from and also buying in bulk”, she said. “There’s been a return to working in the office so people are thinking what can I do to look after the dog.”

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Other ways to solidify their community of shoppers is by bringing them together for talks at the shop. The store has held informative discussion with vets, dentists and dietitians for dogs.

“Next we’ve got a lady coming in who’s a canine behaviourist who’s coming in to help people with questions about separation anxiety and their dog.”

The couple are also seen selling their products, which includes their own-branded food made nearby, at community markets around Leeds.

Looking forward, Mrs Press said that the fragile state of the economy means they are just hoping to “thrive at the minute”. She said: “It’s really tough in the retail world. The cost of running a business is going up and peoples’ spending habits are changing.

“We are just trying to understanding where people stop and create that real point of difference that makes people want to come in.

“We are in a good position though because we have people travelling from all over.

“The Oakwood community is great and it means we get people who are going to the hairdressers or opticians.”

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