Carmel Magazine

Give Your Dog a Bone, and Ever ything Else at Diggidy Dog T he "dog-friendliest" town in America deserves the most dog-centric store and Diggidy Dog, across from The Carmel Plaza on Mission Street might claim that title. The animal boutique has everything you need for your favorite companion, plus some things you won't have thought of until you walk in. Cats? They're not left out either. Opened in 2003, Diggidy Dog quickly became a destination for Carmel visitors, if not just for the sheer variety of pet accessories, treats and toys. The 2,000 square foot store is stuffed with almost 10,000 unique items, from grooming supplies, pet beds, dog bowls, squeaky toys and rubber Kongs. "Our success comes from our location I think," says General Manager Robert Little. "We love our locals, and we have repeat customers mostly from L.A., San Francisco and Texas." Dog leashes and collars in every color of the rainbow are displayed, some adorned with metal studs and Swarovski crystals, made from organ- ic cotton, bamboo, leather and even waterproof rubber for the dog you can't call out of the ocean. The selection of Halloween costumes in October was large, from "hot dogs" to pirates to Cinderellas. Even more impressive is the range of dog- gie coats and sweaters, especially for small, short-coated pups. Diggidy Dog sells its own line of fleece hoodies and Carmel souvenir T-shirts, plus down vests and clothes with slogans such as "It Wasn't Me!" or "Mama's Princess." Treats are displayed at floor or low-shelf levels for the best sniffing (and yes, "sampling"), and toys are easily reachable for bow-wow browsing too. "By far the most popular things in the store are the treats," says Little. "We have something called Lamb Weasand and they fly off the shelves." The store makes sure to give back to less fortunate animals, and hosts adoption days for three local animal rescues on the first Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays of every month. Diggidy Dog is located on SW Mission and Ocean in Carmel. 831/625- 1585. Visit www.diggidydog.com for details. —Catrina Coyle SHORTCUTS BUSINESS Diggidy Dog Manager Robert Little still marvels at the loyal following and word-of-mouth praise the boutique receives, while his Pomeranian Bear proudly sports the Doggles from the store's collection of dog accessories. 56 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 4 Photo: Kelli Uldall

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