Toys for Every Tail™: Tall Tails Understands That Dogs are More Than Just Pets

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It’s not easy to stand out from the pack in the crowded toy sector of the pet product industry; however, Tall Tails has managed to do just that. Since debuting in 2012, the brand has crafted iconic and eye-catching designs that pet parents embrace as they seek a toy for their beloved companion dogs.

Established by 3TBrands, a family-owned company with more than 90 years of experience in the baby product business providing wellness for infants and peace of mind for their parents, Tall Tails was created to bring the same benefits to people and their fur babies. According to George Barton, director of marketing for Tall Tails, the brand has focused itself on certain pillars.

“We built the brand on our commitment to the highest quality standards based on child product safety requirements, ethically sourced production and a determination to create innovative, high-value products that enhance pet wellness beyond food,” Barton explained. “To do this, we listened to pet parents, indie retailers and our distributor partners to learn about their needs. Then, we studied what dogs and pet parents really do and how they do it to design products that satisfy those needs with benefits that add value.”

Innovations are key to a brand’s success, and Tall Tails has gained a reputation for being a leader when it comes to creative toy designs. The brand has recognized that the style of play for each pet differs from one another. In 2021, the brand took this concept and built out its categories of play: Fetch, Tug, Sensory and Reward. This strategy is seamlessly executed into the hangtags for its line of toys. By categorizing play styles, pet parents can determine which toys are the best for their dogs. Not only will pet parents have better direction of which toys to buy for their pet, but store associates have a better opportunity to educate their customers by utilizing the Tall Tails hangtags to guide pet parents to the right toy.

This strategy has proven effective, and it has garnered accolades for the brands in the pet industry. For example, the Tall Tails Yeti was recognized as a top product in the Dog Toy category of this year’s Editor’s Select program.

“The Tall Tails Yeti is an attractive addition to their dog’s toy bin and its Real Feel Fabric and inner-rope structure quickly make it a dog’s go-to toy,” Barton noted. “Pet parents will have no shortage of photo opportunities as their dog carries the Yeti around the house, snuggles up with it for naptime, or tosses it around during play.”

Tall Tails has made it a priority to focus on the independent pet specialty channel and, to show this support, the brand does not sell to big box retailers or e-commerce giants. Tall Tails is a founding sponsor of the IndiePet organization and provides independent pet retailers with everything they need to reinforce what makes them “special” to their community.

“Tall Tails toys are well received by independent pet retailers because of the quality, look, feel and assortment,” Barton explained. “Tall Tails offers Toys for Every Tail, ensuring there is a toy for every breed, size, age and play style of dog.”

Thus, Tall Tails has become a single toy vendor for indie retailers looking for different materials (plush, natural rubber, latex, leather, rope, nylon/cellulose) and different play styles (sensory, tug, fetch, reward, chew). In addition, Tall Tails toys are manufactured to child product safety standards ensuring only the best for pet families. In fact, all Tall Tails products are required to pass testing conducted by independent, third-party globally accredited laboratories such as Bureau Veritas and Intertek. The testing protocol is based on ASTM standards for baby products. In addition to testing for hazardous material content, the colorfastness, shrinkage and tensile strength are also part of the testing protocol.

Tall Tails believes that its success should be shared with those that are less fortunate, and that’s why the brand’s mission includes a charitable arm to “comfort those who comfort us.”™

The brand donates thousands of blankets each year to animal shelters to provide them with the comfort they deserve while awaiting their forever home. Many of the brand’s retail partners have participated in this effort through promotional programs that gain support from their customers to maximize the number of blankets donated.