Meet Bob: the Labradoodle with his own gift shop

Bob is the Labradoodle behind Bob & Friends, our colourful little online shop run from Sussex. The business may technically require a human to do the emails, packing and boring admin, but it would be fairly difficult to call it Bob & Friends without Bob.

Who is Bob?

Bob is our very silly Labradoodle and the dog the whole shop is named after.

When I moved from East London to the Sussex countryside, I became much more aware of the brilliant small businesses and independent makers creating genuinely interesting products. Bob & Friends grew from wanting to bring some of those finds together in one place, alongside things we make ourselves. Bob somehow ended up with naming rights.

The result is a gift shop for colourful, dog-loving humans, with everything from accessories and homeware to natural dog treats and things you probably did not know you needed until five minutes ago.

What does Bob actually do?

His official contribution to the business is difficult to quantify.

Specialist subject: Dog treats

Main qualification: Being Bob

Approach to meetings: Easily distracted

Availability: Depends entirely on whether somebody has food

Management style: Persistent staring

He does, however, represent quite a lot of what Bob & Friends is meant to be.

The shop is not supposed to feel overly polished, serious or anonymous. It is run by a real person, named after a real dog and built around products with a bit of character.

Bob fits the brief rather well.

Why name a shop after a dog?

Because dogs are a big part of life for a lot of us.

They are family, they appear in most of our photos, they dictate when we go for walks and somehow acquire their own birthdays, Christmas presents and social lives.

Bob & Friends was always meant to feel like a shop for people who understand that.

That does not mean everything has a paw print slapped on it. Some products are for dogs. Plenty are for humans. The common thread is that they are fun, colourful, useful, unusual or simply made us think, “Yep, somebody is going to love that.”

That is also why the shop is deliberately curated rather than filled with thousands of random products.

Bob & Friends beyond Bob

Bob may have secured the brand name, but the “Friends” bit matters too.

A lot of what we stock comes from small UK makers and independent businesses, anything we do not make ourselves is chosen because we genuinely like it and think it belongs here. That might mean a pair of ridiculous sausage dog socks, a colourful candle, a natural dog treat or something completely unexpected.

FAQs

Is Bob a real dog?

Yes. Bob is a real Labradoodle and the actual dog behind the Bob & Friends name.

Where is Bob & Friends based?

Bob & Friends is a small online gift shop based in Sussex, UK. We ship across the UK.

Does Bob choose the products?

Not in any legally meaningful sense.

Jo chooses the products. Bob's expertise is largely concentrated around anything edible.

Does Bob & Friends only sell dog products?

No. We stock gifts and treats for dogs, but also colourful homeware, accessories and quirky gifts for humans. The shop is built for dog-loving people rather than being exclusively a pet shop.

Final thoughts

Bob is a Labradoodle with his name above the door and very little understanding of ecommerce but the shop would not really be Bob & Friends without him.

Have a browse

Fancy seeing what Bob has put his name on?

Have a nosy around the shop for colourful gifts, quirky finds, dog treats and plenty more for humans and their furry sidekicks.