DAZS Dog Beds: Tampa Couple Help Canines Catch Some Zzzz's

Eric Alvord and Brooke Ivy of Tampa found a way to spoil their pooches with a bit of sleeping luxury while keeping their house neat too.

DAZS Dog Beds, an entrepreneurial company that custom makes beds for dogs, was launched to provide dog lovers with a more stylish, less messy option for pet sleeping. Alvord is a hairstylist by day with Mint Hair Lounge and Ivy is a guidance counselor with a master's degree in child psychology. Both, of course, are dog lovers. Alvord has two dogs, a Boston Terrier and a shitzu, and Ivy has two Dachshunds.

"With four dogs, we had dog pillows all around the house and eventually you end up with more than four pillows," says Alvord. "The dogs like to drag the pillows all around the house and we kind of got fed up with them being dragged all over, so we got a little creative, started throwing some things together and came up with bed frames."

Since founding DAZS in January, random pillows around the house have been eliminated, and Alvord's and Ivy's dogs are happy with their new sleeping arrangements. The company is lovingly named after the first letter of their dogs' names: Dexter, Annie, Zena and Sasha. The best part of being a business owner? "Being able to get creative and know that dog lovers will appreciate it," says Alvord. Noting that dog pillows can get expensive and this is a way to keep them in shape while adding some character.

Believing that every dog deserves a "stylish place to call their own," DAZS Dog Beds offers custom dog beds to match the decor of one's home. Each bed is made of handcrafted wood and designed by Alvord in the shed behind his house. While the beds can be custom-made and designed to fit any size dog, their beds are designed to fit regular pillows as well for ease of cleaning and sturdiness. Prices start at $75.

Writer: Nancy Vaughn
Source: Eric Alvor, Dazs Dog Beds