Meet: Dayandra

Meet the Creator: Dayandra

Must Love Dogs. The history of Plenty has been built upon our deep love for our furry friends. The name of our house brand Monk & Lou hails inspiration from our former beloved office dogs Monkey and Louie. You’ll always find dogs in our office. It only made sense to interview the owner and founder of Good Boy Collective, Dayandra. Dayandra is a dog mom to Rupert and Ronnie. You can visit her shop at 3633 Main St or shop online at: shopgoodboy.com or on IG at @shopgoodboy.

Shop Good Boy Collective on Main St

Founded in 2017, Good Boy Collective is a dog-friendly boutique and community space with a focus on modern and ethical supplies for your pup. As Dayandra puts it, “My little shop is my entire heart and soul”. When you enter her store, you are immediately greeted with her vibrant personality which shines through the design and detail of her store. Good Boy Collective was created to share her enthusiasm about dogs and inspire happy, healthy relationships between owners and their pets, while having fun at the same time. Dayandra felt that many fantastic small brands were doing amazing things however were often far less represented in stores. Good Boy Collective aims to transform the pet store world by empowering small businesses and pet owners alike to come together with the common goal of providing the best products, education, and care. Dayandra left behind a career in fashion to open her retail location on Main Street in 2019 and she has not looked back since. Her shop carries brands that inspire her every day. Most of the brands she carries are from small businesses or women-owned with a shared love for dogs and their utmost well-being.

We spent an afternoon with Dayandra to hear more about the inspiration behind Good Boy Collective. Read the full interview below.

Q&A with Dayandra

Q: What are 3 words your friends or family would use to describe you?

A: Energetic, loud, and friendly.

Q: What inspired you to start Good Boy Collective?

A: I was inspired to start Good Boy Collective because there are a lot of great small brands out there that are just far less represented in the big box pet stores. I was working in the fashion world with a lot of smaller boutiques and brands and I was inspired and thought, “Hey this is something that is missing in the pet world”. So, I wanted to start a shop that I would feel really good about shopping in for my dogs so I started online in 2017 and we opened the retail shop in 2019.

Q: Tell us about your dogs.

A: Rupert is a Chinese Crested, he is six years old, and he is our sassy one. He would rather be sleeping or cuddling, he’s not outdoorsy, he just wants to be cute and cuddled. Ronnie is a Dalmatian, she’s two and a half years old, she’s our good girl who listens very well and is a sweetheart. She is full of energy and does agility. Ronnie is my crazy one and Rupert is my chill one.

Q: What’s your favourite childhood snack?

A: Goldfish crackers. They are still my favourite snack, I eat them all the time. In fact, there’s an XL box of fish crackers here. Literally, goldfish in the back!

Q: What are your dog's favourite snacks?

A: Pretty much anything you are offering them. Rupert would eat anything you handed to him, however, if I had to pick a favourite it would be beef liver. And for Ronnie, it would probably be a turkey.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A: The most rewarding part is getting to know our community. We have awesome customers and got to see their puppies grow into adults. I have been able to meet and get to know so many amazing people that have become friends.

Q: What are some of your fondest memories with your dogs?

A: The first thing that comes to mind when I’m speaking about Rupert is when we picked him up because I don’t think anything can describe what a Chinese Crested puppy looks like. It looks like a hamster-sized goat in a really weird way. He was way smaller than we pictured him to be. We made the drive to Penticton to pick him up and he was so cute and funny-looking, it was just hilarious. With Ronnie, she makes me laugh every day. One of our favourite moments with Ronnie was the first time we did an agility competition. It was really fun and exciting and cool to have that experience and to still do that.

Q: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: To be patient because you’ll figure out what you want to do later.

Q: What’s one thing you’re most grateful for about being in this neighbourhood?

A: Definitely our neighbours. We are surrounded by really awesome small businesses and we all get along well and we support each other. I’m grateful to be surrounded by so many amazing small businesses.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I am a jeans and T-shirt person. I think that’s my everyday uniform, some form of jeans and some form of T-shirt. I like classic sneakers, tees, and denim. I wear mostly black and white. I would say casual, simple, and classic.

Q: Are there any fashion trends that you like?

A: I like that ballet flats are a thing again. They are really cute and easy to wear and it’s a nice thing to throw on with jeans and a t-shirt that makes an outfit elegant and classy. I also love wearing sneakers because they are cute and comfortable.