Share this post with your network!
Jordan Dargue, Strategic Advisor, explains why she got involved and how K9 Nation is going to help her and her dogs - Ted, Radar, Duke, and Daisy.
Jordan Dargue
What prompted you to join the K9 Nation Pack?
As an avid dog lover, the K9 Nation vision was a god send. Having a pack of dogs and being an entrepreneur myself I could see the value of having a tech led platform which brings both communities together. Giving the dog owners advice, introducing them to a like-minded community, and enabling recommendations on leisure activities is a perfect scenario for any dog owner.
From a business owner’s perspective, I’m all about supporting and developing businesses. I thought the idea of those businesses being supported by the K9 Nation app and giving them exposure to new and markets was a fantastic idea and a great opportunity for them to grow and develop.
All the above, plus the fact there is no active platform doing this really excited me and pushed me to support the business. I had been working with Becky to support her in raising capital for the business and found her to be a joy to work with, extremely passionate and highly driven. Her drive to create an amazing community ‘the K9 Nation’ by bootstrapping it together was inspirational, and so joining K9 Nation was a no brainer for me!
What have you been able to achieve so far as part of the team?
Wow, this is a great question – in essence over the last 2 months, since I came on board as a Strategic Advisor, we have achieved so much. Being a dog owner and a show dog hobbyist, showing Whippets, I knew exactly where K9 Nation could support this growing dog community across the UK and beyond.
The K9 Nation Clean Up Campaign was a launching campaign – as a team, we all wanted to give back to the community and introduce the K9 Nation brand in the right way – with this campaign we have already been able to support a number of dog-related businesses, create a network and bring on board ambassadors. Connecting with these businesses and dog owners, others who share our passion and vision to give dog owners a go-to app for answers to dog-related questions, purchases and places to go, was a great result from our first campaign.
As a team we have all bonded really well, at the end of the day we all share a passion – no day ever feels like a working day at K9 Nation – and we are so excited about what we have planned over the course of the next few months and beyond. I love the dog community, I’ve met many good friends through walking and showing my dogs, and I know that the K9 Nation app is perfect for building the community further, giving dog owners the support they need and want. I can’t wait to see the app launched in October and we have some exciting plans for everyone across the UK and beyond to get involved.
What do you think is in store for K9 Nation in future?
The future is building that ‘Nation’. Our values and representation are key to how this business will develop. As mentioned above we want the nation to get involved and be a part of something BIG, that fuels their hobbies and passions. We want to support small businesses, bespoke dog businesses and challenge brands to grow and prosper giving the dog community an abundance of choice. We’re aiming for everything a dog owner wants or needs to buy, a service or leisure facility, and walks near and far, to be available at the touch of a button.
The future of K9 Nation is to be the go-to app for everything dog related! We have expert advisors and trainers joining the K9 Nation team to help deliver the best support and advice to our nation.
The Jalwhipp Pack
What breed are your dogs?
As I mentioned above I have a ‘pack’ of dogs, I own 3 whippets and 1 Lhasa Apso. Ted, Radar and Duke are my Whippets and Daisy Boo is my Lhasa Apso.
How old are Ted, Radar, Duke and Daisy?
Ted is 5, Radar is 3 and Duke is coming up 2 – Daisy is my old girl and has just turned 12.
What made you choose the names Ted, Radar, Duke and Daisy?
All of my Whippets are names after children’s TV characters – I have a 7-year old boy, so as he was growing up and a new puppy was introduced he was able to choose their names, Super Ted, Fireman Sam’s Radar and Duke the Disney Character! Daisy came along before Lewis, and I have always loved the names of flowers for girls – so Daisy, became Daisy Boo.
Do they have any favourite toys?
All of my dogs love playing, and their favourites are Wubbas. We recently took a Staycation in Dumfries and left their Wubbas by accident…Ted especially didn’t touch any of the toys we had at home. The cottage owner posted their Wubbas to me and Ted was especially ecstatic – 4 weeks since our holiday, it hasn’t left his bed – only to be chucked around outside of course!
Do they have any bad habits?
I wouldn’t say bad habits as such, bad smells…YES!!!
Where do you like to go for walks?
We’re so lucky here in the North East, we have both coastal walks and country walks – Newton Aycliffe is perfect for dog owners, forestry walks, and open spaces for ‘zoomies’. My favourite of all is Crimdon Beach – peaceful, spacious, and just beautiful. Perfect for dog owners. In Dumfries, where I holiday quite often, I highly recommend the Mabie Forrest treks – beautiful and no leads needed the whole way around!
What’s your favourite memory with your dogs?
As a showing exhibitor my favourite memories have to include exhibiting and showing Ted and Radar at Crufts. My parents and grandparents bred and showed dogs, so I have showed dogs all of my life and attended Crufts on numerous occasions. The best memory is qualifying and taking my own dog, and not only getting to take part but placing at Crufts – both Ted and Radar have taken placings. Radar was awarded a Reserve Challenge Certificate, which means he is Crufts qualified for life and is entered in the prestigious Whippet Stud Book.
What’s your favourite thing about having dogs?
The unconditional love, a dog is never judgemental, and the joy I have seeing them happy, enjoying life, and having no worries is beautiful. I love walking my dogs and look forward to sitting down in the evening and them piling on me for cuddles and comfort – I find owning a dog therapeutic and relaxing…that’s why my pack keeps growing!
We hope this post gave you an intro to our Strategic Advisor, Jordan Dargue, and her pack, Ted, Radar, Duke and Daisy! You can find out more about K9 Nation here.
Share this post with your network!
The best way to stay up-to-date is to download the K9 Nation app! Click the buttons below to download the app on your device.
