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Discovering the Spirit of Having a Tail to Wag
By Heather Gaghan
“In moments of joy, all of us wished we possessed, a tail we could wag.”
This line from a poem by W.H. Auden can be found in libraries around the world. It can also be found glued to the back of a picture of Aiko playing on the beach. Aiko was the beloved Newfoundland/Lab mix and four legged companion of Wendel Wirth—founder of a tail we could wag, a company that creates fun wear for people and pets. Aiko was also the inspiration for the company’s first product line—woven dog collars. It could be said that dogs in general are an integral part of the life of this unique company.
Wendel recalls her times with Aiko with unmistakable fondness. “He went everywhere with me. Aiko was an incredible dog. He would wait for me outside of any building – unattached and unattended – even in downtown Chicago. I could ride my bike down the street and he would run on the sidewalk. He would wait at every corner for me to tell him it was safe to cross the street.
During her college years, Wirth remembers the bike race they would have. “When we hit that line, I would bike as hard as I could and Aiko would run as hard as he could back to the dorm. He always won. At first, he’d stand at the top of the stairs to declare his victory but as our races grew more competitive, Aiko would stop halfway on our course, pretending to eat grass. The minute I was even with him, he would take off again and declare his victory with a laugh. It’s no wonder I wanted to dress him up.”
It is this connection to her furry four-legged companions and her love of the great outdoors and photography that finds Wendel where she is today—nestled among the peaks and valleys of central Idaho in a modern version of Eden otherwise known as Ketchum. Sun Valley, as it is better known, is dog heaven. Since the 1970s it has enjoyed a reputation for its unmatched hospitality to dogs and to those who love them. There aren’t too many places that offer the joy of cross country skiing with your canine. She shares her home with Chinook, a nine year old Malamute/Husky mix who Wendel says is all Lab inside and a new English Golden Retriever puppy named McGee although nicknamed McChew. She has also had the pleasure of sharing time with “an incredible Lab named Arlo (son of Woodi) and a truly great, tail-wagging Golden named Gatsby.”
It was after earning her undergraduate degree in photography at Denison University in Ohio in 1988, when Wirth first decided to move to Sun Valley—a town famous for its puppy love that had Wendel immediately smitten. This affection proved inspirational as a tail we could wag was born there and founded on one simple creation: a worn Guatemalan sash and an old leash.
She and Aiko would walk around town and it didn’t take long for Wendel to discover that “there were no interesting [dog] collars so people would stop me and asked where I got the collar. Whenever I told someone that I made it, they all replied that I should sell them.” This idea seemed a logical progression of things—the design of the leash brought together her love for dogs and artistic creation.
Wirth recalls thinking, “[the idea] gave me the nerve to purchase a sewing machine and to learn how to use it – well at least I can now sew a dog collar. It’s a good thing for my customers that we grew fairly quickly and the professionals took over the sewing early on.”
Wendel’s generous nature extends to those seeking to make a better life for themselves and is involved with “an incredible Fair Trade organization.” Wendel explains,” the Mayan people of Guatemala suffered great losses during the recently ended civil war. Many women were left to raise families on their own in a country already depressed. At a tail we could wag, we help by giving these artists an opportunity to earn an income from their skills while building community development and helping to increase self confidence and hope for themselves, their children, their families and their villages.”
The founder and creator of a tail we could wag is humble when she speaks of the Mayan women who hand weave her designs. She visits the tiny community in the Guatemalan highlands on a regular basis. It is a reminder for Wirth of how, even smaller companies like hers can make such big differences in the lives of the people, the craftswomen, who make her products a reality.
“We took a trip to the next village over to see the dying process: hills of cement huts colored by the various yarns hanging out to dry. It’s very rewarding to see the trickle down effect of what we have created and the pride the Mayans have for their work.
We have seen families build houses, buy cars and even name children after those who have helped to bring them these economic contacts. We have seen women gain confidence and express, through a song, how proud they are to be women. For many, this is a very new feeling. These are the true heroes and the ones that make this all possible.”
Soon customers began asking when they could have their own products to wear. Over the years everything from key chains, belts, baseball hats, and dog leads has been added to the company’s product lines. In a clever testament to the quality of the products, the website reads, “While our collars were originally “Lab” tested and happily approved, Terriers and Jack Russell’s seem to wag in agreement.”
Wendel says the spirit of the company comes from Ketchum Valley, but after browsing through the website it can also be believed that the dogs have a little to do with it too. This spirit can also be seen in the company’s catalog, where many of the pictures are taken by Wirth. With a background in photography and a love of the medium since childhood, she feels the real spirit of the company is revealed through the photos. “In 6th grade my father handed me his 35mm Pentax camera and I was instantly intrigued. Within a year I had a darkroom set up in the laundry room of the Chicago apartment where we lived at that time.”
“As we grew, we got tons and tons of compliments on the photographs—people were cutting up our catalogs and putting the photos up by their desk and stuff. I really realized how happy dogs made people.” So the decision was made to create postcards, initially starting with four different designs that were placed among the lip gloss and sunglasses that cover the register counters at local businesses. The postcards have been such a success that they are now up to 20 postcards in the collection.
Wendel has seen her creation grow from its origins of making collars and leashes and selling them over the counter at Apples, a local bar & grill (the source of her paychecks at the time) to an exciting line of colorful accessories and clothing that is sold throughout the US, UK as well as Japan.
All Labs is proud to share the spirit and lifestyle of a tail we could wag. You can see more of a tail we could wag’s products in our Collars & Leads, Apparel, and Cards and Giftwrap Depts. or visit Wendel Wirth, Chinook, and McGee at www.atailwecouldwag.com.
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