Meet Febra Alexander | The Dog Treat Lady

We had the good fortune of connecting with Febra Alexander and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Febra, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success of my brand of natural handmade Dog treats; is simply the love I have for my two dogs Muffin and James. It began with a casual conversation with a coworker and asking how their weekend was , and them responding they made treats for their dog!
Wait what people do that !!!
I was intrigued looked up a some recipes and that’s how it all began.
I didn’t realized how easy and quick and fun it was to make these a simple and tasty safe human ingredient treats for my dogs. It brought back a creative outlet I had been missing and with that my dogs were well stocked with all the Peanut butter banana treats they could want.
Enjoying this new activity I began to look up what else is safe and healthful for them . I picked some specific ingredients that I felt my dogs needed and crafted our signature flavored bites.
I love that my doggy’s love the treats I make for them with them in mind.

Having taken the leap after friends and coworkers said I should sell these , I put myself out there in the farmers markets to see if I had a viable product. Would the other pawrents out there trust me and my product ; would other doggies like my treats as much as my dogs do.
I wanted to make sure that my product facilitated a great need ; in that our pets need quality foods to aid in a balanced diet with ingredients fresh and clean , no preservatives . I felt really good about what I was putting out their.
Being in the farmers markets gives me first hand knowledge as I interact with the pups , dogs and their humans letting me know they love our treats coming back every weekend to pick up a bag and also how much they smell so good they want to eat them too ( which they can coz it’s all human ingredients)

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What sets me and my business apart from others ,isn’t much if we are all doing what’s right for the health and diets of our dogs . What distinguishes my product from others is the treats I make are not meant to sit on a shelf to last. I equated what I do for the doggy’s and pups as the same for humans going to the supermarket and picking up their fresh baked goods weekly. In addition their are brands now putting human grade on their packaging but still loaded with chemical preservatives and not really human consumption ingredients. Our treats are made with human consumed ingredients and I like to tell my customers ; instead of your pup begging for your food they now have their own human dog treat. What I love the most is when I meet the pawrents for the first time or anyone intrigued about our products , I tell them you must take a sniff!
With that the reaction is 99.9% of the time “oh I wanna eat that “ and they can!
My brand is still in newborn stage as due to the fact I do have a day job and working both is a big undertaking; I never thought at this stage of my life I would be so passionate and working so hard but my doggy bag treats have given me back a creative flow I am enjoying to the max. I wouldn’t say it was hard or easy getting to where I am today with my business. I personally like to know all the steps and to put in to practice first before solidifying an action or commitment.
My business practice has been to take each task in the building of my brand presenting it reviewing it seeing first hand in the farmers markets how people are receptive to what I am doing and listening to their feedback. I am not reactive to one singular comment unless it becomes a repetitive and then I tweak.
I like to talk to others who have built a business ahead of me and then seeing what resonates with me in the directions I want to take for my business.
Lessons I have learned are that it is business you can not take it personal and you are not in competition with anyone else and your pace is your pace.
I want the world to know that I never in my life thought I’d be baking treats for dogs or how much satisfaction and fulfillment I get from meeting the pups and doggy’s , their pawrents and the wonderful conversations, reactions and feedback that has let me know I am doing something right. If it wasn’t for Muffin 10 years ago having 12 pups in her unplanned pregnancy a cold January in 2013 , at the time not knowing why this was happening ; today has me realizing God always has a great plan for us and this was God’s plan for me and my pups.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
New York & New York City , really speaks for itself. There is something for everyone and so much to see. When friends come to visit us in Long Island depending on the season , but if it’s warmer weather we have the beaches close by , Robert Moses is a great attraction with the light house walk along ocean front. We have the Hamptons and Montauk with all the quaint little towns and their shops. The NYC part has the best night light and tourist attractions, my favorite spots currently are these restaurant bars on 36th and 6th Ave called “The Parlour” , “Rag Trader” and “ Bo Peeps” . The food the drinks and live music all have a great ambience . K-town is a favorite in mid town. Brooklyn is a must and then anywhere else that may interest them. There is an abundance of activities.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My Dogs Muffin and James , they are the only reason Doggy bag treats exist and why I love making them. The bonus is all the other pawrents , doggy’s and pups we I have met and treated along this unexpected and enjoyable journey.

Website: Doggybagtreat.com

Instagram: @muffin.n.james

Facebook: @doggbagtreat