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Business & Tech

Jodes Happy Tail Flourishing in a 'Dog-Eat-Dog World'

One-year-old Little Silver bakery/caterer whips up organic, all-natural treats for Monmouth County pooches.

Delynn Mehrlander’s life has gone to the dogs – literally – but, that suits her just fine. As the founder and owner of Jodes Happy Tail All Natural Canine Frozen Yogurt and Treats, the Little Silver resident enjoys putting smiles on the faces of dogs – and their masters – throughout the county.

“Jodes Happy Tail Treats are unique because they are beautifully packaged, all-natural, and many of the ingredients are locally sourced or grown in our own organic gardens,” said Mehrlander. “Each treat is made with human hands and not mass-produced by machines. We never use artificial ingredients, fillers, colorings or preservatives.”

How can it be determined whether the bakery owner is putting smiles on dogs’ faces? Statistics, naturally.

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Jodes – begun in October 2010 – currently distributes goodies to 17 Monmouth County locations including veterinary hospitals, , Little Silver; , Red Bank; Rumson Gourmet Market; and Paws and Pose, Long Branch. Thanks to their popularity, dogs as far away as California, Italy and Japan also enjoy the treats. During the summer months – busiest season for frozen treats – Mehrlander fills orders of dozens of frozen yogurt treats daily for , Rumson.

She also hand-rolls and cuts 2,000 individual treats per-week, and has a single order of 10,000 single biscuits for a client – needed by the first week in December. Just this past week, the she fulfilled an order of 400 bags of treats for two clients – and went through 25 pounds of flour.

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This is fine with the baker, as the holiday recipe is one she enjoys creating.

“Turkey-sweet potato biscuits are my favorite to make, because every day smells like Thanksgiving!,” said Mehrlander.

She’s not fond of cooking with liver, and therefore it isn’t offered on the menu, which changes with the availability of seasonal ingredients. Jodes Happy Tail’s “signature” item is Peanut Butter Oatmeal Carob Chip Treats, offered year-round. This treat – along with turkey-sweet potato – is the bakery’s most popular, while the least popular was a fat-free apple spice treat which has been removed from the menu.

“Even the Labradors would not eat them,” said Mehrlander. “Our treats go through a vigorous testing process. It first has to be visually appealing or the dog parents will not buy the products. Then, the treats are sampled by our very picky taste-testing team. A new flavor must be unanimously enjoyed before it will be placed on the store shelves.”

Henry – Mehrlander and husband John’s yellow Labrador retriever pup – is more than willing to be a taste tester, with most items moderately priced, and treats beginning at $6.

“We may be a little higher for cakes and pup cakes because they are all freshly created and custom-made for clients,” said Mehrlander. “These are treats that are not only delicious, but all-natural and low-fat.”

The bakery also makes custom gift baskets filled with treats as well as after-dinner mints – ideal for hostess gifts, holiday gifts or any-occasion gifts – yet the company isn’t just about healthy, tastefully packaged treats.

“We recently catered several canine birthday parties. The lucky four-legged friends were all treated to Jodes Happy Tail Cakes, and frozen yogurt treats, and each took home a beautifully wrapped box of treats,” said Mehrlander. “There is no order too large or too small – some clients want a full-service, catered canine party and others will call and ask for four pup cakes.”

Business has grown to the point that the baker now rents kitchen space from a local civic organization. Jodes Happy Tail is expanding its product line as well as the number of locations where treats can be purchased, and will add online sales in the near future. The bakery also accommodates unique requests, and gladly fills special orders.

“We have been asked to do dog mitzvahs, and dog weddings as well as dog graduation parties,” said Mehrlander. “We have made a frozen yogurt cake, and also make gluten-free, grain free products by special order.”

The bakery was named eponymously for the Mehrlander’s dog, Jode.

“The inspiration for Jodes Happy Tail came after the loss of our yellow Lab, Jode. I had always baked treats for him, and after he went to Heaven, I had the idea to open a dog bakery and name it Jodes Happy Tail as a way to remember and honor his name,” said Mehrlander. “He was the happiest dog in the world and we were so lucky and blessed, as Jode was responsible for teaching our family some of life’s greatest and most treasured lessons, most importantly, that of loyalty, love and trust.”

Loyalty is paramount to the Mehrlanders – as homeowners also in Vermont – belong to an organic farmers’ co-op and buy ingredients such as vegetables, honey and whole-wheat flour for the bakery’s treats.

“It is especially important for us to support the farmers of Vermont and New Jersey, since a great deal of their farms and crops were destroyed as a result of Hurricane Irene,” said Mehrlander.

The altruistic couple also believes in giving back financially.

“A portion of proceeds from Jodes Happy Tail treats is donated to local rescues, shelters, The Jode Fund and The Morris Foundation for Canine Cancer Research. These are truly treats with a heart,” said Mehrlander.

The mellow, yet energetic baker – who’s roughly age seven to eight in “dog years” – doesn’t just cater to dogs, but humans as well.

“I currently hold a part-time position as a dermatology nurse,” said Mehrlander. “I dedicate about 50 percent of my time to baking, 40 percent to nursing, and about 10 percent to rest and family time. I have been a nurse for 32 years, and worked in areas such as case management, cardiac care, and women’s health.”

The nurse-slash-baker isn’t all alone in the kitchen. John – a general partner at Volvo of Edison – is her baking assistant on Sundays, and Delynn’s mother, Gwendolyn – a former gift basket designer at Williams-Sonoma – assists with packaging and gift baskets.

The trio is kept busy with orders for simple folk, as well as celebrity clients. Mehrlander won’t name names, but divulged one canine client has starred in several TV commercials, and a local human client/dog trainer for a celebrity couple has been showcased on a reality TV show.

Celebrities, non-celebrities – doesn’t faze Mehrlander.

“The most rewarding part of the day is positive feedback from my clients, having my phone ring for additional orders and the wonderful friends I have made. The worst part of my day: Not enough hours!,” said Mehrlander.

She makes good use of what little free time she has.

“In my down time, I enjoy spending quality time with John and Henry, playing golf, taking business and marketing classes, and spending time with friends and family,” said Mehrlander.

Yet, she still envisions taking care of man’s best friend forever.

“Give your dog a Happy Tail, too – your dog will thank you!,” said Mehrlander.

For more information on Jodes Happy Tail All Natural Canine Frozen Yogurt and Treats, call 732-915-8010 or visit www.jodeshappytail.com.

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