Listen to this articlePress release: GURU Pet
Pet industry veterans JJ and Amy Stone announce the launch of GURU Pet Company, an innovative dog toy business with a mission to develop products that challenge dogs’ minds, appeal to their natural instincts and inspire their spirit.
After decades of inventing and developing some of the most successful pet products for some of the industry’s leading brands, the husband-and-wife duo is stepping out from behind the curtain to bring their brand of dog toys directly to people and their furry friends. JJ and Amy Stone will officially launch GURU and its first four product lines at the upcoming SuperZoo trade show in August 2023.
With the company’s slogan, “Simple Innovation for Challenging Play,” at the forefront of each product, GURU toys will keep dogs engaged through intentional play by responding to natural behaviors.
“The toys we make are designed FOR dogs,” says founder Amy Stone. “Our mission is to keep dogs out of kennels and into our homes where each dog’s unique behaviors and instincts can be met with toys that satisfy who they are and how they were created. .”
Outside of being incredibly safe and durable, every GURU product must encompass three things: It must challenge dogs’ minds, appeal to their natural instincts, and inspire their spirits.
“We bring dogs into our homes and expect them to be perfect little citizens, but dogs have a natural tendency to chew, dig, and bark. We create products to address these natural behaviors so our pets feel energetic, happy and content,” he added.
With over 30 years of combined experience, Amy’s innovative ideas for creating products that improve the lives of animals pair perfectly with JJ’s passion to deliver the best products available on the market through unique design of product, new manufacturing processes, and creating the safest and most durable. materials. Prior to GURU, the Stones spent a decade inventing and developing numerous pet products for other industry leading brands under their Gravity Product Development (GPD) company.
“For years, Amy would be out walking or in the backyard with one of our dogs and would be inspired by an idea for a new product,” says JJ Stone. “Then I’ll figure out how to do it.”
JJ has successfully brought hundreds of products to the consumer and pet retail markets. Early in his career, he moved to Hong Kong where he trained with some of the industry’s top leaders, learning and studying the newest and most advanced manufacturing processes of the time. He then spent three years at KONG Company as VP of product development where he helped drive new product innovation and offshore manufacturing processes before starting GPD.
With a lifelong love of animals and a passion to improve their lives, Amy Stone has spent her career in the pet industry. Prior to GPD, he was a senior product manager at KONG Company for 14 years. During this time, he spearheaded many great product launches that helped KONG grow to where they are today.
“Colleagues are asking why now? And it’s pretty simple,” noted Amy Stone. “Why not now? We’ve enjoyed our simple lives inventing and developing pet products for amazing companies that we greatly respect, but we wanted to create a brand where the mental and physical well-being of pets animals are at the forefront of every toy and product we develop. We are determined to design, develop and manufacture products our way — and that’s just for animals.”
At this year’s SuperZoo, GURU will release four lines and 50+ SKUs of multi-functional toys that simultaneously cater to multiple instincts:
- Hide-A-Tail: With a tail that hides in a hidden pocket, this soft toy curls, squeaks, and encourages and challenges dogs to solve problems.
- Fry Guys: Sticks with attitude! Crinkle, squeal, and fetch these big personalities while engaging a dog in exciting play.
- Chew Perfect: This product comes in three styles — The BusyBall, Adjust-A-Chew, Spin & Treat — all designed with nylon wood to safely encourage chewing while simultaneously stimulating the mind.
- Chew Pro: Designed for the toughest players, the Bonanza!, Challenger and the Duo-Ball are created from thermoplastic rubber for the toughest games.
The products will be available in January 2024.
