ARTICLE / THE MAKING OF... SERIES
The making of...
Houndztooth.
From farm life to functional pet health, building a premium brand for happier, healthier dogs.
Series
The making of... Series
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#Houndztooth #NoFussPetFood #founderstories #petwellness #petnutrition #brandbuilding #entrepreneurlife #themakingof #consumerbrands #startupjourney #pethealth
Growing up surrounded by animals on a farm in regional Victoria, Rachael Tricarico learned early that nutrition, care and wellbeing are deeply connected. Years later, after working inside the pet industry and seeing the gaps firsthand, she decided to create something different. Enter Houndztooth, a premium pet wellness brand focused on natural supplements, grooming and nutrition designed to support dogs from the inside out.
What began with one dog’s skin allergies has since evolved into a growing brand trusted by pet owners, stocked nationally, and recently named the exclusive supplement and grooming partner of Guide Dogs Victoria.
Having also worked with Houndztooth on brand development, we caught up with Rachael to talk about building in a competitive category, creating products with purpose, and what it really takes to scale a modern pet wellness brand.
Hey Rachael, lovely to catch up again and welcome to The making of… Let’s start at the beginning. Who are you, and what’s the story behind Houndztooth?
Well, as you know, I’m Rachael Tricarico, founder of Houndztooth and No Fuss Pet Food.
I grew up on a farm in Harkaway and always had a strong connection to animals. I competed nationally in equestrian showing and dressage and originally planned to study vet science before shifting into business and animal nutrition. Over the years I worked within the pet industry developing products for major retailers including Coles and Woolworths, before deciding to back myself and launch Houndztooth in 2018.
Your connection to animal wellbeing clearly runs deep. What sparked the original idea for the brand?
A lot of it came from my own dogs. My first dog, Hugo, suffered from severe skin allergies and there was very little available on the market that offered a natural solution. Later, when Stella came along, I became determined to create products that approached pet health more holistically.
Growing up around animals taught me early that nutrition, health and wellbeing are deeply connected, and I wanted to create products that supported the whole dog, healthy inside and out.
Will Hetherington & Bryce Scoullar
The pet wellness category has exploded in recent years. How did you research the market and find your place within it?
A lot of the research came from personal experience, industry knowledge, formal studies and overseas travel, particularly to the US market, which is often ahead of Australia in pet health trends.
I focused on identifying the health challenges dog owners were facing and the gaps that existed in the market. We were first to market with several products, particularly our hemp health supplements and goat milk based grooming range, which helped us carve out a strong position early on.
Every founder has a few early product horror stories. What were the first versions of Houndztooth products actually like?
Our first sample batch of grooming products definitely wasn’t the quality I had envisioned. I pivoted quickly and found another contract manufacturer that truly understood our brief and vision. We still work with them today.
The biggest challenge has probably been our freeze dried treats and meal toppers. Freeze drying is still relatively new in pet food, so there was a lot of trial and error developing recipes and ensuring the final product matched our standards.
Building a premium product range takes patience and capital. How did you fund the early stages?
Everything was self funded through my own savings. It was tough, especially in the early years when I wasn’t paying myself a salary. There was definitely a lot of sacrifice involved in getting the business off the ground.
Houndztooth has a very distinctive look in a category full of loud pet branding. How did you approach the brand identity?
From the beginning, I knew I wanted Houndztooth to feel minimalist, premium and professional. Most pet brands leaned heavily into bright colours and dog imagery, and I wanted to move away from that.
The black and white palette was inspired by the houndstooth pattern itself and became central to the identity. Earlier this year, we also undertook a rebrand across our health supplement range to improve visibility, hierarchy and communication as shopping behaviour evolved. We kept our black and white roots but introduced stronger colour and clearer product messaging, which has helped drive a sales uplift of more than 30 percent.
We also worked with Hunter to develop our grocery brand, No Fuss Pet Food, which brought a much bolder and more playful energy to the category.
Partnerships seem to have played a huge role in building credibility for the brands. How are you growing awareness and scaling today?
One of our biggest recent milestones has been forming a state partnership with Guide Dogs Victoria as the exclusive supplier of their health supplements and grooming products. It reflects a shared commitment to animal wellbeing and gives the brand enormous credibility and recognition.
Previously, we also worked with celebrity media vet Dr Katrina Warren as a brand ambassador for four years, which helped strengthen awareness nationally.
Over the next 12 months, the focus is scaling through founder led storytelling, education and continuing to grow our partnership with Guide Dogs Victoria.
What’s the biggest challenge facing the business as you continue to grow?
Cash flow and resources continue to be the biggest challenge. The broader economic environment has been incredibly difficult for small businesses, particularly in Victoria, and manufacturing costs continue to rise faster than sales in many cases.
Global instability has also pushed up raw materials, packaging and freight costs significantly, so balancing growth while protecting margins is an ongoing challenge.
Ok, final question time. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give another founder just starting out?
Develop a strong three to five year business plan and keep coming back to it regularly. Be flexible because things can change quickly, but don’t dilute your focus too much.
Looking back, I think we launched too many products too quickly under the Houndztooth brand. It takes time to understand your true best sellers and rationalise the range properly.
And most importantly, don’t get emotional if something isn’t working. Change it quickly before it drains your time, energy and cash flow.
