Brand Dossier

The Dog Stop

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

The Dog Stop costs $493,850 to $1,373,500 to open (2026 FDD Item 7), with a Variable fee model fee structure and an average unit volume of $833,084 disclosed in 2026 FDD Item 19. Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure and Term & Exit Terms, In Line on Unit Economics, Litigation History, and Operator Validation. Independent analysis, no commissions, no franchisor revenue.
Not ranked in the Entrepreneur 2026 Franchise 500Pet ServicesFDD issued April 30, 2026
Ranking ContextThe Dog Stop is not ranked in the Entrepreneur 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is an independent publication and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Measurement period: Item 19 Reporting Period: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025.
About the Brand

About The Dog Stop

The Dog Stop franchises retail pet care businesses offering dog daycare, boarding, training, grooming, enrichment, dog walking, and in-home services, along with premium dog food, treats, and dog-related accessories. Franchisees serve local dog owners from a retail storefront typically between 3,000 and 10,000 square feet, with area development agreements available for owners who want to open multiple locations.

Source: Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$493,850 to $1,373,500
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$60,000
Development fee: Area Development Agreement Development Fee (in lieu of Initial Franchise Fees), per unit: 2 units $55,000/unit; 3-5 units $45,000/unit; 6-9 units $40,000/unit; 10+ units $35,000/unit.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
Variable fee model
Ongoing franchisor take is ~8% of Gross Sales (6% Royalty + 2% Brand Development Fund) plus a $100-$500/month Technology Fee.
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Yes
Average Unit Metric $833,084.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 0 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $60,000. FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee Area Development Agreement Development Fee (in lieu of Initial Franchise Fees), per unit: 2 units $55,000/unit; 3-5 units $45,000/unit; 6-9 units $40,000/unit; 10+ units $35,000/unit. FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee 6% of Gross Sales, due Monday of each week on the prior week's Gross Sales. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $493,850 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $1,373,500 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Yes: Average Unit Metric $833,084 FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 40 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 6 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +9 FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Item 6 sets a weekly royalty plus a brand development fund and a self-directed local advertising requirement, alongside a monthly technology fee and standard per-event fees.

Unit Economics
In Line
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

Item 19 discloses a historical average total revenue for a blended group of franchised and affiliate outlets, with a wide spread and no combined median, all on a gross-revenue (not profit) basis.

Litigation History
In Line
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

Source-reviewed FDD Item 3 discloses 0 actions. The legal-context read remains locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
In Line
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

Item 20 shows a system that grew every year for the last three years, with minimal terminations and a sizable signed-but-unopened pipeline, but off a small and youthful base.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

Item 17 sets a ten-year term with one ten-year renewal, a fixed transfer fee, a right of first refusal, a post-termination asset-purchase option, and a two-year, fifty-mile non-compete.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Item 19 earnings data is disclosed for The Dog Stop. The full disclosure is free below; Zorzee's read of what it means stays in Pro.

What the Claim Discloses
Average Unit Metric
$833,084
Sample Size & Coverage
See notecoverage detail
Covers the Reporting Group of 35 locations - 29 franchised units that submitted financial data plus 6 affiliate-owned units - all open for the full Reporting Period of January 1 to December 31, 2025. Excludes the 10 franchised units that opened during 2025 and one franchised unit (Huntsville, Alabama, shown as Location 16) that was open all year but did not submit financial data. Item 19, pp.43-46.
Item 19 Reporting Period: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025
High / Low Range
$311,450 to $2,550,968
What the Disclosure Excludes
Expenses, net income, owner compensation
Gross revenue is not profit
What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Read Locked
Pro turns the disclosed fields into a read: whether the average is trustworthy, what the disclosure leaves out, and the year-one revenue number Zorzee would underwrite.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
46
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Franchised
40
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
6
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+9
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
25
2023
37
2024
46
2025

The Dog Stop trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

0 actions disclosed in source-reviewed FDD Item 3.

Source Status
Item 3 litigation detail not yet sourced
Not yet sourced. No zero-action conclusion has been loaded for this brand.
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters long before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on The Dog Stop: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what The Dog Stop costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
Your Pro Membership
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  • The full Signal Tracker across the portal
  • The Zorzee Files: FDD guides, DCF templates, and pro forma models (coming soon)
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FAQ

The Dog Stop Franchise Questions, Answered

How much does a The Dog Stop franchise cost?

A The Dog Stop franchise costs $493,850 to $1,373,500 to open, disclosed in FDD Item 7 of the 2026 filing, covering the franchise fee, buildout, equipment, and working capital to breakeven. No commissions, no franchisor revenue, independent analysis only.

What are the royalty and fees for The Dog Stop?

The Dog Stop uses a Variable fee model fee structure, disclosed in FDD Item 6.

What does The Dog Stop disclose in FDD Item 19?

Item 19 for The Dog Stop discloses an average unit volume of $833,084 in the 2026 FDD. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee's read of what it excludes is in the Pro dossier.

What is The Dog Stop's average unit volume?

The Dog Stop's average unit volume is $833,084 in the 2026 FDD. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee's read of what it excludes is in the Pro dossier.

Does The Dog Stop have any lawsuits or litigation?

The Dog Stop's FDD Item 3 discloses no legal actions in the 2026 filing.

Is The Dog Stop a good franchise investment?

Zorzee does not rate franchises good or bad; it reports what the filing discloses so you can judge fit. The Dog Stop shows Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure and Term & Exit Terms, In Line on Unit Economics, Litigation History, and Operator Validation. Whether it fits depends on your capital, your market, and your operating style. Independent analysis, no franchisor revenue.