about us
The "tail" of barking babies™ began in Japan. While living and working abroad in Tokyo, the beautiful, unique, and fashion-forward dog apparel and accessories available to fido fashionistas caught the eye of owner Nancy Jelenic and her Jack Russell Terrier, Quintin.
After moving back to Vancouver in 2004, it all started with a simple question: "Where did you get that jacket for your dog?"
After hearing it again and again, Nancy realized there was a growing demand for high-quality dog fashion and accessories in Vancouver. Inspired by that interest, she and her trusty JRT Quintin opened barking babies™ dog boutique, in tribute to the families who treat their dogs like children and want only the best for them.
In 2006, barking babies™ expanded from a 300 sq. ft. store to over 1000 sq. ft., creating a space that offers a complete dog lifestyle experience. Today the boutique carries a curated selection of stylish dog apparel, accessories, quality foods, treats, and trusted services for dogs and their families.
barking babies™ also offers services including:
- dog grooming
- anesthesia-free teeth cleaning
- no-appointment nail trim clinic
our mission
Our mission is simple: barking babies™ is a place where our dogs are our babies - a sentiment shared by our clientele from all over the world.
At barking babies™, we carefully choose products that combine comfort, safety, and style for dogs of all sizes. We recognize the importance of a lifetime of health and happiness and continually strive to enhance dogs’ lifestyles by offering the very best in food, fashion, accessories, and exceptional dog services.
a trusted vancouver dog boutique since 2004
Since 2004, barking babies™ has been a trusted dog boutique in Vancouver, offering stylish apparel, comfortable harnesses, quality foods, toys, and accessories for dogs of all sizes. Our boutique focuses on carefully selected products, trusted brands, and a welcoming space for dogs and their humans.
For over two decades, barking babies™ has proudly served local customers in our Vancouver boutique as well as dog lovers from around the world through our online store, allowing more pups and their people to experience the barking babies™ boutique.
the top dog team
Nancy, Alpha Dog
Owner
Nancy fell in love with haute canine couture while living in Tokyo. After a successful career in marketing, she followed her passion into the dog fashion world. Running the boutique is her joy and her mission is to provide only the best for all of our beloved barking babies™. Her own pups include Georgie Girl and Monsieur Pepe (with Quintin, Tallulah Belle, and Mr. Pickles watching over from heaven ✨🌈).
Veronica, Top Dog
Master Groomer
With close to 20 years of dog grooming experience, Veronica is known for her gentle touch and calm presence. Not only does she deliver beautiful haircuts, she makes sure your pup's experience is as stress free as possible. She’s especially great with seniors, puppies, and nervous pups.
Umi, Top Dog
Master Groomer
Umi brings style, sophistication and precision to every groom. With years of training and multiple certifications, she ensures that every pup looks their very best. Umi also trained in Korea and is an expert in the stylish and sought-after Asia Fusion grooming style.
Lisa, Top Dog
Assistant Manager
Lisa oversees the daily operations at barking babies, ensuring everything runs seamlessly. With extensive product knowledge and a background in dog daycare, she provides exceptional service and enjoys welcoming every new pup to the boutique! Her trusted companion is Dobby.
Natasha, Top Dog
Website Coordinator & Sales
Natasha keeps the barking babies website fresh and up to date. From writing content to uploading the latest doggie fashions and accessories, her expertise helps you find the perfect picks. Her two pups, Kona &d Kaya, are her daily inspiration.
Frida, Top Dog
Sales & Assistant Groomer
Frida brings her love of dogs to barking babies with a warm smile and a helping hand. She enjoys meeting every pup that comes through our doors and supports both retail sales and grooming with training in dog washing and brushing.
Brenda, Top Dog
Retail Sales Associate
With her infectious smile, Brenda makes every visit to barking babies a great one! With experience in doggie fittings and all things dog, she ensures your shopping experience is fun, easy, and tailored to your pup’s needs.
Audrey, Top Dog
Retail Sales Associate
Audrey brings years of customer service experience to barking babies. Having worked for some of the biggest retail fashion brands, Audrey ensures that your shopping experience at barking babies is enjoyable and memorable.
Jenaya, Top Dog
Social Media
Jenaya has a deep love for all animals and a special talent for showcasing their charm through photos and videos. With a passion for caring for both cats and dogs, she brings their personalities to life in our social media posts.
Join Our Team!
Assistant Manager
We’re looking for an Assistant Manager to join our team at barking babies in Yaletown.
If you love dogs, dog fashion, retail, and working with people, this could be the perfect fit. We’re a busy dog lifestyle boutique and grooming salon, and we’re looking for someone who is confident, organized, friendly, and ready to help support our team and day-to-day operations.
The position:
- full-time, approximately 30–40 hours per week
- 3–4 days per week
- one weekend day is required
- pay depends on experience
- located in Yaletown, Vancouver
What you’ll be doing:
- supporting and helping lead our retail team
- providing excellent customer service and sales
- assisting with daily boutique operations
- ordering and receiving product
- adding new products to our POS system
- restocking and merchandising
- helping keep the boutique organized, beautiful, and running smoothly
What we’re looking for:
- previous retail experience
- retail management or leadership experience is a strong asset
- confident and comfortable with sales
- organized, reliable, and detail-oriented
- great with people and, of course, dogs
- knowledge of Lightspeed POS and Shopify is a huge asset
If you’re passionate about retail, love dogs, and think you’d be a great fit for barking babies, we’d love to hear from you. Email resume to: info@barkingbabies.com
Social Media Coordinator
We’re looking for a creative, outgoing Social Media Coordinator to join our team at barking babies in yaletown.
This is a part-time position, approximately 10–20 hours per week.
The position:
This role is a mix of social media content creation and some in-store sales. we want our social media coordinator to really know our products, our customers and the barking babies brand, so spending time on the sales floor is an important part of the position.
What you’ll be doing:
• creating weekly social media posts, reels and videos
• photographing and filming new products, dogs and in-store content
• helping plan and create fresh, engaging content for our social channels
• showcasing new arrivals, grooming and what’s happening at barking babies
• assisting customers and learning our products through in-store sales
• working closely with our team to keep our content consistent and on-brand
What we’re looking for:
• experience with social media and content creation
• comfortable creating reels, videos
If you’re passionate about social media, love dogs, and think you’d be a great fit for barking babies, we’d love to hear from you.
Please send your resume along with examples of social media or content you’ve created to info@barkingbabies.com