A Decade On, Black Nose Trading Company Is Still Going Strong

A Decade On, Black Nose Trading Company Is Still Going StrongWalt Bell. (Photos: Shoshi Parks/Hoodline)
Shoshi Parks
Published on March 31, 2016

There's a unique vintage quality to Black Nose Trading Company that makes this Divisadero dog care and supply shop stand apart from its competitors.

“I didn’t want it to look sterile or modern; I wanted it to look like a hardware store or candy shop from the 1920s, but for dogs,” says owner and jack-of-all-doggy-trades Walt Bell. And he succeeded. Plush toys and premium dog foods line shelves salvaged from Indian door and window frames that date to the 1880s and 1890s. Antique dog statuettes, stuffed animals, and children’s toys and furniture repurposed into dog beds and supplies line the walls. 

Bell points out a row of stuffed black Scotty dogs. Called “Fala” dogs, they were made by the thousands in the 1940s, in the image of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s beloved Scottish terrier. Many of Black Nose's antique items are for sale (a "Fala" runs $50, while a vintage wagon repurposed into a dog bed is priced at $90), but these days, he finds himself less eager to part with them. They are as much a part of the fabric of the store as Bell himself.

Bell started his career as an accountant, but in the mid-2000s, he decided to make a change, opening Black Nose in 2007 with the help of his two Scottish deerhounds. He told us he wanted to be his own boss, but it’s easy to see that Bell is also driven by a sense of responsibility—to the dogs in his care, to the clients that visit his shop and to his local and global community. 


For example, Bell refuses to carry items like rawhide and choke chain collars, because of the dangers they pose. Retractable leashes are also a no. “There was a woman waiting to cross Fell Street using a 15-foot flexi-lead, whose dog ran into the road and was hit by a car,” he tells us. 

Bell prefers to carry locally made goods and treats, provided they're high-quality. One of his best-selling treat brands is a local company called Wiley’s. “When we have their salmon jerky in stock, I can’t keep it on the shelves,” he says. He's also found good products from co-ops, like the hand-knit dog sweaters he carries from one in Central America.

In addition to selling dog supplies and equipment, Black Nose offers bathing and nail trimming, daycare, walks and boarding. Since Bell's business model is more á la carte than some of the other dog service providers in San Francisco, he's been able to keep his rates reasonable. The neighborhood has responded in kind, and Black Nose is busier these days than it has ever been. “We are maxed out most days,” he told us.

Photo: Yelp

Oliver, an adorable fluffy black poodle mix, takes this opportunity to add his voice to the conversation. With his paws up on the cashier’s counter, he quietly requests a treat from Bell as his owner, Kate Watkins, tells us how pleased her pup is to live across the street from Black Nose. “Every time we pass a staff member, he freaks out,” she says. 

As Watkins and Oliver head out with a fresh supply of dog food, treats and bully sticks, Bell says he's known Oliver since he was just a puppy—and he’s not the only one. A lot of dogs have come through the doors over the past decade, and he's on a first-name basis with many of them, and their owners. 

Given Black Nose's success, Bell has considered expanding, but he's discouraged by the difficulty of the city's permitting processes. “I couldn’t open [Black Nose] today,” he says. While costs continue to increase, he says Black Nose is safe from being pushed out of the neighborhood, at least for now. 

Provided business stays strong, he says, canines and their human companions will have Black Nose Trading Company to enjoy for years to come.