Anyone who has stood in line at one of our pop-ups knows the truth about Wilmington: half the town shows up with a dog at the end of the leash. Farmers markets, farm mornings, breweries, neighborhood events. The dogs are always there, usually behaving better than the rest of us, and for a long time the best I could offer them was a bowl of water and a scratch behind the ears.
That changes now. Common Tides has partnered with Tails and Trails, a local company making dog treats the same way I try to make coffee: real ingredients, nothing complicated, and a lot of care. You order a latte for yourself, and there is finally something on the menu for your dog too.
A Local Company Worth Partnering With
Tails and Trails is an outdoor dog company built around a simple idea, the bond between you and your dog. They started in 2023, inspired by the founder's adventures with his dog Fin, and their whole line is designed around getting outside together. Their motto says it plainly: built on the bond, made for the trails.
The treats are what won me over. Their ingredients are real, fresh, and all natural, and the ingredient lists are short enough to read out loud. No fillers, no mystery words. When I looked at what goes into them, it felt like the same conversation I have about my coffee and matcha sourcing. Know where it comes from, keep it simple, and the quality takes care of itself.
Tails and Trails
A local outdoor dog brand making harnesses, gear, and small batch style treats with real, all natural ingredients. Purchases through their shop also help donate kibble to shelters in need. Browse the full lineup at tailsandtrailsshop.com.
Three Flavors at the Trailer
We carry three crunchy flavors from their Trail Snacks line, and I picked them because they are the classics dogs go crazy for:
Bacon
Crunchy bacon treats that smell like breakfast. If your dog could place an order, this would be it.
Peanut Butter
The all time favorite. Peanut butter is a classic for a reason, and these disappear fast.
Pumpkin
Simple, wholesome, and a flavor dogs genuinely love. Good and simple ingredients, nothing extra.
Every flavor keeps to the same standard: simple, good ingredients and nothing your dog does not need. They are the kind of treats you feel good handing over the counter, because you know exactly what is in them.
"Half my line on a Saturday morning has a dog at the end of the leash. Now there is something on the menu for them too."
Why Partner at All?
I could stock any treats from a distributor catalog and call it a day. That is not how I want to run this business. Common Tides is a local company, and I would rather put another local company on my counter than a national brand with a logo you have seen a thousand times.
It is the same reason I tell people where the coffee is grown and where the matcha comes from. Small businesses do their best work when they back each other, and Wilmington has a habit of showing up for the people who do things the right way. Tails and Trails does things the right way. This is the first partner we are highlighting on the blog, and there are more to come.
Find Us, and Bring the Dog
The treats are available at every pop-up location, not just some of them. Wherever the trailer is set up, the treats are on board. Check the calendar or the live map to see where we will be this week, and bring your dog along. They are as welcome at the window as you are.
A treat for you and a treat for your dog. That is the whole idea. Locally made Tails and Trails treats in bacon, peanut butter, and pumpkin, available at every Common Tides pop-up around Wilmington.