Three Dog Bakery in Sewickley offers treats and more for furry friends

The door opens and in walks Bentley.

He goes directly behind the counter … and waits.

“Bentley knows where the treats are,” said Lee Ann Carey, owner of Three Dog Bakery in Sewickley. “Dogs will be on the sidewalk a few stores away and they just know where this shop is.”

It’s truly a dog’s world at Three Dog Bakery, where Bentley and other canines are treated like royalty. There are tasty cookies and cakes, plush toys, comfortable harnesses, collars and leashes — and a buffet of miniature bone-shaped goodies.

Owners can bring their dogs into the shop, which is easily spotted because of the toy dogs perched in the windows.

Bentley, a 12-year-old Pit Bull, has been a regular customer for three years. He likes the tendon chews, his owner, Dave Miller of Sewickley, said. The tendon chews are an all-natural chew with no additives, artificial flavors or preservatives.

“Everyone here is very friendly,” Miller said. “They love dogs and they love Bentley. They are extremely accommodating for dogs and their owners.”

Carey can custom-design a cake and invites customers to send a photo of their dog to be shown on a continuous video screen.

Thanksgiving dinner

With Thanksgiving coming up, Carey is offering a dog’s dinner called the Beast Feast. It needs to be pre-ordered by Nov. 20 and picked up Thanksgiving week.

The menu includes a “yappetizer” of cheese itty bitty bones. The main course is turkey meatballs, cran-apple quinoa and roasted green beans. For dessert, there is pumpkin pie and an after-dinner mint for $23.95. Most items for the Thanksgiving meal are made from scratch, except for the itty bitty bones and the after-dinner mint.

Owners sent photos of their dogs enjoying a Thanksgiving meal last year.

“People will buy them for their dogs so they can kind of participate in the holidays as well, Carey said.

“More and more, dogs are now considered a family member,” Carey said. “They live in homes now. My dad always talked about when he was growing up, dogs just kind of headed out for the day and then eventually came back. I think now people realize how valuable the companionship dogs provide is.”

Walking neighborhood

With Sewickley being such a dog-­walking neighborhood, Carey meets new canines and their owners almost daily.

Original owner Maggie Standish opened Three Dog Bakery in December 2015, and Carey has owned it since 2022.

“Maggie did all of the hard work and got everything created in the community,” Carey said. “We have great customers. I really enjoy meeting everyone and their pets. “

Tanya Diable of Butler brings her dogs, Boone and Magnolia, into the shop. Visiting the store has become a highlight whenever she’s in the area with her dogs, she said.

“They love the store and getting a special treat from Lee Ann,” Diable said. “She has a truly generous heart for rescues and nonprofits. Ever since she took over Three Dog Bakery in Sewickley, she has been a steadfast supporter of Joey’s PAW.”

Joey’s PAW is a non-profit that helps rescues, shelters, pet owners, military dogs and retired police K9s. Carey said she is happy to help support Joey’s PAW and organizations such as the Child Health Association of Sewickley for the upcoming Dogs of Sewickley fundraiser. Three Dog Bakery will have a limited number of posters and calendars for Dogs of Sewickley available for sale after Nov. 22.

Three Dog Bakery is a franchise. The company is headquartered in Kansas City, M0., and has locations across the country. Carey carries some of the Three Dog Bakery brands recommended by the company. She can select items as well.

Safe, quality products

The company is focused on safe, quality products, she said.

For the everyday treats in the case, Carey said she receives baking mixes from headquarters and then adds ingredients such as applesauce, honey or other flavors. She offers a variety of cookies with fun names such as Peanut Mutter Cups, Snickerpoodle and Puptart Bites.

Items are baked daily.

Cookies are $2.75 and up.

Items that look like they have chocolate are made with carob. Everything is human-grade ingredients, Carey said.

Each holiday, she comes up with creative ideas, such as a turkey leg cookie for Thanksgiving. Birthday cakes and gotcha day cakes are a big thing, she said. They usually have several cake orders a day and six or seven on Saturdays. She has cake molds shaped like a bone, but is open to creating whatever themed cake the dog owner wants.

“People have made it a tradition to celebrate their dog’s birthday,” Carey said. “Gender reveal cakes are becoming popular.”

For the gender reveal, Carey will make the dog cake and place blue or pink icing in the middle for the dog to take a bite.

The store has party hats, colorful bow ties and sweaters as well as some Pittsburgh sports-themed items for dogs to wear.

The shop sells Pet House Candles, which are made with 100% natural dye-free plant-based wax. They are formulated to neutralize pet odors and are made in the U.S., Carey said. They also help cover any pet odors in the home.

The Bulk ‘N Bite Buffet is an area with multiple bins where owners can put bone-shaped oven-baked bones and biscuits, such as oats and apples and peanut butter and banana bread hearts in a bag. Dog food is from Zignature, Orijen and Fromm. Dog gifts include a block sign with paw prints that reads “Heaven is where you get to see all the dogs you’ve ever loved.”

She also has a section of cat toys and treats.

Carey left a corporate treasury position at Federated Hermes for the bakery.

“I have always wanted to own something like this,” said Carey, 43, of Pittsburgh’s South Side. “This sparked my interest and gives me creativity. This was the right decision because I get to meet so many people and interact with so many dogs who become our regular customers.”