Melissa Patton | Dancin' Dog
Co-Owner of Dancin’ Dog
Melissa Patton is the co-owner of Dancin' Dog, a boutique company crafting all-natural treats for dogs, catering to the Greater Tennessee area.
What businesses do you run?
I’m Melissa Patton, and I am the co-owner of Dance and Dog All-Natural Dog Treats. My sister and I started this business several years ago because we shared a deep passion for animals. It all began when my dog developed severe skin allergies. After consulting with our vet, we realized that homemade treats would give us more control over the ingredients, helping us avoid potential allergens from store-bought products. My sister immediately took action and started making homemade dog treats. To our delight, not only did my dog love them, but so did her dogs—and soon, the dogs of our neighbors and friends were enjoying them, too!
That’s when Dance and Dog was born. Unfortunately, my sister passed away unexpectedly last year. It’s been an emotional journey, but I’ve continued the business as a tribute to her and her love for animals. Today, Dance and Dog is still going strong. We’re proud to offer all-natural dog treats that pet owners can feel good about. You can find us online, and we’re also out in the community, partnering with local organizations like the Nashville Humane Society to spread the word about our products.
How did you get started as an entrepreneur?
Honestly, I never envisioned myself as an entrepreneur. It was my sister’s passion for animals that drove her to start making treats at home, and her determination quickly turned into a business. I was right by her side, but she was the one who took that first leap.
When she passed away, I knew I had to continue Dance and Dog—not just for the business, but for her legacy. Picking it back up has been one of the most emotional and challenging experiences of my life. But every time I bake those treats, I feel connected to her passion and her love for animals. It’s been a deeply personal journey, and one that I never imagined would bring me so much joy, even in her absence. Continuing the business is my way of honoring her memory and the bond we shared over our love for our furry friends.
How do you think about growth in your current business? How do you plan for the future?
For me, growth is about continuing to spread the word about our product while staying true to the values my sister and I had when we started. Dance and Dog isn’t just a business—it’s a labor of love. We’ve been fortunate to partner with local organizations like the Nashville Humane Society, and that’s been a huge part of how we’re expanding our reach. We want people to know that there’s an affordable, healthy option for their pets, and that we’re here in the community, supporting local causes and connecting with other pet lovers.
As I look to the future, I’m focused on building on the foundation my sister and I created. That means continuing to engage with customers, listening to their feedback, and constantly improving our product. I also want to keep partnering with local events and organizations to grow our presence. While it’s important to me that the business thrives financially, it’s equally important that we maintain our connection to the community and the animals we care so deeply about.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
The biggest piece of advice I can offer is simple: Just get out there and do it. There will never be a perfect time, and you’ll never feel 100% ready. But if you believe in your product, you have to take that leap. It takes courage to put yourself out there, especially when you’re passionate about something. It can be tough to hear criticism or face challenges, but that’s all part of the journey. And if you truly believe in what you’re doing, you’ll find a way to push through those tough moments.
When my sister started this business, I didn’t have the confidence to believe it could succeed. She was the one who gave me the push to say, “This is something people want, and they care about it just as much as we do.” And now, even though she’s not here, I know she’s still my biggest cheerleader. So, to anyone who has an idea but is unsure, I’d say this: Trust yourself. Get out there, know your product, and believe in what you’re doing. There are people who will show up and support you when you least expect it.
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Melissa Patton 0:00
Hi. My name is Melissa Patton. I am the co owner of dance and dog all natural dog treats. Started this business several years ago with my sister. We were both very passionate about animals, and my dog had really bad allergies, skin allergies, and our vet suggested us making dog treats at home, so we knew kind of what ingredients to put in there, and that potentially he was allergic to something we were feeding him from the store. So my sister kind of jumped on the gun on that one and started making some dog treats, and he loved them, and her dogs loved them, and all of our neighbors and friends dogs loved them, so she started a business, dance and dog, and last year she unexpectedly passed away, and as a tribute to her, really wanted to keep the company going. So in the last several months, we've relaunched and dance and dog continues. Today, the passion and motivation for me wanting to continue dancing dog was really as a way to honor my sister and her passion for animals. It's been a very emotional journey to be able to kind of pick this back up and do it again, but I truly believe it's something she would have wanted. She volunteered a lot and really cared for animals in a way that I think a lot of people do for their best friends. We have a website that you can order from. We're also out in the community. We've partnered with Nashville Humane Society and other events in the community to kind of get our product out there and just let people know there is a affordable solution for all natural dog treats, I would say it takes a lot of courage to get out there if you have a belief in your product. That's really where the courage comes from. I think it's hard to hear criticism of your product because you believe in it so fiercely. But customer feedback is helpful and learning to kind of go through those types of challenges is has been tough. But I think if you really believe in your product, then you can, you can survive that. I think some entrepreneurs fail because they don't have confidence in themselves. I definitely didn't have the courage or confidence to start this, and my partner was able to kind of give me that push to say, This is something people want. They've reached out. This was something a lot of people are passionate about. It is a personal journey for me, but it I never thought I would be so excited about this, even even though she's not here. I know that she is also my cheerleader. I would say the biggest piece of advice I could give is to just get out there. Just do it there. Will never feel like there's a perfect time. So just get out there. Know your product. Have confidence in yourself. I promise you there will be cheerleaders showing up for you in every corner.
