Our Story
It started with a chewed sketchbook
Every small business has a story it tells about itself. Ours begins with a scruffy little terrier called Inkwell.
Inkwell had one ear that stood up and one that never quite made its mind up. He had a beard that collected crumbs, a tail that went round like a propeller, and a deep, unshakeable belief that any sketchbook left on a chair was a gift for him. He never ate the pages. He just chewed the corners into soft little scallops, so every drawing came with a frilly edge, as if he'd signed it.
The sketchbooks lived on the kitchen table, because that's where the light was best. And the drawings were of dogs, because that's who walked past the window. There was the Labrador from three doors down who carried his own lead home. There was the apricot Cockapoo who greeted every bin lorry like an old friend, the very serious Dachshund who refused to walk in the rain, and the French Bulldog who snored so loudly on the bench outside the café that people turned round to look for a motorbike.
The portraits were never meant to be anything. Pencil, a bit of colour, the dog's name written underneath in our best handwriting. But a funny thing happens when you hand someone a drawing of their dog with its name on it. They don't say "thank you". They say the dog's name, softly, as if they're reading it for the first time. Then they tell you a story. The day he came home. The time she ate a whole Victoria sponge. The way he still waits by the door at half past five.
That was the moment we understood what we were really drawing. Not just a breed or a coat colour, but the warm, daft, everyday love people have for the dog asleep on their feet.
Why "Waggle & Ink"
The name is half Inkwell and half every tail that has ever thumped against a kitchen cupboard. "Waggle" is the joy. "Ink" is the drawing, and the little dog who made sure none of us ever took the drawing too seriously.
Inkwell is the heart of our story: part memory, part every scruffy, sketchbook-chewing dog we've ever loved. He's on our minds whenever we draw a new breed. Is it friendly? Is it honest? Would the dog on the sofa approve? If it wouldn't make someone smile and say their dog's name out loud, it doesn't make it into the shop.
From the kitchen table to your kitchen table
Today, those pencil sketches have grown up into a family of clean, friendly breed illustrations. Each one is an original Waggle & Ink design, drawn in our own flat style with ink-dark outlines and warm colours. We started with five of the UK's best-loved breeds and crossbreeds: the Cockapoo, the Labrador, the French Bulldog, the Cocker Spaniel and the Dachshund. Twelve more are on their way, from Cavapoos and Labradoodles to Staffies, Pugs and Beagles. You can see them all in our Breed Guide.
You choose the breed and coat colour closest to your dog, add their name, and we put the two together on something you'll use every day: a mug for the morning tea, a print for the hallway, a wooden decoration for the tree, or a hoodie for the 7am walk.
What we promise (and what we don't)
Inkwell was a lot of things, but he was never a show-off, so we try to be honest in the same way.
- Our portraits are breed illustrations, not copies of your photo. We'll help you pick the closest breed and coat. If you're not sure, email us a photo and we'll suggest a match.
- Everything is printed to order by our UK/EU production partner, Printful, then posted straight to you. We don't hold stock, so nothing sits in a warehouse waiting for a name.
- A real person reads every name before it prints. If something looks like a typo, we'll email you first. Want to see it before it's made? Ask for a free proof.
- If something arrives damaged or wrong, we'll put it right, with a replacement or a refund. See returns for the details.
We won't tell you we're the biggest, the best or the oldest. We're a small, independent UK shop that loves dogs a little bit too much, and we'd rather you trusted us because we told you exactly what you're getting.
Who we are
Waggle & Ink is a trading name of Axionova Ventures Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 16566521). We're a small team, and when you email hello@waggleandink.co.uk a real person will read it and reply, usually within two working days.
If your dog's breed isn't here yet, tell us. Some of our favourite new illustrations started with an email that began, "I know this is a long shot, but..."
Thank you for being here. Now go and give your dog a scratch behind the ears. Inkwell would insist.