Craig Koch poses with a furry friend at WAG-A-LOT Upper Westside.

Craig Koch jams a lot into his days. As the owner of his 20-year-old business WAG-A-LOT—and five pups—he divides his days according to the tasks at hand, whether that be checking in on one of his three locations or consulting with his husband, designer and HGTV host Vern Yip, on design work. Always an entrepreneur at heart, Koch “yearned to create something meaningful that would have purpose and ideally outlive my time here on earth.” He wanted to create something that “would better a community… rooted in the idea we should adore and celebrate the magic of our dogs by improving their livelihood, and thus our own.”

And he has done just that, including a brand-new facility on the Upper Westside. “It was the missing piece to the puzzle in trying to achieve a collection of stores that would span all of Atlanta. We are a service of convenience, which means we have to be near you, or at least in your sphere of travel, to make it easy for you,” he says. Pet parents can expect all the things WAG-A-LOT has at its other locations, including state-of-the-art overnight sleeping dens for their precious pups.

Koch enjoys being casual in his day-to-day wardrobe, mostly out of necessity, but he also knows he doesn’t need to forgo looking good just because his customer comes with fur. His uniform of choice? “A Goodlife gray V-neck T-shirt, Lee slim-fit jeans and white slip-on Converse sneakers,” says Koch. But make no mistake, he knows Fashion with a capital F: “My wardrobe currently consists of clothing predominantly from Todd Snyder, Aviator Nation and Marine Layer. The consistent SoCal vibe of these brands majorly influences my design choices at WAG-A-LOT.” When paired with one of two Cartier watches his husband gifted him, Koch feels like he can take on the world and live his motto. “I’m a man of my word,” he says. “Live a little, WAG-A-LOT!”

9AM
FIT IN FITNESS

“After dropping my (human) kids off at school, I work out with my trainer, Nicole Gourdet, at Urban Body Fitness in Midtown. I would never work out this hard on my own, and having a standing appointment guarantees I will burn off the joys of being a foodie.” 500 Amsterdam Walk NE

12:30PM
DESIGNER LUNCH

“Vern and I have lunch. After reviewing his current project needs over tacos, we head to Lewis and Sheron Textiles to pick out fabrics.” 1017 Collier Road NW

2:30PM
A CUT ABOVE

“I get my hair cut at Salon Vagabond, south of Grant Park in The Beacon Atlanta. I tend to have a lot of hair, and Sidney [Hollwager] is awesome at negotiating said locks. Getting groomed here feels like an afternoon at the spa or a spiritual journey of sorts.” 1039 Grant St. SE, Studio B-12

4PM
SUPREME CAFFINE

“My coffee addiction lasts all day and takes me to Cold Brew Bar in Reynoldstown. I always get The Captain—a Cap’n Crunch-infused cortado. The shop abuts WAG-A-LOT downtown, and it’s a great way to wrap up the workday.” 777 Memorial Drive SE, Ste. 103A

6:30PM
'HOOD FOOD

“It’s time for family dinner at Redbird. Co-owner Ross Jones did a great job of creating a new restaurant that feels special yet easy and familial at the same time. We love to share items on the menu and often get the miso-brined duck breast, grilled bok choy and okra. They pair well with its nice offering of red wines. The kids love being at Westside Provisions District so we can grab ice cream at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and watch the trains pass by at sunset. I’m a lucky guy—it’s a good life!”