DOGS ON BIKES

Tito the shop dog gets to work on two wheels

Story by RACHEL STONE | Photo by DANNY FULGENCIO

When Tito comes home from a full day of work, he doesn’t eat.

He doesn’t go potty. He goes straight to bed.

“He’s so tired,” says Kristie Holt of Kings Highway, who owns Local Hub Bicycle Co. in Deep Ellum.

About once a week, Holt puts her 2-year-old Chihuahua/dachshund mix in a canvas basket and brings him to work at the bike shop.

Tito makes employees happy, and he greets customers.

“Anytime someone he knows walks in, he does this little butt wiggle,” Holt says. “He likes children, and he really likes ladies. I think he knows they’re going to pet him.”

When customers leave the shop, Tito sometimes barks at them because he doesn’t want them to leave.

A customer, Adam Frelin, asked Holt in October 2016 if she knew anyone who wanted a Chihuahua puppy. She told him to bring the dog in, and it was love at first sight.

“He’s just the best dog ever,” Holt says. The dog was only 7 months old when she got him, and Holt started bringing him on bike rides right away. She straps Tito into his “sidecar” so he won’t jump out, and she places the basket on the right side of her bike so that he won’t be next to traffic.

Local Hub even led a dog ride last fall, and about 10 people and their pets showed up for a cruise to the dog park.

When Tito is in the shop, Holt keeps him on a leash if the overhead door is open, but when it’s closed, he has the run of the shop.

Still, he gets tired sometimes and has to go up to the office loft to take a nap.

Since his arrival at Local Hub, Tito has become the shop’s mascot as well. Artist Mariel Pohlman made a doodle of Tito’s face that since has been used on a sticker and a T-shirt.

And of course, he’s all over the shop’s social media pages.

“We try to incorporate him as much as possible,” Holt says. “Anything with Tito gets a lot of likes.”

These stunning smart homes feature spacious modern interiors with wood flooring in all living areas and10-foot ceilings. Homes include smart door locks as well as the Nest Smart Home system, a private two-car garage, multiple outdoor landings and a stunning 665 square-foot rooftop deck with views of the Dallas skyline.