Inside The Craft-Led Luxury Dog Brand Changing Pet Style
From Italian vegetable-tanned leather to real-world training insight, Australian brand PK9 Gear is redefining what luxury means for discerning dog owners.
4 min
For many luxury consumers, the idea of premium pet accessories has long been synonymous with designer logos and glossy marketing.
But in Melbourne, professional dog trainer Chris Loverseed is quietly reshaping the conversation around what true luxury dog gear should look and feel like.
As founder of PK9 Gear, Loverseed sits at the intersection of functional performance and traditional craftsmanship, creating handcrafted collars, leads and harnesses designed first and foremost with the dog in mind.
“As trainers, we work with dogs in real-world environments every day, so that experience directly influences how we design every piece of gear,” he told Kanebridge News.
Unlike many mass-produced pet accessories, PK9 Gear products are developed through hands-on training rather than driven by aesthetic trends.
“One of our core principles is that we only design and sell products that we genuinely use ourselves in training,” he said.
“Unfortunately, many brands create products simply to look trendy or appealing on social media, with very little consideration for how they actually function for the dog or the handler in the real world.”
For Loverseed, product development begins with performance, ergonomics and canine wellbeing.
“When I design a product, I always start with a dog-first perspective, and then consider the handler.
“That might mean looking at how a collar sits on a dog’s neck, how a lead feels in the handler’s hand, or whether a tug toy gives the dog the right grip and satisfaction when they bite.
“If a product doesn’t improve the dog’s experience and make handling easier, we simply don’t make it. That philosophy sits at the centre of everything we create at PK9 Gear.”
Defining luxury beyond logos
In a crowded market of designer-inspired pet accessories, Loverseed believes true luxury is less about branding and more about authenticity.
“Standing out from mass-produced pet accessories is actually quite simple. Using ethical labour, quality materials, and genuine craftsmanship already sets you apart from much of the market.
“But defining luxury is more complex, because luxury can mean different things to different people.”
He sees a broader shift taking place among consumers who are increasingly questioning what luxury really represents.
“I believe there is also a noticeable shift happening in the market.
“With USA tariffs and those viral videos showing how many “luxury” handbags are actually manufactured, consumers are starting to question whether luxury is simply a price tag or something more meaningful.”
Instead, he points to a growing appreciation for understated design and meticulous detail.
“For me, it is twofold. First, I believe quiet luxury is becoming the new flex, where quality and craftsmanship speak louder than visible branding.”
His work with high-net-worth dog owners has reinforced this belief.
“As a professional dog trainer in Melbourne, I work with several VIP clients who live in $40 million plus homes.
“One thing I have noticed is that people at that level are rarely trying to impress others with logos. They value craftsmanship, authenticity and products that are simply made well.”
Materials also play a defining role in the brand’s positioning.
“At PK9 Gear, we take the opposite approach. We use premium vegetable-tanned leathers from Italy, sourced from tanneries that are part of the Pelle Conciata al Vegetale consortium.”
These traditional tanning methods prioritise durability, natural finishes and longevity. Hardware choices are equally considered, with solid brass, stainless steel and 24-carat gold PVD stainless steel used across the range, alongside hand-stitched construction techniques.
“For us, luxury is not about logos. It is about craftsmanship, integrity in materials and creating gear that is functional, beautiful and built to last for both the dog and the handler.”
The rise of Australian craftsmanship
As global consumers move away from fast fashion and disposable purchases, Australian artisans are finding renewed recognition.
“Australian craftsmanship is definitely gaining global attention, and I think part of that comes from consumers moving away from fast fashion and mass production,” Chris said.
“People are beginning to value products that are made properly, with care and attention to detail.”
PK9 Gear reflects this shift by offering both accessible performance-driven products and highly bespoke pieces that showcase traditional leatherworking techniques.
“Traditional handmade products naturally come at a higher cost because of the time, skill and materials involved.
“That alone places them in a more premium or luxury category, but many consumers are now willing to pay for something that will last longer and has genuine craftsmanship behind it.
A trainer’s favourite companion
Despite working with a wide range of breeds, Loverseed has a clear personal favourite.
“If I could have only one dog breed it would be a Rottweiler,” he says.
In a luxury market increasingly driven by authenticity, longevity and meaningful design, PK9 Gear represents a new kind of status symbol.
One that values quiet excellence over overt display and performance over perception.
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Employers are rethinking performance reviews as Gen Z workers seek more frequent, clear and actionable feedback.
4 min
Bosses are getting no shortage of feedback on how to give their youngest staffers…well, feedback: Do ask how they are doing first. Don’t criticize a personality trait. Do give them concrete direction, and a lot of it.
And whatever you do, call a performance discussion a check-in, not a review.
The oldest members of Gen Z are about to turn 30, yet companies are devoting more time and resources than ever to figuring out how to give this manager-befuddling generation better direction. For help, they are turning to a cottage industry of multigeneration-workplace consultants and even artificial-intelligence bots, while ripping up the script for what used to be once-a-year evaluations.
All of it is a departure for leaders who rose through the ranks in an era devoid of so much thought to effective coaching and criticism. “When I started my first job, I got a performance review a year later, and that was just expected,” said Adam Coyne, chief administrative officer at research and analytics firm Mathematica, which has shifted from annual reviews to quarterly, two-way check-ins for new junior hires.
“This is a group that wants a lot more real-time feedback,” added Coyne, 55.
It is a message managers say they are getting nonstop from surveys and all-hands meetings, not to mention the universities and colleges preparing graduates for the white-collar world of work: Used to the immediate validation of social-media likes and comments, even instantly posted grades, this generation of workers craves clear, frequent direction—and they feel disoriented and anxious when they don’t get it.
Gallup data suggest companies are still struggling to get the hang of it. Younger workers report some of the biggest drops in engagement at work over the past five years. Not knowing where they stand appears to be a big factor. The share of Gen Z and younger millennials who strongly agreed with the statement, “I know what is expected of me at work,” fell 9 points to 42% in surveys between 2020 and 2025.
That doesn’t mean they need the effusive praise that many managers claim they do, some 20-something workers say. “I personally dislike this style,” said Nathan Luckock, a 20-year-old engineer at an AI startup. More effective, he said, is just “pointing out mistakes and then offering a solution.”
That sounds familiar to Lindsey Pollak, a multigenerational workforce expert and executive coach, who says she coaches bosses to be as specific as possible. Instead of “be more responsive,” for instance, she suggests “need to hear from you within an hour of receiving an instruction.”
At Mathematica, Chief Executive Paul Decker said the firm switched to more frequent check-ins in part because so many new entry-level hires were peppering supervisors with questions like: “How am I doing?” and “What does the next level require?” At staff meetings, younger workers often questioned why things were done the way they had always been done.
That included things like “waiting months to learn whether you’re meeting expectations,” he said.
KPMG executives said they, too, began giving their younger workers more frequent assessments on skills like critical thinking and adaptability last year after interns said they wanted to hear more often how their skills were coming along. The firm wanted to “make sure that we scratch the itch,” said Jason LaRue, vice chair of talent and culture at KPMG’s U.S. practice.
Some managers are getting feedback on giving feedback from bots.
Joe Hirsch, a corporate speaker and author of “The Feedback Fix,” recently used an AI coaching platform to work with a tech-company manager on her delivery. She had been frustrated that one of her junior reports wasn’t grasping her pointers on pitching clients, so she role-played the conversation with the AI coach.
The problem, the bot advised, was that she wasn’t giving the employee enough context for why she wanted things done a certain way. “Let’s connect so I can share more about our approach and get your take on it,” it suggested she say.
That did the trick when she tried the approach in real life. “The advice finally landed,” Hirsch said.
Even a few, clear bullet points work, said Valerie Chapman, the 27-year-old founder and CEO of Ruth AI, a career strategist platform for women. “My generation likes to get feedback so that they know how they should adjust.”
She recalls getting bullet-pointed direction when she worked as a strategic growth partner at real-estate company Compass a few years ago. The feedback started with praise before offering pointers.
“It would be, ‘Great job. Here are some things that you could do next week,’” she said. “If that comes in on a Friday, then my Gen Z brain knows exactly what I need to do on a Monday.”
Mike Ekbundit, director of GE Appliances’ engineering programs, said he has tried to make performance discussions with younger workers in rotational programs two-way dialogues rather than top-down critiques. So he revised online evaluations to include prompts for managers to ask questions like “Did you like the assignment leader?” and “Was it too much work?”
Managers are also asked to assess the program participants on nine different categories, like innovation and resilience, while employees are prompted to list their top strengths and weaknesses.
“I need high customer satisfaction to retain this highly sought-after talent, and this is part of how I get it,” he said.
Exclusive eco-conscious lodges are attracting wealthy travellers seeking immersive experiences that prioritise conservation, community and restraint over excess.
From Italian vegetable-tanned leather to real-world training insight, Australian brand PK9 Gear is redefining what luxury means for discerning dog owners.
