About the Artists, Dennis and Frances. Update: As of December 2024, we have retired and closed the business. Although we miss hosting overnight stays and making our chainsaw carvings, as they say, all good things must come to an end. What hasn’t ended is the big beagle as an Idaho Roadside Attraction and our memories of everyone we’ve come to know through him! It was such a fitting surprise & endcap to our career to receive last year the Idaho Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Tourism. 
Dennis and I, husband and wife artists, founded Dog Bark Park in 1997. Dennis, a self-taught chainsaw artist, carved for over forty years. Frances joined him in the wooden dog carving business in the early 1990’s.
Our “big break” came in 1995 when our carvings were sold on QVC television. We did nothing but carve wooden dogs for 18 months (our children barely remember seeing us during those days!), made what seemed like a bundle of money, invested it all in developing and building Dog Bark Park. Visitors were able to see the process of creating our art. Now, they might get a peek into our once active studio to view collected pieces from years past.
At Dog Bark Park we specialized (we’re now retired) in creating folk-art style wooden carvings.
We received the 2003 Take Pride in Idaho Cultural Tourism Award for a large carved art exhibit depicting the story of Seaman, the dog who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their exploratory journey to the Pacific two hundred years ago. In 2024 we received the Idaho Governor’s Lifetime Achievement award in Tourism, a fitting finish to our long career.
Media stories about our art, Dog Bark Park & the World’s Biggest Beagles have appeared nationally & internationally – HGTV, Ellen Show, London Times, Today Show, CNN.com, The Washington Post, and National Geo for Kids to name just a few.
“The Ultimate Dog House” – HGTV
Look for the story of Dog Bark Park, Sweet Willy – A Noble & Absurd Undertaking in spring 2024. Update: as of 4/23/2025 the Sweet Willy book has completely sold out with no more expected due to our retirement.
