Meet the Idaho couple who built a dog-shaped inn – with chainsaws

Dennis Sullivan’s QVC Chainsaw Carving Empire in Idaho

Dennis Sullivan picked up a chainsaw in 1990 and taught himself to carve folk art in Idaho. His life changed when he met embroidery artist Frances Conklin at a 1995 art show.

Soon after, QVC came calling. The TV shopping giant bought 1,500 wooden dog carvings that sold out in just 45 seconds.

Then came the big order: 10,000 more. For 18 months, the couple carved dogs non-stop, making 1,800 pieces monthly while barely seeing their kids.

They poured their earnings into building Dog Bark Park in 1997, right as QVC was booming into a $3 billion industry reaching 100 million homes.

Their roadside attraction in Idaho stands as a monument to small-town grit during the home shopping revolution.

Chainsaw Artist Swapped Construction for Wooden Dogs

Dennis Sullivan gave up his 25-year building job to carve with chainsaws around 1990. He left Massachusetts for Grangeville, Idaho after his construction career ended.

Sullivan started with pocket knife carving before moving to chainsaws. By 1985, he focused on carving dogs instead of bears like other artists.

His self-taught skills soon caught national attention through an unexpected break.

A Chance Meeting Changed Two Artists’ Lives

Dennis Sullivan met Frances Conklin at a craft fair on the Missoula County Courthouse lawn in the early 1990s. Frances moved to Missoula from New Jersey in 1971 and finished college at the University of Montana in 1973.

She sold embroidery while Dennis showed his chainsaw-carved dogs at the same fair. The two artists kept bumping into each other at craft shows while working separately, not knowing they’d soon team up.

QVC Flyer Almost Landed in the Trash

Frances worked for CEO Rick Reimers at Sun Mountain Sports in Missoula in 1987. She found a QVC flyer about their 50-50 tour looking for unique products from all states.

Frances almost threw it away since Sun Mountain’s golf gear didn’t fit the show, but she thought Dennis’s carvings might work. The program wanted to show 20 businesses from each state with homemade items on TV.

Sun Valley Tryouts Led to Instant Selection

Dennis and Frances packed his chainsaw-carved dogs and drove to Sun Valley for QVC auditions. They joined 250 people trying for just 20 spots on the show in Idaho.

QVC staff spotted their wooden dogs before tryouts even started and picked them right away. This moment changed Sullivan’s life from construction worker to full-time artist with national TV exposure coming soon.

Wooden Dogs Sold Faster Than TV Could Show Them

QVC ordered 1,500 wooden dog carvings for their 1995 TV show. Dennis planned to appear on camera, but his dogs sold so fast he never got on air.

Sullivan’s 1,500 beagles sold out in just 45 seconds during the segment.

QVC right away asked for 10,000 more pieces from the couple, creating a huge production challenge that would change their lives.

Carving Dogs Day and Night for 18 Months

Dennis and Frances worked non-stop for 18 months to fill all the QVC orders. They carved only wooden dogs during this time and rarely saw their kids.

Sullivan made 1,800 carved pieces every month to keep up.

The couple earned what seemed like a fortune from their QVC success, but they had bigger plans for their new money than just saving it.

Home Shopping Networks Took Over American TV

QVC started in 1986 and made $112 million in sales by January 1988. The network reached 80% of all U.S. cable homes by 1993.

The home shopping business grew into a $3 billion industry reaching over 100 million homes.

QVC led the market with Home Shopping Network after buying many smaller rivals, creating big chances for small-town makers like Dennis and Frances.

Rural Artists Found National Markets Without Leaving Home

The QVC boom gave small crafters direct access to national buyers. Dennis and Frances stood for thousands of small business owners who skipped normal retail hurdles.

Home shopping networks changed how Americans shopped during the 1990s boom.

Rural artists could now reach millions of customers without leaving their workshops, making a new path for small-town creators to succeed.

Wooden Dog Money Built a Beagle-Shaped B&B

The couple put all their QVC profits into building Dog Bark Park in 1997. They picked tiny Cottonwood, Idaho, just 15 miles from Grangeville.

The main feature became “Sweet Willy,” a 30-foot tall wooden beagle that worked as a bed-and-breakfast.

Building took three years as they moved from selling products to running a tourist spot, creating a landmark that would soon get worldwide attention.

News About Giant Beagle Spread Worldwide

A Boise reporter found Dog Bark Park and wrote an article with photos. The Associated Press shared the story across America and overseas.

Booking requests came in from around the world.

The park showed up in TV shows from the United Kingdom, Japan, and United States, turning a small Idaho roadside stop into a global spot for travelers looking for unique places to stay.

QVC-Funded Folk Art Created Lasting Tourism Legacy

Dog Bark Park became world famous and landed on lists of the top 10 most unique places to stay. Dennis and Frances got the Take Pride in Idaho Cultural Tourism Award in 2003.

They received the Idaho Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Tourism in 2024.

The couple retired in December 2024, closing the chapter on a remarkable story of 1990s QVC-enabled entrepreneurship that turned chainsaw art into a lasting tourist attraction.

Visiting Dog Bark Park Inn, Idaho

Dog Bark Park Inn at 2421 Business Loop 95 in Cottonwood showcases 1990s folk art and small-town business spirit.

The retired owners no longer offer overnight stays, but you can still photograph the famous 30-foot Sweet Willy beagle and 12-foot Toby beagle.

The museum displays wooden dog carvings from the QVC folk art craze. Call (208) 962-3647 or email frances@dogbarkpark.

com since the grounds open sporadically or by appointment only.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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