Behind the Brand: How a Marine Corps Veteran Built Cool Dog Teez From a Family Conversation

Cool Dog Teez is veteran-owned and operated by a U.S. Marine Corps veteran — and like a lot of the best small businesses, it didn't start with a business plan. It started with a conversation.

I'm Jorge, the founder of Cool Dog Teez. Our story began during the pandemic, in one of those late-night conversations with my college-bound son about what to do next. We landed on an idea that felt simple at the time: design distinctive, funny, personality-packed t-shirts. The kind of shirt that makes a stranger laugh in the grocery store line.

The name — and the logo — came from somewhere even closer to home: our dog, Mocha. Playful, a little too cool for her own good, and always up for an adventure, Mocha became the face of the brand before we'd even finished deciding what the brand was.

From One Shirt to a Family Business

What started as a small batch of designs grew into something bigger than I expected. Every order is still made on-demand — printed specifically for you when you hit "buy," not pulled off a shelf of mass-produced stock. That's slower than some big-box alternatives, but it means every shirt is made with the same care as the first one we ever printed.

Being a Marine taught me a few things that carry over directly into running this business: show up, do the work right, and take care of the people around you. That's the standard we hold every order to, whether it's a single dog-lover tee shipping across the country or a full team order for a local school.

Beyond T-Shirts: Custom Uniforms & Team Spirit Gear

Somewhere along the way, local coaches and team parents started asking if we could do more than tees — could we outfit a whole roster? That question is how Cool Dog Teez grew into custom uniforms and spirit gear for schools, clubs, and businesses, including our online uniform configurator, where you can design jerseys and team gear from scratch and see pricing and lead times instantly.

It's a long way from a conversation with my son about t-shirts, but the mission hasn't changed: build something useful, build it with care, and build it as a family.

Thank You for Being Part of This

Every order, every message, every bit of feedback helps this small business grow. Whether you're here for a Cool Dog Teez original, official Fontana Steelers spirit wear, or a custom team uniform, thank you for supporting a veteran-owned business built on service, family, and hard work.

Warmest regards,
Jorge Fernandez de Cordova & the Cool Dog Teez Family