Our Story | The Safest Dog Kennels

A collage featuring dogs, people, and Gunner Kennels branding, including a close-up of a man hugging a working dog, stickers, dog crates, kennels, outdoor scenes, and the slogan Man’s Best Kennel.

10 Years. Same Mission.

“A decade later, still for the dog who started it all – and every one since.”

Shop #MANSBESTKENNEL

Our History

2008

the dog who changed everything.

Addison is a junior at Ole Miss when he brings his first dog home: a British chocolate lab named Gunner. He doesn't know it then, but this is the dog who will change it all.

A brown hunting dog stands in dry grass, holding a bird gently in its mouth, likely during a retrieving exercise.

A chocolate labrador wearing a bright orange collar sits on green grass with a lake, trees, and houses in the background—showcasing top outdoor gear for your pup beyond the dog kennel under a clear sky.

A man in camouflage holds a brown hunting dog puppy while sitting on a boat. The boats edge is lined with several ducks, and a muddy forested area is visible in the background.

2008

gunner's first retrieve

Two days after Addison brings Gunner home, he retrieves his first dove. He starts "training him like a little robot" and is increasingly inspired by Gunner's drive. Addison meets his future wife, Emily, thanks to the dog.

2010 - 2011

market failures & frustrations

Addison is increasingly frustrated with the market’s cheap dog products for Gunner. He nearly gets in a wreck and sees that Gunner escaped his cheap kennel in the back of the truck bed. An idea is born.

A man in camouflage holds up several hunted ducks, standing next to a brown Labrador retriever sitting on a dog crate on the tailgate of a truck at night.

A brown working dog with an orange collar is lying inside a blue tape square on a wooden floor. A person in green pants and brown outdoor gear boots sits nearby, with one boot touching the dogs head.

A brown dog with a calm expression lies inside an open beige dog crate, resting its front paws on the edge and looking outward. The black door and sturdy design make this kennel perfect for safe travels or outdoor gear adventures.

A hand-drawn ad for Gunner Kennels shows sketches of a hunting dog, kennel carriers, and geese in flight. Text highlights features like safety, outdoor gear durability, non-skid feet, and Gunner Tested. Finally the best is here! appears at the top.

2012

designing #mansbestkennel

Addison lays the groundwork for the kennel with sketches and concepts for the strongest dog kennel in the world. He uses Gunner as the prototype for sizing.

Spring 2015

and we're live

The last three years of hard work culminate in gunner.com going live on the exact same day that Addison & Emily's first child (Marie) is born.

A smiling woman with long blonde hair stands indoors, wearing outdoor gear and a baby carrier on her chest that holds a sleeping infant. The woman is casually dressed, and there are people and banners in the background.

A man wearing a baseball cap sits on a couch holding a crying baby, with one playful brown dog lying on its back beside them and another shaggy brown dog resting like its fresh from the kennel on the other side.

A photograph of a dog kennel secured with orange straps to a perforated metal floor, with a PRE-TEST sign labeled V15-381 placed in front of it at a testing facility.

Summer 2015

game changer

The G1™ Kennel changes the way people think about safe pet travel. It's featured on TODAY show as the first 5 Star Crash Tested crate per the Center For Pet Safety; GUNNER's first patent is issued.

2015

nashville, tn is home

First G1™ Kennel ships to first customers!

A man kneels on the floor of a warehouse filled with stacked boxes, facing his loyal working dog. An American flag hangs on the wall behind them, hinting at their shared dedication to outdoor gear and adventure.

A man holding a young child stands in front of a trailer advertising Gunner Kennels, featuring a large dog image and kennel safety branding. Both wear gray hats and white shirts. Trees and blue sky frame this dog kennel scene.

A large cardboard box labeled Inner Kennels sits on a concrete porch next to a house, near a window and some garden items, including an orange bucket and outdoor gear for a working dog.

2015

at your service

Meet GUNNER’s Customer Service team: Emily & Addison Edmonds. It's a family affair: Marie travels with the Edmonds to shows around the country.

2016

first dog saved

A GUNNER customer says our crate helped save his dog's life. It's the first recorded wreck for the G1 kennel, just months after we started shipping them out.

A black pickup truck lies on its side off a wet, rural road. A covered figure is motionless nearby. A large dog crate sits in the foreground, with trees and an overcast sky in the background.

A black SUV lies flipped on its side off a wet, rural road, with smoke rising in the background. A dog crate is visible nearby among the leafless trees lining the scene.

A tan Gunner Kennels dog crate for hunting dogs, labeled L15-043, is positioned inside a blue testing apparatus, with GUNNER KENNELS® displayed on the left side of the image.

A black Labrador retriever, a true working dog, stands inside a kennel with its head tilted. The crate is outdoors with some snow on it, and two duck decoys rest on top.

2017

gunner joins the armed forces

Kennels & accessories are shipped to military units across the world, thousands of dogs are protected on the road & in air.

A police officer stands beside a man and a brown hunting dog in front of an NYPD patrol car parked on the street. The officer is in uniform, while the man sports sunglasses, a cap, and outdoor gear.

An NYPD canine officer and another man stand at the back of a van, pointing toward several large dog crates stacked inside, likely for transporting working dogs and their essential outdoor gear.

A person in military uniform sits in a vehicle next to a secured black dog crate labeled K9 UNIT with blue vents and a GUNNER KENNELS sign on top, showcasing essential outdoor gear for any hunting dog.

A group of sixteen adults, men and women, pose together indoors in front of a television, surfboards, and a dog crate. They are smiling and dressed in varied, stylish outfits. The photo is black and white.

2018

build the pack

The Pack starts to grow, and so does the GUNNER family in Nashville, TN.

2019

flyway series lands

This first Flyway Series (Bayou Meto) releases. It becomes an annual limited-edition release that draws inspiration from iconic destinations and honey holes within the four North American flyways.

A black hunting dog with a blue collar lies beside a sturdy, black-and-yellow crate labeled GRIFF, showcasing rugged outdoor gear against a dark background.

Aerial view of a large black water tower featuring the words FLYWAY SERIES and an outline of a flying goose, surrounded by leafless trees and a nearby dog kennel.

A dark image featuring a vertical rectangular window with a hexagonal pattern faintly visible in the center, reminiscent of the mesh found in a working dog kennel, all surrounded by a black background.

2020

introducing the food crate

When Addison wrote down his original goals in 2015, the Food Crate product was one of them. Just like the kennel, the food storage system is Overbuilt in the USA™ and born from Addison's personal frustration with products on the market.

A person in outdoor clothing pours dry pet food from a large bag into a container outdoors near a dog kennel, with trees and a blue sky in the background.

2020

best damn dog products

With the release of the Food Crate, Gunner Kennels rebrands to GUNNER – with the intention to be the market leader of the best dog products in the world.

Winter 2021

gunner's last season

Addison knows Gunner's time is nearing: he's been diagnosed with cancer. He takes Gunner on an epic tour of bucket list hunts in his last seasons.

A wet brown working dog stands in a muddy pond, holding a duck gently in its mouth as water splashes around. Trees and a blurred background are visible behind the dog.

A man in camouflage lifts a wet brown working dog onto the back of an off-road vehicle loaded with hunting gear and crates. The rocky ground and overcast sky complete this rugged outdoor scene.

A family of five with three young children and a brown dog sit on grass in a backyard near a swing set, smiling at the camera; a dog kennel is visible by the trees and wooden fence in the background.

A black and white photo of a dog lying in a plastic bed, looking up at the camera with a calm expression. The scene evokes the coziness of a kennel, with blurred indoor objects and soft natural light in the background.

Spring 2021

gunner passes away

Gunner, the dog who started it all, passes away the day after the Edmonds' annual crawfish boil – almost 6 years to the day that the GUNNER.com website went live. In a letter penned to him, Addison refers to him as "Old Warrior" and recalls how many life lessons Gunner's taught him.

2022

meet chevy

One year after Gunner's passing, Addison brings home a new dog: a British lab named Chevy. A new era begins for the Edmonds family.

A smiling woman and man stand outdoors, both wearing jackets. The man holds a light brown hunting dog puppy up to his face, while the woman reaches out to pet the puppy.

A man in outdoor gear smiles as a brown dog affectionately licks his face. He hugs the dog beside an open vehicle with a dog kennel in the background, while leafless trees stand behind them.

A brown hunting dog sits on top of a white and black pet crate labeled SASKATOON in a dry, grassy field with bare trees and cloudy skies in the background.

A person stands next to an open door of a black pickup truck parked outside an Ace Hardware store at night, illuminated by bright lights, with outdoor gear visible in the truck bed.

Winter 2023

full circle

It's a full circle moment: early one morning on the way to a hunt, Addison and Emily are T-boned by another car. The G1™ Kennel protecting Chevy is the exact same kennel Gunner used before passing.

Summer 2023

bumper launch

It's another product that Addison has been passionate about improving for years: the GUNNER Bumper is one he designed to be the ultimate, reliable training tool.

A dog sits in a grassy field, holding an orange training dummy in its mouth while a person in boots reaches down to take it, with sunlight shining in the background near a dog kennel.

A person scoops brown pet food into a green bowl stacked on another, set on a black outdoor surface—an ideal setup near your dog kennel or crate for organized outdoor gear.

Three pet bowls stacked on top of each other—perfect for any kennel—labeled KATE (gray), GUNNER (green with a paw print), and CHEVY (beige), with trees in the background. Ideal for your hardworking hunting or working dog.

Fall 2023

designed for home, built for travel

GUNNER releases Dog Bowls that are spill proof, rust proof and all-around fool proof. Made right down the road in Nashville, TN.

Spring 2025

10 years of gunner

On the day Addison & Emily's first child was born, the website launched. What started in Addison’s garage with one kennel and one dog has grown into a brand we're proud to stand behind. A decade marks more than 100,000 dogs protected – and a renewed commitment to building the world's best dog products, made to last a lifetime.

A smiling family of two adults, four young children, and a brown working dog pose together outdoors in front of a wooden fence and trees. The casually dressed group appears happy with their loyal companion from the local dog kennel.

A happy brown working dog with curly ears lies on a green dog bed, looking to the side with its mouth open and tongue out, against a plain white background.

A close-up of a person using a zipper pull tool to quickly unzip a beige cushion cover, revealing the zipper mechanism and fabric texture—perfect for outdoor gear or hunting dog accessories.

A woman in athletic wear feeds a small brown dog sitting on a cushioned bed beside a dog kennel in a hallway with a patterned rug and a landscape painting. Sunlight streams in from a nearby door.

Summer 2025

homestead dog bed launch

Frustration → Solution. That’s how every GUNNER product starts. The Homestead Dog Bed was designed to fix what most dog beds get wrong: too bulky, too hot, too hard to clean. Overbuilt the way we make everything else.

Fall 2025

waterfowl dog vest launch

One cold‐morning field frustration with Addison and Gunner has led to a multi‐year development process of over eight prototypes and rigorous real-world testing to deliver our new Waterfowl Vest. The result: a rugged, field-tested vest built to solve real problems (frozen zippers, poor fit, neoprene issues) and meet premium performance for the dedicated hunting dog.

A hunting dog wearing a camouflage vest stands alert in shallow water, its fur wet and ears perked up, showcasing its readiness and outdoor gear.

over 100,000 dogs protected.

A minimalist, geometric outline of a hunting dog’s head facing to the right, created with simple white lines on a light gray background.

10 years. same mission.

over 100,000 dogs protected.

10 years. same mission.

over 100,000 dogs protected.

10 years. same mission.

A yellow badge with black text reads: “Do the right thing” Tested & Proven, GUNNER GUARANTEE™, with icons of an American flag with paw prints, a dog kennel, and the words “AMERICAN MADE.”.

We Stand Behind Our Products.

We stand behind our products because we know the integrity of the design and extensive research we have put into creating them. The GUNNER Guarantee™ means we empower our in-house customer service team to make it right when the products don’t live up to our standards.

A bearded man in a hat hugs a working dog with birds flying in the background. Text reads: LIKE SOME OF THE BEST STORIES, OURS BEGINS WITH A DOG. Below, there’s a stylized American flag and the word GUNNER.

Family Owned & Operated.

GUNNER has a been a family business since day one – in March 2015, gunnerkennels.com went live. That same day, Addison and Emily brought their first child into the world. Over the last decade, they've been committed to two priorities – raising their four children, and running a company that builds the world's best dog products.

Watch Their Story