Shop Dog: Jäger and Odis of Settergren Hardware

The Settergren Muensterlanders at work.

By Meredeth Barzen

Settergren Ace Hardware in South Minneapolis’ Fulton neighborhood might be the only hardware store in town where the phrase “Now there’s something you don’t see every day” applies. Or, more accurately, “Now there are two things you don’t see everyday.”

Those two things are the family-owned store’s most valued employees: Jäger and Odis, two exemplary representations of the rare Muensterlander dog breed. Muensterlanders are German-bred hunting dogs that point and retrieve, store owner Mark Settergren explains. A former sled dog racer, Mark came across the breed four years ago when he was hunting (sorry—we couldn’t resist!) for a dog breed with a temperament that would do well in his family’s store—so you could say that these dogs were born and bred to be shop dogs.

“Jäger will be turning 4 in October, and is a proud father of 14 pups. Odis, who is younger, just turned 2 and has a goofy personality,” Mark says. “Both Jäger and Odis are very friendly to customers, especially to people who own dogs. They are both great around children, and families and customers love seeing the dogs.”

Settergren’s Hardware has been in business since 1895, and in the Fulton neighborhood for the last 50 years or so—their dog-friendly store a fixture of the dog-friendly neighborhood. Dogs of all shapes and sizes are welcome in the store, and Café Maude’s dog-friendly patio beckons from next door.

“They’ve become part of the neighborhood; customers know them by their names,” Mark says of Jäger and Odis, adding that the pair draw a lot of traffic to the store. “It’s always fun to have dogs around— they always seem to brighten the atmosphere.”

So the next time you’re in the Fulton neighborhood and need to pick up a roll of duct tape or an extra leash (the store also has a sizable section of pet products), stop by Settergren’s to meet a pair of rare neighborhood gems.