Chew Test It Started With the First Dog Bakery in the World
Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff started Three Dog Bakery in 1989 as a home-based business, it was the first dog bakery in the world. They opened a commercial kitchen in 1991 known as KC-K9 Bakery. The second store was soon opened in 1994 and the first Canadian store opened in 1998. The company was renamed Three Dog Bakery in 1994. It was later sold by Dye and Beckloff, now Three Dog Bakery has 40+ locations in US, Canada and Hong Kong. The world had a taste of what a dog bakery can offer and everyone is asking for more.
According to Google Trend, more people in the US have been searching for ‘dog treats’ every year since 2004 while ‘dog bakery’ has been trending upwards since late 2014 with little sign of slowing down. Nowadays, a search for ‘dog treats’ on Amazon will get you many human-grade dog food and treats that are synonymous with pet bakeries. What started as a home-based business in 1989 grew into a trend of ultra-premium treat for dogs, delicious high-end dog cookies and even tasty quality jerky just for your special pooch.
Pet Bakery Is Growing Strong
According to a CNN article in 2013 there has been a trend among United States consumers to humanize and indulge their pets that began in 2010, a few years before the article’s publication. Combine that with increased consumer awareness of the food industry’s practices and we get a market that is looking for things that pet bakeries are ready to provide. Ultra-premium pet food and treats made with human-grade ingredients and supply chain. But will people spend for the premium set by dog baked treats?
Pet expenditure growth from 103.5 billion USD in 2020 to 123.5 billion USD in 2021is an indicator of how willing consumers are to splurge on their furry friends. According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, which did not ask for specific spending in total annual expenditures, it can be broken down like this;
- Surgical vet visits = $458
- Routine vet visits = $242
- Food = $287
- Kennel boarding = $228
- Vitamins = $81
- Toys = $56
- Grooming aid/brushes = $47
Since surgical & routine vet visits as well as kennel boarding vary from case to case, the top constant expenditures in that list are food, food treats, and vitamins. Now let’s look at a quote from the CNN article earlier; “The American Pet Products Association estimates U.S. pet owners will spend more than $55 billion on their furry companions this year in 2013” Within 9 years pet expenditures went from 55 billion USD to 123.5 billion USD. That is certainly impressive.
Don’t forget to take the pandemic into account for that explosive growth, the past few years we all have been forced to work from home and spend more time than ever with our pets. How can we resist the urge to spoil them with amazing dog baked treats?
The last factor that made sure niche products from dog bakeries reached almost every pet owner in the US was distribution. Pet owners have more choices than ever to buy straight from the manufacturer of these ultra-premium dog foods and treats with Amazon Prime like; Greenies Dental Treats, Mighty Paw’s Yak Cheese Dog Chews and VitaLife’s Duck Tenders to name a few. Another notable premium manufacturer is Portland Pet Food Company which produce human-grade, hand-crafted dog treats and food! Who can resist same or 1-day delivery for high-value, niche products that make dogs happier than ever?
The Future of Pet Bakery
The unique selling point of these products isn’t only their ultra-premium status. They are highly customizable, not only aesthetically but also functionally. Pet bakeries can create foods and treats catered to each dog’s digestive characteristics as well as allergic conditions. Something that a regular bag of dog treats cannot compete with.
Also, consider the fact that feeding your pooch enough dog baked treats can result in your pooch developing a preference towards certain key ingredients over others. You can now buy ultra-premium foods and treats that you know your dog will go crazy for. Talk about next-level dog spoiling!
As long as the quality and customizability of these products continue to keep a high standard, we can expect to see an ever-growing number of different baked dog treats to come. What a time to be a dog.
References
- https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/living/pampered-pets/index.html
- https://threedog.com/about/our-story/
- https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_industrytrends.asp
- https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=dog%20bakery
- https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=dog%20treats
- https://www.petproductnews.com/archives/treat-maker-three-dog-bakery-gets-new-owners/article_9ae81ea2-6aa2-51f1-bd17-081557331271.html#:~:text=Dan%20Dye%20and%20Mark%20Beckloff,as%20a%20home%2Dbased%20business.
- https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/644-three-dog-bakery-ultrapremium
- https://www.openpr.com/news/2539341/pet-bakery-market-expected-to-witness-the-highest-revenue-growth
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/three-dog-bakery
