One often discussed trend that emerged during the pandemic was the dramatic increase in pet adoptions. The fur baby boom, if you will. And one notable key to this surge was many younger consumers becoming pet parents for the first time – or again. In fact, more than 1/3 of all Gen Z consumers welcomed a new pet into their home during the pandemic. And these younger consumers have not only fully embraced the humanization trend and idea of pets as members of the family, they have accelerated it.  

And, with this in mind, dog parents today are looking for pet snacks to offer much more than sustenance – they want them to enhance trust and their growing bond, to meet the emotional needs of their pets and even to help them to celebrate special occasions together.

• Comfort: The old saying goes that a parent is only as happy as their unhappiest child. This has become VERY applicable for pet parents. Many younger Gen Z pet parents suggest their moods are impacted by that of their dog – so if the dog is anxious or upset, so is the pet parent. Enter Milk-Bone^® Comfort Chews, which were designed to meet that very need – to comfort – with an appealing combo of taste and texture that helps dogs transition from feelings of unease to more neutral or relaxed.

• Trust and Safety: Pet parents first and foremost want to ensure they are providing their dogs safe, quality products. Younger pet parents are spending even more time investigating options and have an even stronger understanding of the benefits. Our Milk-Bone^® Flavor Braids and Milk-Bone^® Flavor Twists offer unique shapes and bold flavors that provide a safe alternative to rawhides, which can be harder on dog’s digestion, while delivering on the same job of offering an engaging chewing experience.

• Variety/Enjoyment: More than 72% of pet parents suggest they give their dogs different kinds of snacks. Mirroring their own habits, they don’t want their dogs to have the same thing over and over. So, different tastes, textures and formats are not only appreciated but expected. In this spirit, the Milk-Bone^® Dipped, Stuffed and Stacked biscuit offerings reflect the desire to not only enhance the variety of snack flavors but to create fun new ways to treat with unique flavors and presentations. And our product development team considers ALL treating occasions. For example, Dipped originally featured the special flavor on one side only, however during consumer testing some pet parents called out how with multiple pets they break the treats in half. Thus, the design of the product was revised to ensure no pup went un-treated.

The gentle parenting trends extends to pet parents who are using dog snacks as positive reinforcement for training. The softer touch that many younger pet parents prefer today reflects the love they have for their pets and a changing mindset – that dog snacks aren’t just a treat they are a way to expand upon the bond between pet parent and pet, enhancing trust and loyalty.

Our Pup-Peroni^® brand leverages dogs love of the unique flavor to offer a training treat that helps pet parents reward for good behavior while using training as a way to connect and spend time with their furry family member.

Pet parents also have an increasing desire to celebrate occasions big and small with their pets.

More and more pet parents are looking for ways to involve their furry family members when celebrating holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. In fact, more than 69% of dog parents celebrate their dog’s birthday or Gotcha Day.  

In response to this burgeoning trend, our Company stood up the Treats Commercialization Team. The objective was to deliver for pet parents looking to share even more special moments with their pups by leveraging the trust and popularity of our dog treats.

Fast forward to today and the team has helped us take a leadership position in this competitive segment. Now pet parents can find Halloween and Fall, Holiday, Valentine’s Day and, of course, birthday treats.

Interestingly, while the pet adoption boom has been supported by younger pet parents, many soon-to-be pet parents express that they have waited to proceed with adoption to ensure they were adequately prepared for their pets. So, the new era of pet parents has higher expectations of themselves – which is certainly good news for pets to be.

It’s also a reflection on the pet parent. For these younger pet parents, having a pet infers they feel established and confident in their ability to give their pets the life they deserve. With this, pets not only meet their needs for companionship, they enhance sense of self-worth and value. And, ultimately, these pet parents want to honor the relationship – just like they would for a friend or family member who has served the same role.

Notably, this is a relationship that evolves as the pet parent matures. What starts as a question of, am I ready to be a pet parent transitions to, should I take the work from home job so my dog isn’t alone during the day, does the new house we are looking at have a big yard for the dog to play in and how will the fur baby get along with the human version we will soon bring home as a brand new connection is established? 

And, through all of these stages, one constant will be pet parents looking to dog snacks to meet their dog’s needs – both those we know of today and those that will emerge in the future.