Hot Trends in the DOG Industry that should NOT be real, 2017

Before I review some of the most ridiculous trends that you can spend your money on I would like to state that this is how you make your dog happy.

1. Meat-based diet

2. Off lead dog walks

Just like most dog food being full of grain filler, everything else in the dog Trent category tends to be filler.  Unnecessary ways to spend money, which is fine if you have covered off the first two points.  The problem is that most people don’t.  Most owners by grain based ‘dog food’  and then spend on grooming, totally neglecting the two main things that ensure a dog is actually happy AND healthy.

Dog trends 2017 you are better off forgetting

In no particular order:

Holistic grooming products such as the blueberry facial for dogs

If your dog is allergic to regular dog shampoo, buy proper medicated shampoo, not holistic best guess, make the owner fell happy with the picture products.  If you cant groom (wash or cut your dogs hair yourself) then you can get a family member or friend to do so.  I groom my own dog, and spend the money I save on his raw meat main dog food diet, and healthy dog treats.

Upscale and holistic spa services such as “paw-tinctures,” reiki and pet massage

Like humans, dogs can greatly benefit from massages, but why pay others to do your own pet?  Dogs can be bathed weekly, as long as you have a good conditioner after the shampoo so that the oils that are stripped don’t leave the skin dry and itchy.

If you have bought your monthly supply of healthy dog food and healthy dog treats, then sure treat your dog and yourself to a spa – but priorities are priorities.

Pet behavioural consulting

If your dog has a bad habit you can’t break, and having them run off lead with good recall in an off lead dog park hasn’t balanced their mind and behaviour, then sure consult a dog behaviourist.

The point here is that many people try and fix a problem that is a result of lack of dog socialisation, and lack of energy burn. A healthy free running dog that isn’t bored will have a LOT LESS behavioural problems than an equivalent dog locked up all day. You are usually better off paying for regular dog walks, than a one off dog behaviourist consultation.

Pet portrait photography

If you don’t have a good camera and can’t find a nice place to take a picture of your dog, then fine, pay for this service. However most smart phone cameras are so advanced these days, that even taking a few hundred photos of your dog with one of these, is just as likely to get what you need.

Remember a pet portrait should be as good as your relationship with your dog. If your dog is happy and healthy, it will more likely show up as a great genuine happy facial expression on your dog as you are giving them healthy do greats and taking photos, then leaving it up to a stranger with no connection to your dog.

yoga for dogs

Again, if you have given your dog plenty of off lead time to socialise and get fit, then spas and yoga retreats are also perfectly fine, just don’t do yoga at the expense of true park socialisation.

 pet psychic communicators      

And yes this is a real thing. I won’t dignify it with any length of analysis except to say, spend your money on the basics first!

Conclusion

One major trend that the report is highlighting is ” desire to decrease their pets’ carbon paw prints” Ref 1.  By using commercial dog food (full of grain) you are already doing that, as meat is more resource intensive.

However unlike human owners who are true omnivores (being converted may hundreds of thousands of years ago) dogs are still primarily carnivores.  If there is one thing you need to do for your dog above all else is feed them more meat with its appropriate bioavailable protein and natural enzymes.  By all means, go vegetarian or vegan yourself, and give your dog an extra helping of meat any time you can!

Did you know that the ” Specialty Pet Services ” segment in America, according to the ‘American Pet Products Association (APPA)’ predicts that spending in the specialty area will increase from $510 billion ( 2013) to $620 billion in 2016.  The biggest shame of this is that dog treats are a tiny fraction of this spend, and healthy dog treats (meat based) are even less – because people dont read articles like this or buy from companies like ours, but while you are here ..  you know what to do.

REF 1

Reference    thebalance.com/hot-industry-trends-in-pet-businesses-2660622